Dive Koh Tao (year round)
The most popular place to learn to dive in all of Asia Pacific, after
Cairns in Australia, Koh Tao has some great dive sites and some great
apres-dive action.With relatively few currents, a gentle tide and dive sites that are
very close to shore – SCUBA diving on Koh Tao, Thailand is perfect for
the beginning diver. If you want to dive and party, then this is the
place to come. The short travel times from the shore to the dive sites
- typically half an hour or less - make diving extremely convenient.
While the diving is not nearly as spectacular or interesting as the Similan Islands, one can still be amused by your time underwater.
Because Koh Tao is in the Gulf Of Thailand, it's possible to dive
all year round. The weather gets a bit crappy around October/November,
but it's pot luck really - last year whale sharks were arriving at Koh
Tao during November.
The marine life
and lack of current or challenges on the coral reefs surrounding the island have lead Koh
Tao to become the best dive site in Thailand for first-time diver. Many
dive sites surround Koh Tao, most within close proximity to the island.
The water is an average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius with few
currents. Dive site depths range from 10 – 30 meters making diving
enjoyable for all levels of divers.
Koh Tao Dive Sites
Chumphon Pinnacle - Widely considered Koh Tao's premier dive
site, Chumphon Pinnacle is also one of the island's most challenging
with occasionally strong currents. Ranging from depths of 12m to 32m,
the site is a group of massive rocks arranged in a rough oval and
running north to south. The site plays host to a wide variety of
pelagics as well as reef fish. Barracuda, Mackerel, grouper, and tuna
circle Chumphon year-round, and in certain seasons whale shark
sightings occur.
Southwest Pinnacle - a series of rock
formations ranging from 4m to 30m and is another of Koh Tao's top
sites. The top of the pinnacles are covered with a carpet of anemones
in brilliant greens, pinks and blues with their cavalcade of pink
anemone fish. Home to large schools of snapper, yellowtail barracuda,
as well as fusiliers and a few large groupers can be seen here as
well, along with scribbled filefish and masked porcupine fish.
Sail Rock - A single rock that protrudes from the water
between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand. The main
pinnacle rises out of the water and plunges to a depth of 40 plus
meters. Probably the most exciting feature of this site is the vertical
chimney which starts around 9 meters and goes down to about 16 meters.
The rock is riddled with small holes which makes a perfect habitat for
white eyed and yellow margin moray eels, and the large anemones that
cover it are filled with anemone fish and shrimp.
Shark Island - Possibly Koh Tao's most varied site, Shark
Island is a small uninhabited island just to the southeast of Koh Tao.
Sloping gently from the surface down to 24m. White eyed moray eels,
blue spotted fantail rays, porcupine and puffer fish, and a variety of
reef fish are almost guaranteed in the beautiful shallow coral garden.
Green Rock
- Fascinating rock formations create small caves and swim-throughs at
Green Rock, which ranges in depth from 4m to 28m. Nudibranchs are often
present, as are morays, harlequin sweet lips and blue ringed angelfish.
Look out for "the minefield", where scores of yellow margin and Titan
triggerfish have made their nests
White Rock - Say hello to Trevor! White Rock, consisting of
two groups of rock separated by a narrow channel of sand (depths from
9m to 24m), is home to Koh Tao's single most notorious fish: Trevor the
Trigger. A Titan triggerfish that has been the boss of the site for
years, Trevor occasionally takes exception to divers disturbing his
rest.
Hin Wong Pinnacle - On the east side of Koh Tao lies
Hin Wong, a large and very varied site ranging from depths of 10m to
32m. Although visibility here is unpredictable, Hin Wong is covered in
lacy sea fans and curly wire coral, as well as filefish, snapper, coral
grouper and other reef fish.
Twins - Do you remember when your instructor told you to look
for the small things? Twins is the ideal place to take that advice. Two
groups of rocks at depths from 10m to 18m. Your divemaster or
instructor may show you the haunts of grouper, stingrays, you might
also see anemone shrimp, morays, flatworms and pipefish, as well as
cleaner wrasse at their never-ending work.
Nang Yuan Pinnacle and Cave
- Koh Nang Yuan lies northeast off the coast of Koh Tao. Nang Yuan
Pinnacle, is a small granite pinnacle that rises out of the water from
depths of about 20-24m. Whip coral, soft coral and sea fans are common
and blue spotted stingrays
Koh Tao History
Fishermen used to come here to shelter from storms or take a break
from their weary travels. Just before the turn of the century the King
of Thailand paid a visit to Koh Tao & laid his mark upon Jor Por
Rock on the southern end of Sairee Beach.
From the early 1930’s
Koh Tao became a prisoner colony used to house political prisoners,
until 1947 when the then Thai Prime Minister pardoned all the prisoners
on the island. So the island became abandoned again but only for a
short time as later that same year a couple of Fishermen set sail on
their boat for Koh Tao from Koh Phangan. They claimed for themselves a
healthy chunk of land, Sairee Beach, and after bringing their families
over began to cultivate the soil. Koh Tao’s first family had arrived!
They harvested coconuts, grew veggies & fished & gradually
began to trade with their nearest neighbour Koh Phangan, and by so
doing brought over more workers & steadily the Koh Tao population
grew.
As the population steadily grew, and the first backpackers finally
arrived in the early 80's; Due to its natural beauty above and below
the water, Koh Tao was hailed as a paradise. Word quickly spread about
the undiscovered island and it became a popular destination. The local
business expanded to meet the needs of the new clientele and today you
can find almost anything you need.
