Closer to home, Khao Na Yak is the house reef for Khao Lak. Only 45 minutes away by local boat, and with a maximum depth of only 9m, this is a most relaxing dive and an excellent site for new divers or for those of you who haven’t dived for a while.

Khao Na Yak Reef also appeals to experienced divers who like to spend some time focusing closely on the varied fish life of a tropical reef, with the advantage of a longer bottom time due to the shallow depth.

Many beautiful nudibranchs can be found here – and see if you can find the ghost pipefish! Also visited by many lionfish and the occasional ray and leopard shark, and including a colourful selection of tropical fish, this dive site is the perfect place to concentrate on the small things ….

Bon soong Wreck
AKA Bon Sung Wreck
AKA Bang Sak Wreck

 

Khao Lak’s best local dive site

Situated only a few nautical miles From Cape Pakarang , the Boonsung Wreck is a perfect choice for a half a day trip or as an alternative to the sloping reefs and submerged pinnacles of the Similan islands.

This old tin dredger sank around 20 years ago and is now a well established nursery for a huge variety of marine life.

During the Tsunami, the dredger was split into three parts. This enlarged the dive site, making it easy to spend multiple dives slowly exploring its many nooks and crannies.

The wreck lies at an average depth of between 18-20 meters, with the top of the wreck extending to around 15 meters.

Bonsoong Marine Life

Tiny lion fish, white eyed morays, zebra morays, juvenile trigger fish and angel fish take shelter under the tin debris. Even the surface of the dredger itself appears to be alive, as it is covered in scorpion fish from the miniscule to the massive, as well as the most beautiful and rare nudibranches. Shrimps, gobies and octopus also appear around every corner. There is an abundance of ghost pipe fish which hover next to soft corals sprouting out of the wreck as well as along the sand floor. More elusive marine life, including stone fish, frog fish and sand dragonet fish can also be found. Look around the outside of the wreck for larger life, including leopard sharks, cuttlefish, sting rays, mantis shrimp and camouflaged flounders. Porcupine fish, trevallies as well as large schools of batfish, fusiliers and chevron barracuda often circle around and within the wreck.

If you are lucky, you may even find a whale shark, which are attracted to the divesite’s nutrient rich waters.

Bon Soong Diving

Diving Depth runs 12-18 meters (25-65 feet). Visibility tends to be murky as it in an area lacking in reefs. Expect 6-8 meters (15-25 feet). Currents can be present but are usually minimal. Experience level runs from beginner to the most jaded divers in the world. Daytrips from Khao Lak are the best way to enjoy the site

Bang Sak Wreck Hazards

With some serious jagged pieces sticking out at odd angles and some pretty painful stinging beasties afoot, we recommend both caution and good buoyancy when doing this site.

It will be VERY worth it!

The Premcahi (also known as the Thai Muang) Wreck was built in Sliedrecht in the Netherlands in 1976. She ended her days working for a Tin Mining company off the west side of Phang Nga province. She was renamed after the owner of the company and her name – “Premchai 10” is still visible on the side.

After sinking in September 2000, a few hundred metres off Thai Muang beach, the Condreco now rests on her side at a depth of 20 meters. The Premchai is in excellent condition with the most amazing soft corals and has attracted large numbers of Honeycomb & White-eyed moray eels, lionfish & all types of scorpion fish. It is also possible to spot Ornate ghost pipe fish here.

With the top of the wreck at 14 meters and the bottom at 21 meters, she is a bit a deeper than her more famous sister – the Bon Soong Wreck. As she is a more recent wreck she is also in a solid piece, and not as encrusted with corals and sponges.

Diver Safety and Medical Training

With our Dive Medic technicians on staff, we take advantage of all that knowledge and expertise and made sure to share it with the local dive centers. Competition aside, we are all concerned with safety, and preventing any unnecessary accidents while out diving and having fun.

There are two primary certifications that address basic safety and medical emergencies while out diving – those being Emergency First Response, and Divers Alert Network Oxygen Provider Certification. Both of these courses and yearly updated/refreshers are offered by Wicked Diving for all the local dive centers and their staff.

 

To add to these services, Paul – our resident dive medic-technician and expert also kicked off a new monthly “seminar and lecture” series. These “SAFETY MEETINGS” are hosted right here at Wicked Diving headquarters, and are open forums for all dive professionals in the region. Solely focused on preventing dive accidents, these sessions review all the signs and symptoms for dive injuries in an open forum for all to share their knowledge and experiences in the field, and also review the local marine life to heighten awareness on what to do if a staff member or a guest happens to have any sort of potential marine-life related encounter.

