A very surprising and dramatic event on the 4th of May 1997 made Phi Phi Island famous worldwide. The passenger cruiser King Cruiser sank and gave Phi Phi a wreck diving site that was diveable with standard recreational scuba gear. Ever since divers have been enjoying the wreck, not only because of it's obvious appeal, but also because of being closely situation to Anenome Reef, another very beautiful and colourful pinnacle that the captain of the King Cruiser obviously didn't see (?)
The King Cruiser was between usual ports travelling from Phuket towards Phi Phi Island. It was a sunny day with little cloud. The Andaman sea lay calm and there was no wind. Despite this the ship all of a sudden hit our lovely Anenome Reef pinnacle, and slowly began to sink!
The sinking process took just over an hour and all the shocked passengers were rescued without any injuries. There was plenty of time for the rescue operation and no panic at all, as the surprised travelers watched the big ferry sink to the bottom of the Andaman Sea, only 30 meters down under their life-boats. The King Cruiser sank with the portside forward, under thundering delivery of gigantic air bubbles.
There is nothing like the thrill of diving into a wreck. Nobody can free themselves of the spell that haunts a sunken ship. Imagination runs wild, as one meanders through the furniture and outcrops, as one swims from one room to another. The King Cruiser is an easy dive. The ship has large openings that grant the divers easy access to the spacey interior.
For divers the King Cruiser is a sensational and wonderful opportunity to study the process of marine life-forms taking possession of a new part of their environment. Huge shoals of colorful fish are already occupying the ship. Groupers guard the holes and crevices. Even the sedentary settlers - shells and corals - have begun to move in. Conveniently, the "King Cruiser" has seated itself in upright position in fairly shallow waters. The steering house hovers just 10 meters under the surface.
The propellers (deepest point) rest 30 meters deep. Therefore, Divers who have never dived a wreck before can enjoy the supreme fascination of wreck-exploration! The most interesting areas are the passenger decks between 10 and 20 meters.