Nang Yan Pinnacle
Often refered to as Red Rock, this lone pinnacle off the East coast of Koh Nang Yuan juts out like the proverbial sore thumb from the sea bed to just below the surface. The rock is adorned with Wart Slugs and a Jenkins Ray or Banded Sea Snake can often be seen snoozing in the huge crack close to the bottom of the pinnacle. We regularly see a turtle or two around Red Rock as well.
This small pinnacle is usually combined with an exploration of the coastline of Koh Nang Yuan. Almost directly opposite the pinnacle on the coast a swim-through can be found. Due to its length this swim-though can technically claim the name of cavern. The passage is narrow at points and it actually doubles back on itself. There is a lot of light penetration and the chambers do look stunning with glass fish silhouetted in the sun beams but make sure you go with an experienced guide.
Should you wish you can dive from here into Japanese Gardens, we can do a drop-off so you can enjoy a one-way dive.
by boat 15m
often very good conditions, depends on seasons. sometimes can be a little windy and some currents
10
22
Yes
No
No
Tanote Bay
A shallow bay dive, Tanote Bay descends down a rocky pinnacle in the middle of the bay. Main thing to look out for here is some big coral trout and snapper that hide out at about 8-11m and for the six banded angelfish that go around in pairs.
A better site for snorkelling, Tanote Bay also produces good conditions for a second dive after Hin Wong or Laem Tien.
by boat 20 - 30 min
average to good, sometimes currents and windy
12
18
Yes
No
Yes
Lighthouse Bay
Description: A nice shallow bay with small pinnacle lying just off the reef.
Marine Life Highlights: Blue spotted stingrays and lots of colourful reef fish.
Corals: Shallow table corals, lobe / pore corals and deeper barrel sponges and sea whips.
Aptly named due to the Lighthouse on the headland, this dive site is a sheltered bay, ideal for new divers wanting to gain more experience or for honing those underwater photography skills. The bay is dotted with coral formations, creating the perfect habitat for many of our regularly-seen local reef fish
by boat 50 min
good conditions in a silent bay, with not much currents
10
20
Yes
No
Yes
Chumphon Pinnacle
This is the dive site that most people have heard of and that everyone wants to go to.
Sharks are the draw here, and in season we are pretty much guarenteed to see them on every dive. As to what type of sharks we see here, well the jury is still out. Are they large Grey Reef Sharks or are they Juvenile Bull Sharks or even some yet-to-be identified species specific to this region? Whatever they are, they are large and an amazing priviledge to see and photograph. Read more about the sharks of Chumphon Pinnacle here.
Whalesharks visit in their season too. You might get really lucky and see two on one dive! Sailfish can be seen hunting here and huge walls of Chevron Barracuda will obscure your view of the pinnacle. It's certainly a dynamic open ocean site where you can see the hunters as well as the hunted.
The site is almost one long complete pinnacle with a huge fissure towards the South end, large enough to pass through and a swim-through lies at the bottom of the central buoyline. The entire top of the pinnacle is carpeted in Magnificent Anemones, full of prancing Pink Anemonefish. Crabs, Shrimps, Scorpionfish and White-Eyed Moray Eels hide in the many fissures. The far South is home to a solitary Pacific Lionfish. Large Marbled Groupers skulk around the deeper regions. As you descend over the side of the pinnacle, you will feel like you are on a wall dive - lots of holes and cracks to peer into; Tube and Whip Corals aplenty; Blue-Green Damsels, Weibel Butterflyfish, Bannerfish and Blue-Ringed Angelfish dancing before your eyes, until you reach the sand at 30m.
Off to the Southwest of the main pinnacle is another large collection of rocks known locally as Barracuda Rock. Dropping down to 40m, you will be diving amongst swirling schools of Rabbitfish, Snapper, Juvenile Yellow-Tailed Barracuda and Fusiliers, watching as the hunting Trevallies dart in and out of this veritable feast!
