Koh Tao Dive Sites
The diving around Koh Tao is excellent with a large number of sites suitable for the novice as well as deeper more challenging sites.
The diving around Koh Tao is excellent with a large number of sites suitable for the novice as well as deeper more challenging sites.
Koh Tao Dive Sites
The diving around Koh Tao is excellent with a large number of sites suitable for the novice as well as deeper more challenging sites. Shark Island
• Granite Island
• Many Hard & Soft Corals
• Sweetlips, Neon Damsel, Butterfly Fish
• Mild to Strong Currents
• 10 to 30 Meters Visibility
• All Levels of Diver
Shark Island Located just off the Southeast coast of Koh Tao, Shark Island is one of the most popular dive sites in the area.
Depths range from 28m and above at the southern tip to the surface, and at the deeper depths you may find Leopard and Reef Sharks.
At the shallow end you'll find beautiful gardens of vividly colourful corals and anemones and at high tide it is even possible to cross from one side of the southern island to the other.
This site offers a great range of fish including the Blue Ringed Angel, Long Fin Banner, and if you are lucky the odd resident Hawksbill Turtle.Huge boulders and rock formations give this site a great topography that is ideal for divers of all levels.
Depths range from 28m and above at the southern tip to the surface, and at the deeper depths you may find Leopard and Reef Sharks.
At the shallow end you'll find beautiful gardens of vividly colourful corals and anemones and at high tide it is even possible to cross from one side of the southern island to the other.
This site offers a great range of fish including the Blue Ringed Angel, Long Fin Banner, and if you are lucky the odd resident Hawksbill Turtle.Huge boulders and rock formations give this site a great topography that is ideal for divers of all levels.
Green Rock
• Boulder Formations & Swimthroughs
• Assorted Hard & Soft Corals
• Turtles, Triggerfish, Long Fin Banner Fish
• Slight to Moderate Currents
• 8 to 25 Meters Visibility
• Advanced Divers
Between 1 and 28m deep, this site consists of boulder formations that offer an array of safe short tunnels and swim-throughs. These features make this dive site one of the most fascinating sites around Koh Tao.
Ideal for the adventurous or novice diver (novices should keep to the shallows) Green Rock gives you the chance to see beautiful parrot fish feeding on the main pinnacle close to the surface as well as White Eyed Moray's and Blue Spotted Rays deeper amongst the rocks.
Hawksbill Turtles can also be seen and as always, keep a wary eye on the Triggerfish that nest in the sand. It is often possible to spot the less common Pink (or Yellow Margin) Triggerfish here as well.
White Rock
• Granite Pinnacle, Boulders, Sand & Shale
• Assorted Hard & Soft Corals
• Trigger Fish, Butterfly Fish, Rays, Moray Eels
• Slight to Moderate Currents
• 10 to 20 Meters Visibility
• All Levels of Diver
With depths from 22 to 1m, White Rock is situated close to Twins and is one of the most popular dive sites around Koh Tao. It offers a good depth for beginners and intermediate divers and enough marine life for all.
It is also popular for night dives, as is Twins, it's neighbour.
Butterfly Fish, Parrot Fish, and the Red Breasted Wrasse are colorful companions as well as the beautiful Angel Fish. Titan trigger fish are notorious for tenaciously defending their nest from all who pass too closely here so be sure to keep an eye out for them.
If you're night diving it is common to see large barracuda joining you on the dive using your torch beam to help them feed. As always when night diving watch out for the colorful crustaceans.
It is also popular for night dives, as is Twins, it's neighbour.
Butterfly Fish, Parrot Fish, and the Red Breasted Wrasse are colorful companions as well as the beautiful Angel Fish. Titan trigger fish are notorious for tenaciously defending their nest from all who pass too closely here so be sure to keep an eye out for them.
If you're night diving it is common to see large barracuda joining you on the dive using your torch beam to help them feed. As always when night diving watch out for the colorful crustaceans.
Chumphon Pinnacle
• Granite Pinnacles & Boulder Formations
• A Few Assorted Hard & Soft Corals
• Whalesharks, Batfish, Sharks, Jacks, Anemone Fish
• Slight to Moderate Currents
• 10 to 30 Meters Visibility
• Advanced Divers
Chumpon Pinnacle is located 11km to the north west of Koh Tao and is considered by many, as the best dive site in the region. Made up from one huge granite pinnacle and a series of smaller ones, Chumphon's main difference to Sail Rock is that the pinnacle starts 14m underwater and drops off to over 36m.
Chumporn, like Sail Rock, is covered with sea anemones and pink anemone fish. You'll find shoals of barracuda and schools of Jacks and Bat Fish.
Some of the most impressive groupers in the Gulf can be found at this site as well as seasonal visits from large pelagic's such as Whale Sharks and Mantas.