 

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Community Involvement and Contributions

Philosophy and Local Community Contributions

Aside from diving, we make it a policy to give back, and take pride in our community, supporting it anyway we can. When join Wicked Diving on any dive or snorkel safari, you do more than just enjoy your vacation – you make a difference, and give back to the local community here in Khao Lak.

Respect for your surroundings, and culture is another core value at Wicked. We donate a portion of our profits every year to local charity and educational organizations.

We had the honor of sponsoring of 20 Burmese children this summer from the work camps in the surrounding area here in Khao Lak. Wicked Diving donated the transportation, food, housing and materials, and overall support (along of course with WICKED T’s for all the participants), so these kids could attend an educational summer camp through the Human Rights Development and Education Program.  

Whenever possible, we offer our services and training experience in diving to those in the community who make a living from the business that tourism provides to the area. Specifically, this season Wicked will be donating our time and equipment to some of the members of the Thai National Marine Park in teaching them to dive.

We support local commerce by purchasing goods that are locally produced such as BIODEISEL for our boats and trucks.

The Thai culture has a lot to offer, and at Wicked we not only respect and love this culture, but also encourage everyone to learn and be a part of it. Language can sometimes be a barrier so while we strive to teach our Thai family members English and other languages, every family member at Wicked takes part in weekly Thai lessons to learn the language in an effort to build stronger bonds and relationships around us.

Environmental Beliefs and Practices

Reefs and Marine Life
One more thing in support of maintaining the environment and respect for our surroundings is our policy while in the Marine Park. You will find that we strictly enforce no trash overboard (including those butts from the smokers who join us), no fishing overboard and in the protected areas, and no touching or handling of ANY marine life what so ever. We have to show respect for the natural resources we all enjoy, and protect and preserve them for the next visitor to enjoy as well.

We also work with organizations like Green Fins. Founded in 2004, Green Fins have been dedicated to protecting the reefs of Thailand through raising awareness and teaching Reef Watch methods for ongoing monitoring.

  http://www.greenfins.org

All our products are purchased through a Thai owned and operated company. Details of the company:

Our products are high quality, safe, non-toxic, carcinogen-free, and metal-free – no arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, selenium, or nickel.These are the only products produced in Thailand that are derived directly from nature, not just biodegradable. Our products neutralize odor, treat waste water, and help save on water bill. Our products are naturally concentrated; therefore, they are energy-saving and won’t cause global warming. Our products are 96-98% decomposed within one month. 

The conservation of the environment – especially the land and its impact on water – has always been at the core of our purpose and mission. As water is our lifeline, we hope to see clean and clear water for the generations to come. These products have been inspired by more than 10 years of research and development in the areas of natural fruits. The ingredients used in formulating our products go through the ripening process of more than 2 years.

The increasing number of the population in the future coupled with the increasing use of chemicals around the world will intensify the contamination of water and the imbalance in nature, leading to global warming.

 It has been our mission for more than 10 years (since 1997) to produce natural products that can be decomposed naturally to the highest extent with no toxic residue. Therefore, our products are safest for both users and dwellers alike. In addition, we have received accreditation from Thai Industrial Standards Institute and The Food and Drug Administration. Moreover our products are the First and the Only products in Thailand to have received the Green Label from Thailand Environment Institute since 2004. Therefore, these products are poised with exceptional quality and more environmentally friendly than any other products in the same category in the market. We determine to continue to produce environmentally safe products even though our production costs are higher than those of chemical products.

Company Mission Statements
•    To utilize natural resources in ways that ensure their availability for future generations
•    To produce green products for people with chemical sensitivities
•    To enhance the quality of life of Thai people
•    To provide a healthy and safe alternative of locally-made green products for Thai people
•    To promote community supported agriculture and organic farming
•    To ensure that the balance of nature is maintained
•    To help save energy
•    To promote and preserve Buddhism
•    To answer to the Water Conservation Projects initiated by His Majesty the King and the Chao Phraya River Conservation Project initiated by Her Majesty the Queen
•    To help promote Thai products by exporting our products to other countries

The specific products we use on the boat and in our shop:

All  Natural Multi-purpose Liquid Cleaner
features a unique blend of multiple fruit acids and essential oils extracted from fruit peels. Safe for even the most delicate surfaces like marble, granite, furniture, and kitchenware. Polishes all surfaces to restore their Original shine. Does not leave your floor slippery or sticky. Gentle on the skin and the lung, even through direct contact. Removes all stuffy smells the nature way. Unclogs wastewater pipe while treating wastewater. No toxic residue.

