Description
The English to Thai translation of Koh Tao is “Turtle Island”. It was originally named by local fisherman and settlers who described a turtle shape when looking at the island from their boats. The island does have a healthy population of sea turtles with both Hawksbill and Green turtles living in the waters off the island. They are a common sight for divers when they are out fun diving or taking a diving course.
Koh Tao is known for beeing one of the best places to learn to dive, and yet see beautiful coral reefs with plenty of fishes
Koh tao complete guide:
https://www.kohtaocompleteguide.com/diving/koh-tao-dive-sites/
Best time to visit location
Any time is good, however Spring to autum n has better weather.
Information about the site
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
Conditions around the site
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.
Recommended diver experience level
Advanced DiverAdvanced Diver,Advanced diver with certificate up to rescue diver and at least 50 dives