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Lucy’s Reef

📍 Phuket, Thailand

Money Cowry (Monetaria moneta) — recorded at Lucy's Reef

Lucy’s Reef is a dive site in Phuket, Thailand. Currents typically run at 0.9 km/h and reach 2 km/h on the strongest days. Water temperatures range from 29°C in January to 31°C in May. The typical daily tidal range is about 1.7 m. Species recorded in the area include Money Cowry, Eubleekeria rapsoni, Moorish Idol and Spiny Cushion Star.

Dive Conditions

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Current
0.9 km/h (2.0)
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Water Temp
29–31 °C

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Typical Current 0.9 km/h (up to 2.0)
Water Temperature 29–31 °C
Tidal Range 1.7 m (typical daily)
GPS 7.5959°, 98.3714°

Data sources: currents and water temperature from Open-Meteo Marine (CC BY 4.0), hourly model values 2024. Tidal range is the median daily range of modelled sea level from Open-Meteo Marine, hourly values 2024. Species observations from iNaturalist, checked against the World Register of Marine Species.

Conditions at Lucy’s Reef through the year

Sea surface temperature at the site coordinates, averaged per month from hourly model values for 2024. The water is warmest in May at about 31 °C and coolest in January at about 29 °C, a spread of 2.5 degrees across the year.

Monthly sea surface temperature at Lucy’s Reef (°C)
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
28.7 29.2 29.7 30.7 31.2 30.5 30.0 30.1 29.3 29.7 29.8 29.2

Ocean current at the site runs at a typical 0.9 km/h. In the strongest tenth of the hours modelled for 2024 it reaches 2.0 km/h, which is when entries are normally timed to slack water at the turn of the tide.

The tide moves the water level by a median 1.7 m over a day, and by up to 2.3 m on the largest days of the month. That range drives how much water is exchanged over the reef and when the current turns.

In the open sea off Lucy’s Reef, the highest wave of the day exceeded 1.5 m on 5.9 % of days between 2015 and 2024. The roughest month was August (19 % of days), the calmest March (0 %).

Share of days with waves above 1.5 m, open sea near Lucy’s Reef (%, 2015–2024)
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
100046171914800

Satellite habitat mapping places Lucy’s Reef on a deep lagoon, over a seabed mapped as rock. The classification comes from the nearest mapped reef polygon, about 125 m from the listed coordinates, so it describes the reef the site sits on rather than a single point on it.

How Lucy’s Reef compares

These comparisons use only the measured values above, set against the 376 dive sites published on findadive.com. A percentage shows the share of other sites with a lower (or higher) value, so it reads the same way wherever the site is.

Lucy’s Reef compared with all listed sites and with Phuket
MeasureThis siteCompared with all sitesMedian in Phuket
Mean water temperature29.8 °Cwarmer than 79 % of the other 375 sites29.8 °C (27 sites)
Water temperature in the coolest month28.7 °Cwarmer than 72 % of the other 375 sites28.8 °C (27 sites)
Typical current0.9 km/hweaker than 62 % of the other 375 sites0.9 km/h (27 sites)
Current in the strongest 10 % of hours2.0 km/hweaker than 59 % of the other 375 sites2.0 km/h (27 sites)
Median daily tidal range1.7 mlarger than 75 % of the other 375 sites1.7 m (27 sites)

Water temperature, current and tide from Open-Meteo Marine (CC BY 4.0), hourly model values for 2024 at 7.5959°, 98.3714°. Wave statistics from ERA5-Ocean via Open-Meteo Marine (contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2015–2024), daily maximum wave height on a 0.5° grid; land shelter tested against Natural Earth coastlines. Reef structure and seabed cover from the Allen Coral Atlas © 2018–2023 Allen Coral Atlas Partnership and Arizona State University (CC BY 4.0).

Marine life recorded at this site

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist within about 12 km of these coordinates.

Money Cowry (Monetaria moneta)
Money Cowry Monetaria moneta A small, glossy, egg-shaped cowry shell, typically pale yellow to white, often found with its mantle extended, covering the shell.to 5 cm · intertidal-10 m · at nightunder rocks and in reef crevicesCheck the underside of overhangs and rubble at night with a torch; the mantle retracts quickly if disturbed. (c) TonyT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Eubleekeria rapsoni (Eubleekeria rapsoni)
Eubleekeria rapsoni Eubleekeria rapsoni A small, silvery slipmouth fish with a slender body and a small, inferior mouth, often seen resting on the seabed.to 15 cm · 1-30 m · day and nightsandy or muddy substrates near reefsLook for a slight disturbance in the sand or a small, stationary silvery shape; it may dart away if approached too quickly. no rights reserved · CC0 · observation
Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus)
Moorish Idol Zanclus cornutus A strikingly patterned reef fish with a deep, laterally compressed body, a long white dorsal filament, and bold black, white and yellow bands.to 23 cm · 3-180 m · by daycoral reefs and rocky areasOften seen in pairs or small groups swimming in the water column above the reef, browsing on sponges and tunicates. (c) Jonathan Curley, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Spiny Cushion Star (Culcita schmideliana)
Spiny Cushion Star Culcita schmideliana A large, pentagonal cushion star with short, conical spines covering its upper surface. It is often found motionless on the reef.to 30 cm across · 1-40 m · day and nightcoral reefs and rubble areasLook for its distinctive shape and texture on top of coral bommies or nestled in reef crevices. (c) Jakkarin Burananit, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation