wreck

Log This Dive

MAE PING

Mae Ping, for us, is all about the descent into that inky blue. Dropping down to 52 metres, you really feel the pressure change, and then the ghostly outline of the tanker emerges. She went down in heavy weather back in '82, taking on water in the engine room, and you can sense that history as you explore. We love how intact the wreck still is, considering her age and depth. You can fin past the bridge, peer into cargo holds now home to schools of fusiliers, and really get a sense of her scale at 53 metres long. It’s definitely a dive for advanced deep divers, someone comfortable with longer bottom times and solid buoyancy. The thermoclines can be quite noticeable, a cool rush against your skin as you pass through. We’ve often seen giant groupers lurking in the shadows, and we once even spotted a lone reef shark cruising by. Our favourite part has to be exploring the stern, where the propeller still sits, encrusted with soft corals that wave gently in the faint current. It’s a proper wreck dive, dark and moody, a stark contrast to some of the shallower, sun-drenched sites around Koh Tao.