Ao Leuk Point

With crystal clear warm water and a smooth sandy bottom Ao Leuk must be one of the best locations to learn to dive in the world. Situated on the Southeast of Koh Tao it its depth ranges from 10 to 18 metres. There are also rock formations, boulder corals and other coral tors to stimulate interest.

Known also as 'Swimming Pool Bay' it is easy to see why. Those who know what to look for will see masked porcupine fish and black-spotted puffers, Jenkins Whiptail rays and blue spotted fan-tail rays but all will see the many cowries, cushion stars and nudibranchs. Green and hawksbill turtles are sometimes sighted here but more commonly various species of wrasse, peacock sole and crocodile longhorns.

Facts at a Glance:

Chumphon Pinnacle

The four massive rock pinnacles that come together at a depth of 40 metres and soar up to within 14 metres of the surface, form Koh Tao's premier and most challenging dive site - Chumphon Pinnacle.

An underwater mountain range that encompasses an area of approximately 100 square meters, it is completely surrounded by deeper waters providing us with a world-class dive site. Grey reef sharks are in regular attendance near the bottom of the pinnacle (dont worry, you're safe with our instructors), and it's one of the best dive sites around Koh Tao to see (and have a close encounter with) a friendly whale shark.

It's also a great place to spot giant groupers, black coral, anemone gardens, vertically falling reefs and all kinds of pelagic. Batfish are abundant here as are barracuda and tuna, exceptionally dolphins are spotted. Descending over the grey stone monolith is a breathtaking experience that alone makes the trip worth the effort; schools of friendly batfish generally rise-up to greet you. Then if you move south past Barracuda Rock, you will swim with schools of enormous barracuda and through a thermocline. As you make the tour of the pinnacle, look also for 'Jenkins' whiptail rays, giant groupers, king mackerel and tuna. Spend your last 20 minutes over the top of the pinnacle, watching the reef fish that swarm through an anemone garden. The pinnacles themselves are completely carpeted with anemones, all with various breeds of anemone fish tending to them. One of the richest dive experiences Koh tao has to offer.

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Green Rock

At this point it is worth mentioning that Green-Rock, Red-Rock and White-Rock were named by the pioneering Italian diver who first discovered them way back in the mid 80's, when Koh Tao was barely inhabited! They were therefore named from the colours of the Italian flag. Giant tumbling boulders create this dive site between 28 and 10 metres deep. Green Rock is a maze of swim-throughs, canyons, caverns and caves. If you take a torch you can see the daisy corals blooming by daytime. Stingrays munch in the corners, nudibranches meander amongst the ceiling sponges and oysters proudly display their mantles. Outside and at the deeper end of the site giant trevalies, cobias, and solitary great barracudas patrol the sea. You may also see white-tip reef sharks, and Jenkins whiptail rays.

If you swim over 'The Minefield' as it's affectionatley known, there are 'Yellow Margin' and 'Titan' triggerfish nesting in hollows in the sand - but keep an eye out for protective parents who can be up to 1 meter in length and guard their crater nests! They're fine if you don't swim over them, as their territory extends upwards, conically, if you swim gently down and away and they won't try and chase you off. The main body of the site will give you the opportunity to enjoy the challenges to your buoyancy skills provided by the many swim-throughs. As you meander through the twists and turns you should see white-eyed morays and green and hawksbill turtles. Some of the island's most spectacular nudibranchs are also found here, along with flatworms and reef squid.

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Hin Pee Wee

A beautiful site formed around giant boulder rocks rising from 30 metres deep to a shallow point at 5 metres. Boasting an intriguing mixture of hard and soft corals with plentiful small reef fish, it makes for am interesting dive. If you have good eyes, this is a great place to find scorpion fish stubbornly clinging on to the reef, blending in almost perfectly with their surroundings. Large shoals of yellow spotted tuna, trevalies and jacks cruise around the pinnacles and white eyed moray eels hide in quiet nooks and crannies. Hawksbill turtles and banded sea snakes also make an occasional appearance. A versatile site suitable for newly certified divers, with plenty to maintain the interest of more experienced divers.

Facts at a Glance:

Hin Wong Pinnacle

On the east coast of Koh Tao and situated in a bay of the same name, Hin Wong Pinnacle is a large site descending as deep as 40 metres. The summit is a tabletop rock formation within 10 metres of the surface and supporting black coral, soft coral and colourful sea fans but mainly covered with a variety of hard corals.

You should see Jenkins whiptail rays, porcupine pufferfish and hawksbill turtles in the area. Snappers and sweetlips will stare aimlessly at the unhurried diver and juvenile cube boxfish create splashes of vibrant yellow beneath rocks. Moon wrasse and banerfish can also be found in and around the corals that cover the top of the site. The boulder coastline hosts an array of caverns shallow with lightholes which are well worth checking out to see what's hiding inside.

Facts at a Glance:

Japanese Gardens

It is a small dive with many small fish but as the name suggests Japanese Gardens is something different. The coral formations in this bay create an oriental garden impression and the variety of corals are nothing short of stunning, including coral of the acropora type.

Hundreds of different species of soft and hard corals can be found here and layers of sponges with a variety of nudibranches devouring them.

There are spectacular small coral fish in abundance. It is a protected bay with clear calm water, ideal for diver training but it is also a relaxing shallow dive to contrast for those more experienced who have been diving the pinnacles.

Facts at a Glance:

Laem Thian Pinnacle

Although this site has a wide variety of marine life, including various reef fish, angel fish, banner fish, and parrot fish amongst many others, the main reason most divers come to Laem Thien is for its incredible collection of caves, swim-throughs and canyons, made from a tumble of boulder rocks and ancient hard corals. The top of the pinnacle is at 5 metres, running down to a maximum depth of 16 metres.

Titan Trigger fish can be agressive when guarding their crater nests over the sand, but here they have just come to feed off clams around the rocks, and they will largely ignore you, but be careful not to bump heads with them in a swim through. Occasionally you'll see blue spotted whiptail rays or turtles, and it's one of the few places on the island to see the rare unicorn fish.

Laem Thian is suitable for all certified divers, but more experienced divers will make the most of the more challenging swim-throughs. This site is a lot of fun!

Facts at a Glance:

Mango Bay

Situated at the extreme north of Koh Tao, Mango Bay is an ideal bay for diver training from Discover Scuba upwards. As the only way to get to it is by boat it's a bit of a 'lost paradise' especially for those new to the sport.

There are a great variety of corals, small fish, puffers, moray eels and young barracuda. The warm clear water tempts you in from the first moment. There are boulders covered in many corals, with reef fish and schooling barracudas inhabiting them. Those lucky enough to be around in late afternoons will be likely to see black-tip reef shark.

The bottom is sandy, water clear and there is abundant marine life. It all adds up to make this site perfect for training dives, or just a nice long stress free fun dive.

Facts at a Glance:

Nang Yuan Pinnacle

Nang Yuan Pinnacle is a big submerged rock it is one of Koh Tao's famous sites situated just to the north of the unique trio of islands joined by a sand spit called Koh Nangyuan, which is just northwest of Koh Tao. There are some very beautiful arches to swim through and a deep crack in its mid section that runs the entire way around, it's a great place to explore. Giant Whiptail rays, Giant Morays, and even reef sharks, can be found resting in it. Corals, sponges and many kind of fish can be seen. This site is also excellent to see pelagic fish when the visibility is good.

To its north is the domain of the 'Titan' triggerfish, who are ready to defend their crater nests. Once you've explored the pinnacle swim west to the cave. Approximately 25 - 30 metres in length, it is high enough to be more than comfortable. This is a place to watch and wait. The cleaner shrimp and larger banded shrimp will give you the once over.

There are the almost invisible Pipefish all over the walls, and crabs of every description scuttling around. This is also the home of Whiptail Ray who come in for a nap.

Facts at a Glance:

Shark Island (Red Rock)

The third of the original Italian named sites (and retaining the name amongst most traditionalists) Red Rock or Shark Island is an elliptical island rising 10 meters above the surface just off the Southeast coast of Koh Tao, it offers one of the most varied dive sites in the area, ranging from 24 metres to the surface. Many come in their search for whale shark, leopard shark and reef shark; it is the likelihood of finding them that has given the site its now favoured name, that combined with its resemblance to a sharks dorsal fin.

However even if you have no luck in that search, there's the guarantee of a beautiful sub-aqua odyssey through the most stunning soft corals of blue alcyonaries, gorgonian sea fan, black coral and coral tables, all in hues of purple, crimson and gold. Schools of brightly coloured coral fish will swim with you, innately curious.

