See down under all the information about the dive sites around Koh Tao
JAPANESE GARDENS Depth 1-14 metres
A nice, shallow dive site that is perfect for beginner divers. It is a large bay area, with a section marked off for snorkelers, swimmers and divers doing their confined dives. It has a selection of corals that resemble a Japanese Garden and includes swim throughs on the south side. For the more experienced diver, it may also be possible to do a drop dive from outside of the bay.
Coral types: Funnel corals, mushroom and slipper corals, staghorn and table corals, etc.
Fish types: Angel fish, butterfly fish, titan trigger fish, porcupine puffer fish, etc.
JANSOM BAY & THREE ROCKS Depth 1-9 metres
This is the dive site that we at Dive@CharmChureeVilla take all of our beginners to, and any divers who wish to do a shore dive or night dive with us. Jansom Bay is the private beach for the resort and Three Rocks is located a short surface swim outside of the bay. Whether you follow the shore line or go out to Three Rocks, you will see a wide variety of coral and fish life. There are rock formations, which have made a large swim through at Three Rocks. This gives you many places to look for fish life you may be hoping to see.
Coral types: Pore corals, mushroom and slipper corals, staghorn and table corals, brain corals, etc.
Fish types: Giant puffer fish, titan and yellow margin trigger fish, scribbled file fish, nudibranches and, if you’re lucky a green turtle, and Indian walkman during night dives.
For Intermediate Levels
TWIN PEAKS Depth 5-18 metres
One of the most popular dive sites, this is made up of 2 main rock formations. A small swim through is located on the deeper of the 2 pinnacles. This is a fun dive site with an abundance of coral and fish life, and is perfect for all levels of divers. Just off of the dive site, there is also Buoyancy World, an area which has been made especially for people who want to practice buoyancy techniques.
Coral types: Whip corals, staghorn and table corals, magnificent anemones, etc.
Fish types: Trevally, pink anemone fish, moray eels, blue-spotted stingrays, porcupine puffer fish and saddleback clown fish (Nemo’s cousin!)
WHITE ROCK Depth 5-22 metres
This is a very large dive site and is made up of 2 large rock formations, with a coral garden in between. Appropriate for beginners and experienced divers alike, has both shallower and deeper parts to it, with a small swim through on the south pinnacle. “White Rock” itself is the shallowest point of the dive site and can be seen as a light green or “white” patch from the surface. A great dive site to explore and can be visited more than once to cover the ground you may have missed on the first dive!
Coral types: Large staghorn and table coral formations, leather corals, bubble corals, grass corals, etc.
Fish types: Angel fish and butterfly fish in abundance, blue-spotted stingrays, porcupine puffer fish, yellow box fish, scribbled file fish, moray eels, and the occasional rhizotome jellyfish and banded sea snake/krait.
SHARK ISLAND Depth 4-25 metres
An amazing dive site, but you must be aware of the conditions as Shark Island can sometimes endure current. At the deeper parts of the dive site there is an array of various soft corals, with large rock and hard coral formations leading up to the shallower parts of the dive site. The pore coral field looks awesome and can be a great part of the site for seeing trigger fish, stingrays and sometimes even a whip ray. There is also a kind of “pond” area, with an abundance of coral and fish life at around 6 metres, which is great for doing the safety stop.
Coral types: Grass and whip corals, leather corals, pore, boulder and brain corals, etc.
Fish types: Yellowtail, chevron and the occasional great barracuda, bat fish, yellow box fish, scribbled file fish, and trevally on the hunt!
For Advanced Levels
CHUMPHON PINNACLE Depth 12-35 metres
Chumphon Pinnacle is Koh Tao’s best and probably most well known dive site. It is one huge pinnacle which starts at around 12 metres and drops off to around 30 metres. There is a swim through (more like a small cave!) and a large opening running the width of the pinnacle. There is also a smaller pinnacle off to the south west of the main pinnacle called Barracuda Rock. There are many cracks and crevices to look into and through so keep your eyes peeled for some of the larger fish that inhabit Chumphon Pinnacle and use these to hide away.
Corals types: Large magnificent anemone fields, some small staghorn and table corals, large barrel sponges and some delicate funnel corals.
Fish types: Giant groupers, yellowtail, chevron and great barracudas, yellowfin and longfin trevally, scorpion fish, moray eels, porcupine puffer fish, reef crabs, yellow box fish, etc. There are also seasonal bat fish, grey reef sharks and, depending on the moon, sometimes even a Whale Shark!
SOUTHWEST PINNACLE Depth 5-30 metres
Another of Koh Tao’s most well known dive sites and has become a favorite for a lot of divers. Like Shark Island, there can be some current to deal with on this dive site. However, the layout of this site offers a fantastic multilevel dive and plenty to see, whether you have a deep dive certificate or an open water (18m) certificate. The main pinnacle begins at around 5-7 metres and is covered with magnificent anemones, and is great for looking for moray eels or reef crab while doing your safety stop.
Coral types: Grass and whip corals, anemone fields, small table corals, etc.
Fish types: A huge school of fusiliers, giant groupers, Janss’ pipe fish, moray eels, cleaner shrimp, scorpion fish, barracudas, blue-spotted stingrays, trevally, and again, the occasional Whale Shark!
These are just a few of the dive sites around Koh Tao, the rest, as you can see from the map of Koh Tao, are as follows:
Pottery
Hin Pee Wee
No Name
Green Rock
Red Rock/Nang Yuan Pinnacle
Mango Bay
Lighthouse Bay
Hin Wong Pinnacle
Hin Wong Bay
Laem Thian
King Kong
Aow Leuk
Hin Ngam/Aow Leuk South
We hope that you all going to dive with us at Dive @ Charm Churee Villa
