Koh Mae Urai

A small limestone island off Ao Nang pierced by two tunnels or swim-throughs lined with soft and hard corals, often with barracuda circling the entrances. Depths reach about 20 m around rocky walls and boulders, and the walls are popular with macro photographers for nudibranchs, tigertail seahorse and longnose pipefish; white-spotted bamboo sharks rest in the tunnels by day. A rockfall damaged part of the reef in 2020.

Facts

• Region: Thailand – Koh Lanta & Krabi
• Area: Ao Nang (Krabi)
• Depth: 4–20 m
• Level: beginner
• Current: moderate
• Type: reef, wall, cave
• Coordinates: 7.9553, 98.7885 (approximate)
• Highlights: swim-through, barracuda, seahorse, nudibranchs, bamboo shark, moray eel, mantis shrimp, pipefish
• Unverified: Identity: 'Koh Talu' sources are merged here because one dive planner places Koh Talu exactly on Koh Mae Urai and both are described with two tunnels, but OpenStreetMap shows a different Ko Talu about 30 km north; reef status after the 2020 rockfall is unknown.
• Tips: Short boat ride from Ao Nang; visibility can be low (3–10 m). Tunnels only in calm conditions and with a guide.

Sources

• https://www.scubago.com/en/explore/divesite/koh-mae-urai-620520
• https://diveagainstdebris.org/debris-data/koh-mae-urai-0
• https://divers24.com/in-thailand-a-giant-rock-has-damaged-the-reef/
• https://www.diveplannerpro.com/spots/th/thailand/thailand-koh-talu
• https://www.private-scuba.com/destinations/asia/thailand/krabi/koh-talu.html