We dive Chumphon Pinnacle after the majority of the other dives centres have finished their dives, meaning we normally get the whole site to ourselves. Diving at Chumphon Pinnacle with only a handful of divers is hard to beat
by boat 50 min
can be clear visibility up to 30 m, but also sometimes strong currents with very poor visibility about only 5m. very diverse divesite in conditions, and can be very unexpected.
20
40
Yes
No
Yes
Twins
Twins dive site is also called Twin Peaks. It is one of the best diving sites around Koh Tao. It consists of 2 large underwater Rocks starting at 7 meters with a sandy bottom at 20 meters deep. Thus, Twin peaks is suitable for all level of divers even beginners. The reef life is amazing with Blue Ringed Angel fishes, Clown fishes, Moray Eels, Stingrays and the Green Sea Turle. It is also not rare to see pelagic fishes such as Trevallies and Yellow tail Barracudas. Twins dive site is great for underwater photography and usually has good visibility. It is located near Koh Nangyuan.
This location is a Reef. Location based around one or many Rocks.
You can dive Twins all year long. Access: from the Shore. See the map of Twins on the right for the exact location.
by boat 20min, or by shore from island
very good, from small currents, to not nearly at all currents
5
10
Yes
No
Yes
Hin Wong Pinnacle
Hin Wong Pinnacle dive site is located on the North East side of Koh Tao Island. It consists of several underwater rock boulders. The hard and soft coral is really beautiful here. Here you can see a Hawksbill turtle or the cute Boxfish as well as all the usual reef fishes of the Gulf of Thailand. The maximum depth is 40 meters deep and Hin Wong Pinnacle is more suitable for advanced divers. Current can sometimes be strong on this spot so always check the diving conditions before jumping in the water!
Location based around one or many Rocks.
You can dive Hin Wong Pinnacle all year long. Access: from the Shore. See the map of Hin Wong Pinnacle on the right for the exact location.
the only placed in koh tao I have located a turtle.
by boat 40 min
sometimes can be currents, and also often poor visibility from 5 to 10 min.
20
30
Yes
No
Yes
Laem Thian
Laem Thian dive site is located on the East side of Koh Tao Island. It is an easy and relaxing diving spot suitable for all level of divers. The topography is interesting with small caves and swim-throughs worth exploring. The Marine life is great with good chances to spot a Green Turtle, a blue Spotted Stingray, a Grouper or a school of Jacks. Be careful of the large Titan Triggerfish as they can be aggressive! It is also an interesting spot for macro lovers with a good density of nudibranchs and Sea Slugs. The maximum depth is 17 meters deep. The visibility is generally good on the Laem Thian dive site.
This is a Cave diving spot, make sure you have all required certifications. Location based around one or many Rocks.
You can dive Laem Thian all year long. Access: from the Shore. See the map of Laem Thian on the right for the exact location.
by boat 40 to 50 min
often good conditions with fairly good visibility 10 - 15 m, and chances to see nice fishes.
not so much currents
10
20
Yes
No
Yes
Htms Sattacut Wreck
Just outside white rock...
lays from 29m to 18m with several different levels, and also places where to dive into. very good site practise and dive into.
Koh Tao’s latest shipwreck the HTMS Sattakut (LCI [Landing Craft Infantry] – 742) has quickly become one of our favourite and most visited divesites here at Simple Life Divers.
At 48 meters in length, this former US World War II Navy vessel (formerly known as the USS LCI(M)-739) was commissioned into the Royal Thai Navy in 1947 where it served until it was decommissioned in 2007.
