Description

A hidden treasure of scuba diving here in Phuket is a famous beach named Kata, midway between Patong and Rawai you will find a nice long stretch of sand with an amazing amount of macro and other critters hiding in its sandy expanse.

If you are a fan of Octopus then Kata Beach diving is a must if you are in the area. Need a dive shop to take you, I suggest using Aussie Divers – Scuba Diving Phuket for expert guides who know how to navigate the beach dive and will find cool critters for you to photograph.

If you are diving by yourself or with a buddy and no guide, then the advice I give to you for finding Octopus there, is simply to check inside all the cans and bottles you come across! In this photo the top left with all the red algae is actually the rim of a can of baked beans. The octopus has made a nice home in there during the day to catch wayward crabs.

Octopus love bottles also, we have all seen videos of them squishing themselves through impossible gaps, so the opening of a coke bottle is no problem for them to squeeze through and it offers some great protection for them from predators.

For photos with these squishy sea monsters I suggest that you spend some time watching them and letting them watch you before moving in for you snaps. If they don’t perceive you as a threat they will move outside of their home and sometimes even interact with the camera lens using a tentative touch (see what I did there).

Also keep your eyes peeled for Mimic octopus, they are also found on Kata Beach, as well as Algae, Common, Reef and Starry Octopus!