All Natural Dish Washing Liquid
Careful and scrupulous attention to every detail of selecting raw materials and manufacturing Boomgreen Natural Dish Washing Liquid that uses multiple fruit acids, not chemical cleaning acids, to fight grease. Therefore, it is the safest, most environmentally responsible dish washing liquid on the market. Perfectly suitable for cleaning baby bottles, glasses, and delicate items. Contains No carcinogens, Zeolite, EDTA, or LAS ( LAS is present in most chemical cleaning products. The carcinogen benzene is added to LAS and the benzene can be absorbed through the     skin, which can cause cancer) . This exceptional dish washing liquid also removes odors. Your dishes will be sparkling clean and odorless. Easily rinsable. No toxic residue. Prevent blockage and clean out stale smell in your sewage pipe. Helps prevent flies. Non-skin irritating. Preserves your skin’s moisture. Assists in washing away chemical residues – detoxification. Suitable for people with chemical sensitivities.

All our sheets and towels are made from high-quality unbleached, organic cotton. Not only are they comfortable and soft, but they also help conserve the resources of our planet.

 

From our suppliers fact sheets:
We produce environmentally friendly cotton goods aimed at helping to prevent pollution and health hazards. All products are 100% pure and naturally processed without the use of chlorine bleaching, synthetic dyes and are free of all toxic chemicals. Our processes also help to preserve natural resources as the bleaching and dyeing process of general fabric consumes large quantities of water and electricity.  The company’s slogan is “The Right Choice for People who Care and who are Considerate.”

What is so special about organic cotton? How does it differ from regular cotton?

Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic chemicals, replacing them with biological ‘integrated pest management’ (IPM) systems.

“Composted manures and cover crops replace synthetic fertilizers; innovative weeding strategies are used instead of herbicides; beneficial insects and trap crops control insect pests; and alternatives to toxic defoliants prepare plants for harvest.” (www.sustainablecotton.org)

Organic cotton has the potential to improve the health of millions of people, reduce the production and use of toxic, synthetic chemicals and encourage a more just and open global trading system. Organic cotton is currently grown in about 20 countries around the world, with Turkey, India and the USA the largest producers.

Organic cotton is as versatile as conventional cotton. There is no technical reason why organic cotton could not replace all conventional cotton in the future. The real determining factor will be users of cotton products – like you and me! If we start asking for organic cotton, the message will get across that there is a demand for it.

The aim to lead a more natural and sustainable life has meant that many of us have turned increasingly to clothing made from natural materials over clothes made from synthetic fibres. However, there are huge environmental and health-related problems associated with the growing of the raw materials and the chemicals which are routinely used in the manufacturing of conventional clothes and fabrics.

Conventional cotton is grown on 4% of the world’s arable soil, it consumes more than 11% of the pesticides and 24% of the insecticides used annually.

Source: Organic Cotton, ed. D, Myers and S. Stolton, Intermediate Technology Publications, 1999 p. 10.

In 1998 in the US alone over 600,000 tons of active toxic chemicals were dumped on conventional cotton crops.

Source: www.foxfibre.com

40% of all conventional cotton grown in the US and 20% of the conventional cotton grown in Australia is genetically engineered. This number has certainly increased since the information was published

Source: Pesticide News 42 December 1998.

“Two types of genetically engineered cotton now commercially available in the US are cause for serious concern. Herbicide-resistant crops such as Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” cotton allow farmers to spray more herbicides without killing their cotton plants. When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently cancelled use of the herbicide bromoxynil on cotton they stated publicly that “the use of herbicide-tolerant crops to promote particularly hazardous herbicides is not acceptable.” Cotton has also been engineered to produce an insect toxin naturally produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). While Bt has also been used safely as a biological pesticide by both conventional and organic farmers for many years, its incorporation into the cotton plant will accelerate the development of resistance among pests, ultimately rendering useless a safe, natural insecticide.”

Source: Organic Cotton Directory 1998-99 produced by the Organic Fibre Council p.11

100% cotton fabrics and garments may contain up to 10% dyes which do not need to be declared anywhere.

Of all textile chemicals used in the last 15 years (including dyes and “easy-care” chemicals) 30% are hazardous to human health, 20% are sensitising and 15% are skin irritants.

Source: Baby -und die ersten Lebensjahre p.8 February 1998. (final point uses information from BUND – Bund fuer Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland)

(Please note: As of the 2011-2012 season we are shifting our osap supllies from this project to the Baan San Fan orphanage. The villagers below are now doing quite well in their enterrprise as several large resorts and boutiques are now offering their products. We feel that by teaching those operating the orphanage how to develop products like this they can move away from a system of donations towards a sustainabale income.)