Previously, as a US Navy ship it most famously participated in The Battle of Iwo Jima – one of the fiercest and most strategic battles between the USA and Japan during World War II.
bny boat 20m from pier
can be hard currents and wavy, and poor visibility between 5 to 10m
20
30
Yes
Yes
Yes
Japanese Gardens
Koh Tao This site follows the coastline of Nang Yuans southeastern bay 25 min by diveboat from Mae Haad, Dive operators secure their boats to any of the several mooring buoys in the bay
General conditions are the same as in the northwest bay
good conditions
6
12
Yes
No
Yes
Twin Peaks
On the far side of Koh Nang Yuan starting at around 5 meters below the surface and dropping to a depth of 18 metres is Twin Peaks or just Twins. This is an ideal site for beginners due to its depth and ease of navigation. The rocks are embedded into white sand and there is no shortage of marine life here. A friendly pair of rare saddleback clownfish and be found to the western side of the larger of the Twins.
by boat 15 min
Currents, Weak
8
18
Yes
No
No
Shark Island
The site gets its name from the shape of the island which, with some imagination, looks like the dorsal fin of a giant shark. Located 300m off the Southeast corner of Koh Tao, this is one of the few sites where the current can be strong enough that choosing another location would be the only sensible choice to make.
When it's calm though its beautiful. Shark Island has an abundance of soft and hard corals interspersed between towering boulders.Yellow-Tail Barracuda, friendly Batfish and a large school of Weibel's Butterflyfish all have a fascination with divers and you will often find yourself with a few new buddies on your dive! Polka Dot Nudibranch seem to love this site as well as their mutli-coloured Wart Slug cousins. It is also one of the few places around Koh Tao to see the Orange-Spined Unicornfish. A shallow area on the East side of the island called the Aquarium is the perfect place to end the dive. As its name suggests, it is just like being in a life-sized fish bowl. Surrounded on three sides by large boulders, the Aquarium is full of hard corals and colourful reef fish. Small silver baitfish seek sanctury here from hunting Trevally, only to come across metre-long Crocodile Needlefish.
Getting there by Boat 20 mins
Currents: Can be strong Best months: April/May
15
25
Yes
No
Yes
Mango Bay
Located to the north of Koh Tao the area around Mango Bay makes a nice relaxing dive. With depths ranging from 2 to 15 metres its ideal for beginners and snorkellers. Hard and soft coral formations here are plentiful along with a variety of sponges and clams. The bay is only accessible by boat and makes a popular snorkellers day trip. Drop in further around the northwestern tip of the island and drift into the bay area to avoid the crowds.
by boat 20 min
Currents: Occasional
Getting there : Boat 20 mins
2
15
Yes
No
Yes
White Rock
Two large granite boulders make up the White Rock dive site. An expansive coral garden can be found here at around 10 metres thats teeming with schools of butterflyfish and angelfish. Blue spotted stingrays are also a common sight on this dive. White Rock is also a popular night dive spot where feather stars, and an array of crustaceans can been seen hunting for food.
Getting there : Boat 5 mins
Depth: 2 - 20m
Viz: 5 - 25m
Currents: Occasional
Getting there : Boat 5 mins
Best months: April/May
10
20
Yes
No
Yes
Red rock
a fun dive site with swimming distance to dive site japanese gardens. Possible to stand on a rock called red rock.
by boat 20 minutes from harbour
good conditions
15
20
Yes
No
Yes
Green Rock
Green Rock offers several small swimthroughs, caves and crevices where marine life can be seen sheltering. The boulders range in depth from 5 metres down to around 32. There is often a strong current here that you can use to drift around the submerged pinnacles so its not really recommended for inexperienced divers. You will certainly encounter Yellow Margin and Titan Trigger fish here as it forms a popular breeding ground for them ... so approach with caution
by boat 15 minutes
Depth: 5 - 30m
Viz: 5 - 20m
Currents: Can be strong
Getting there : Boat 15 mins
Best months: April/May
10
20
Yes
Yes
Yes
Aow Leuk Bay
Aow Leuk is a bay located on the East Coast of Koh Tao. As a shallow site this dive affords you a long bottom time along an almost infinite coastline covered in beautiful soft and hard corals. A very peaceful and pretty dive with lots of little critters and marine life to keep you interested.
by boat 15 min
good conditions
6
17
Yes
No
Yes
Hin Gnam Bay
Shallow but beautiful and calm dive site.
boat 10 min
very good
1
10
Yes
No
Yes