There is a good chance of seeing solitary great barracuda, pairs of emperor angelfish, titan and clown triggerfish, or orange-spined unicorn fish and the resident turtle. Huge boulders and rock formations lend this site a unique topography that is accessible to divers of all levels given that there are two or three different dives that can be undertaken. At the more experienced level it offers a great drift dive in a moderate current, just get the boat to pick you up at the end.

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Sail Rock

Sail Rock is a pinnacle that juts from a depth of 45 metres to the surface; it's approximately halfway between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. As one of the Gulf of Thailand's top dive sites, it's a great place to visit. If you are an advanced open water diver or above it is the perfect dive to practice your deep diving skills.

You will start above the thermocline; tuna, king mackerel and jacks circle just off the pinnacle, be sure to look for the white-eye and yellow-edged morays lurking in cracks in the jagged rock. Octopuses and scorpionfish seem to magically blend in with the colourful soft and hard corals so you'll have to be sharp eyed to spot them. There is a rock 'chimney' where you can enter an opening, which has an amazing vertical swim-through that ascends 10 meters from a depth of 18 metres. Rise up slowly enough to enjoy the patterns of light and shadow and frequent windows into the blue open ocean that portal the walls of this natural rock tunnel. You will emerge into thick schools of jacks, snappers and trevalies.

At the top of the site you will finish with a bright ring garden of anemones and coral. This is a great spot for pelagics, such as kingfish, mackerel and due to its location and depth; this is also a likely site for whale shark and manta sightings.

Facts at a Glance:

Southwest Pinnacle

This towering reef is in fact made of 3 pinnacles of submerged giant boulder rocks, making the dive site topographically unique. Due to its location from Koh Tao jointly they are called Southwest Pinnacle. It is well worth travelling the extra distance to reach it, as visibility is often the best around the island. It ranges from 30 metres to 6 metres deep. Around the outside of the site two leopard sharks have their home and can often be seen sleeping on the sand. The 1996 February/March edition of Asian Diver Magazine described it as "a croissant that has been cut into slices and pulled apart".

You will ascend amongst the many small pinnacles from where can be seen raggy scorpionfish and tiger cowries hidden amongst the seemingly never-ending covering of pink anemones. Blue spotted fantail rays hide around the site and schools of small barracuda and snapper shelter from the current behind the lager rocks whilst mantas and potato groupers cruise around. The sloping bottom is covered with giant fan corals in hues of red, orange, green and yellow. The massive whale sharks that like to swim in divers bubbles with their enormous open mouths passively feeding often visit it. The current can sometimes be quite pronounced but the reef offers shelter.

Facts at a Glance:

Twin Rocks

To the west of Koh Nangyuan is Twins, which as its name suggests is two groups of two granite rocks covered with corals and sponges, with depths ranging from 7 metres to 22metres separated by narrow sand patches. At the deeper end of the site, watch for a big grouper, white eyed moray eels and blue spotted fantail rays. Cushion stars and top shells can be seen among the hard corals. In the many small caves you may see flashes of incandescent blue because juvenile blue-ringed and six-barred angelfish shelter in the cool shade of the rocks. As you move on and up to the shallower side of the site you will see an abundance of panda clownfish and pink anemone fish.

If you've got particularly sharp eyes, you may spot near-invisible pipefish, scorpionfish and flatworms. It is the home of banner fish and the occasional black tip reef shark may be seen close to the shoreline over staghorn coral beds. It is all set against the background of colourful coral gardens and abundant reef fish making this dive site an underwater wonder- world for qualified divers of all levels.

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White Rock

The second Italian discovery is White Rock. Situated between Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. Divers will find a wide band of coral reef. The diversity of hard and soft corals is impressive, in fact almost every species of coral to be found in Koh Tao can be seen in its glory here. The depths of this dive site allow the colours to brightly decorate the landscape, with reef fish in abundance, you can relax and watch wrasse in courtship, butterfly fish busying themselves preening coral heads, angelfish hiding in dark corners and many other species populating this busy ecosystem.

There is an area covered with anemones and their clown fish, also Groupers, barracudas, moray eels and Neptune sponges. Triggerfish patrol the oyster garden and for those good at spotting the unusual Phylidia Nudibranchs can be found.

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