Richelieu Rock is a dive site in Thailand situated in the Andaman Sea about 200 km north-west of Phuket. It is part of the Mu Koh Surin marine park although being about 18 km east of Surin island.
The horseshoe shaped reef that has been discovered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau[1] is known for its purple corals as well as diverse marine life ranging from small fish and harlequin shrimp to large pelagics like whale shark, manta ray, barracuda and grouper.
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Richelieu Rock has been discovered by diving pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau with the help of local fishermen.[1] The origin of the name is disputed. Some say it has been named by Cousteau after the red colour of Cardinal Richelieu's dress because of the red to purple colour of the soft corals on the reef.[2] Others claim it was named after General Richelieu, a commander in the Royal Thai Navy.[3]
The reef lies in the Andaman Sea, about 70 km west of Khao Lak in Thailand's Ralong province and about 18 km east of Surin island. There are no islands in the immediate vicinity of the reef.
Partly due to its unique geology as a solitary pinnacle standing out from around 50 m depth to almost 30 m it is said to attract a variety of different pelagics of all different sizes. Reports claim regular appearance of snappers, bannerfish, lionfish, triggerfish and shovelnose rays.[1]
Several sources also report sightings of filter feeders like manta rays, scavengers such as barracudas or larger predators like whale sharks though fishing is said to have made their appearance less frequent.[4]
Richelieu Rock is considered by many to be one of Thailand's most iconic dive sites.[5] It is usually accessed by diving boats during several day cruises, as it is too far off the coast to be reached by usual dive boats. There are speedboats that can go to Richelieu Rock as a daytrip.[4]
The limestone pinnacle raises from the sea floor of about 50 meters up to just underneath the surface at low tide.