 

Wicked Diving is always trying to find new ways to help our community. Whether our Whale Shark Research, supporting Summer Camps or helping teach the children of Burmese migrant laborers…we back our good intentions with work and service. Firmly committed to donating 10% of our profits each year to various projects that improve our community and/or environment – we have chosen to supply all our liveaboard guests with handmade, organic soaps. These soaps are biodegradable as well as very pleasant smelling and feeling. They are also made by a women’s cooperative north of Khao Lak. Their story is below…

On the 26th December 2004, the village of Ban Talae Nok was irreversibly changed – with the Tsunami devastating the lower part of the village, taking many lives as well as destroying houses, boats and the school.

In the aftermath, villagers struggled to cope, not just with the challenge of rebuilding their lives, but with the flood of Tsunami aid. With no boats remaining – their traditional livelihood was indefinitely on hold, and with no way to know which promise of aid would prove reliable, families were left feeling powerless, until a soap-making workshop was offered.

When the government offered a workshop on soap making, 19 women applied hoping to gain some new skill and an income. The cooperative approached the North Andaman Tsunami Relief for help with marketing and business development. By offering a practical and reactive approach the women have worked to build group dynamic and find sustainable markets.

With the continuing support of the North Andaman Tsunami Relief, Andaman Discoveries and Wicked Diving (among others) the soap cooperative has flourished and now produces a range of fantastic soaps that are available on the liveaboard and for purchase in our shop.

The Making of the Soap

The making of the soap is a simple process and only 100% natural ingredients are used.  The natural palm oil used to make the base is extracted from the fruits of palm trees grown on plantations in Thailand.  These oils, purchased in Bangkok, are used in many luxury soaps and are often referred to as ‘vegetable tallow’.   
The range of colors in the soaps comes from natural oils added to the soap to provide fragrant scents.  Such additions include Jojoba, cinnamon, ginger, tamarind, avocado, saffron, turmeric, lemongrass and sesame.  Each provides the soap with its own individual flavor and appearance.

Step-by-Step Guide:

• Firstly, the base of the soap is made by adding 12 cups of palm olive oil to a pan and heating until the oils have melted and formed a single mass.  Water is continually added to achieve the correct consistency.
• When the palm oils are close to being ready to be added to the soap moulds, the natural flavors can be mixed with the oils.  The oils (or combination) used depends entirely on choice, each offering a different sensation.
• Once mixed the soap can then be added to the moulds where it is left to cool and dry for one month.
• Liquid oils such as concentrated palm oil, vitamin E and jojoba are usually added as well as powdered flavors that provide the fragrance.
• Once the soap has dried it is ready to be cut and mold into different shapes and sizes and packaged as the final ‘Ban Talae Nok Women’s Soap Cooperative’ products.

 

To all those who buy and enjoy these amazing soaps, you are doing so much more than just buying a product: you are empowering the producers to achieve self reliance.

When you join Wicked Diving trips – you do more than just dive or snorkel – you make a difference!

Manta Rays are one of the most fascinating creatures in the sea. Huge, graceful and intriguing. Very little is known about them – from their migratory patterns to their breeding.In the last year Andrea Marshall, founder of Marine Mega Fauna visited us and we are very proud to not sponsor her research but to actively participate in it! We are using Thailand as the first base of our research and then we will be undertaking a huge effort in Indonesia once we have established the most effective use of our data.

About Andrea’s work:

Our scientific work generally focuses on species-level population ecology and conservation biology, with considerable overlap between the two areas. Our major ongoing research programmes are focused on manta rays (Manta alfredi and M. birostris) These huge plankton-feeders congregate year-round in the highly-productive coastal waters along the southern Mozambican coast, presenting an ideal opportunity for research on these huge yet enigmatic species. Other research projects also examine some of the more unique and/or threatened species found in the area.

 

Successful conservation and management strategies requires good information. We are working in partnership with local communities, provincial and national government and other Mozambican conservation organisations to both protect threatened marine species, and to provide a sustainable future for the country.

Our major current focus is on achieving protected status for manta rays and whale sharks in Mozambique. Manta rays are still unsustainably fished in Inhambane province, and whale sharks are being entangled in nets. Both species appear to be in decline. To protect the species themselves, as well as the economic value of marine tourism, these vulnerable fishes need help. We are advising the government on the best ways to achieve long-lasting conservation success. Our data are also used to evaluate the international conservation status of these species (for example, the IUCN Red List assessment for manta rays).

We are also working to ensure that local communities derive a benefit from the healthy populations of marine animals present in the coastal waters of Mozambique. Whale sharks and manta rays are charismatic ambassadors for marine conservation, and we are using these species to promote local economic development through the creation of a sustainable marine tourism industry. To this end, we are also working with fishing communities to stop the poaching of endangered marine life, such as sea turtles, and to create alternatives to unsustainable activities like shark finning.