Richelieu Rock is often called as a “fish soup” with more than 50 dives here during my Divemaster training, it never stops surprising me :)

Richelieu Rock is a limestone rock located in the middle of the sea near the Surin Islands, Thailand. When it gets low tide, only about one meter of the rock is visible above the surface. Underwater, it’s completely covered with purple anemones, soft corals, and surrounded by huge schools of fish. The best time to dive here is from February to April, and it’s often listed as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world.

My first time diving here, I joined a day trip whenever I have day off from work and it later became a regular part of my diving during my first year in Thailand. From the very first dive, I fell in love with this place. Every 60-minute dive always felt too short. At the end of the dive season, I did a liveaboard trip 3-day, 2-night liveaboard with 3–4 dives a day. Richelieu Rock was one of the dive sites must be visited.

A year later, when I returned to train as a Divemaster, I got to explore the site more deeply. I started to recognize the “homes” of mantis shrimps, stingrays, moray eels, corals, and sponges..but yeah I still couldn’t compare to the local dive guides who’ve been diving here for 5–10 years. Over time, Richelieu Rock begin to feel familiar, almost like a home for me. Every descent feels calm and peaceful. Sometimes, massive schools of fish chase their prey overhead and the light above you darkens as if the sky has closed in.

I love photography, so whenever I can, I bring my camera down to capture portraits of my underwater friends here. As I descend along the mooring line, I’m often greeted by shimmering fusiliers, batfish slowly gliding past and watching scuba divers, the harlequin shrimp busy eating a starfish buffet, trevallies hunting in fast-moving groups or giant schools of jackfish below 24 meters. I often guide divers straight through these swirling schools, as if being pulled into a beautiful underwater vortex.

Moments like these are truly breathtaking - and they’re memories I know I’ll never forget.

I’ll always want to come back here - this place feels like home to me. :)