Chumporn, like Sail Rock, is covered with sea anemones and pink anemone fish. You'll find shoals of barracuda and schools of Jacks and Bat Fish.
Some of the most impressive groupers in the Gulf can be found at this site as well as seasonal visits from large pelagic's such as Whale Sharks and Mantas.
Twins
• 2 Rock Formations, 1 Smaller, Soft White Sand
• Assorted Hard & Soft Corals
• Butterfly Fish, Wrasse, Clown Fish, Tropicals
• Slight Currents
• 10 to 20 Meters Visibility
• All Levels of Diver
Just off the west side of Koh Nangyuan, Twins consists of two groups of rocks with depths ranging from 18 to 6m.
At the deeper end of the site expect to find Big Grouper, White Eyed Moray Eels and Blue Spotted Rays amongst the hard corals and granite rocks.
On the shallower side of the deeper rock you'll find an entertaining family of Clark's Anemone Fish (Clown Fish) nestling on the sand. This is a great photo opportunity if you have a camera!
As always, Pink Anemone Fish adorn the shallower rocks, as well as teems of the black & white Sergeant Major fish and the colorful inquisitive Wrasse.
Twins is a dive site for all levels of diver and one of the more interesting dive sites around Koh Tao.
At the deeper end of the site expect to find Big Grouper, White Eyed Moray Eels and Blue Spotted Rays amongst the hard corals and granite rocks.
On the shallower side of the deeper rock you'll find an entertaining family of Clark's Anemone Fish (Clown Fish) nestling on the sand. This is a great photo opportunity if you have a camera!
As always, Pink Anemone Fish adorn the shallower rocks, as well as teems of the black & white Sergeant Major fish and the colorful inquisitive Wrasse.
Twins is a dive site for all levels of diver and one of the more interesting dive sites around Koh Tao.
Southwest Pinnacle
• Broken Granite Pinnacles
• A Few Hard & Soft Corals
• Whalesharks, Reef Sharks, Large Groupers
• Slight to Moderate Currents
• 10 to 25 Meters Visibility
• Advanced Divers
South West Pinnacle. This dive site ranges from 30 to 5m deep. Southwest is dived less then some of the other sites around Koh Tao and Koh Samui and so it is quite possible you will be on the only dive boat at the site. The dive site itself consists of a series of steep pinnacles rising from the sandy seabed & offers an ample variety of marine life.
Around the outside of South West Leopard Sharks can be seen asleep on the sand as well as Blue Spotted Rays. The site also hosts the usual range of colorful tropical marine life such as Butterflyfish and Blueringed Angelfish. Pelagic?s such as Jacks, Barracuda & the occasional Whaleshark can often be seen as well as it is one of the deeper water sites laying in similar depths to both Sail Rock and Chumphon Pinnacle. This makes it popular with the bigger pelagics also.
Nangyuan Pinnacle
• Granite Pinnacle & Boulder Swimthroughs
• Assorted Hard & Soft Corals
• Long Fin Banner Fish, Rays, Groupers
• Slight Currents
• 8 to 20 Meters Visibility
• All Levels of Diver
Koh Nangyuan or Nangyuan Island is located approximately 250 meters off the north west coast of Koh Tao. With its crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches (landbridges at low tide) it is the jewel in the Koh Tao crown.
The pinnacle, located on the east coast of Koh Nangyuan, extends to within one metre of the surface and although quite small it is only a short swim across to the main island of Nangyuan. If you enter the water above the pinnacle you can continue your dive up and down the impressive boulder formations.
The granite boulder formations offer a variety of interesting swim-throughs and numerous tropical reef fish.
You'll also find an assortment of soft and hard corals, Groupers, Longfin Bannerfish as well as Blue Spotted Stingrays.
The pinnacle, located on the east coast of Koh Nangyuan, extends to within one metre of the surface and although quite small it is only a short swim across to the main island of Nangyuan. If you enter the water above the pinnacle you can continue your dive up and down the impressive boulder formations.
The granite boulder formations offer a variety of interesting swim-throughs and numerous tropical reef fish.
You'll also find an assortment of soft and hard corals, Groupers, Longfin Bannerfish as well as Blue Spotted Stingrays.
Dive Insurance
It is advisable to be insured as a recreational diver. As an Instructor or Divemaster it is usually mandatory. Standard medical insurance is unlikely to cover evacuation costs or re-compression treatment in the unlikely event of an accident. We supply you with an easy way of getting dive insurance quickly on-line at very affordable rates.
Don't take the chance with policies available at such low premiums - get insured today . . .
Dive Safety
Diving is statistically a very safe sport. You are far less likely to have an accident or sustain an injury compared to many other activities. However in the unlikely event of an incident Thailand has professionally operated recompression chambers as well as many excellent medical facilities.To minimize the chances of anything untoward happening read our dive safety tips . . .
