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Koh Tao (Turtle Island) & Koh Nang Yuan , Thailand Scuba Diving Guide
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Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan are two sleepy little islands located about 65
km north of Koh Samui. Like Koh Samui, these islands sit in the Gulf of
Thailand. To know more about scuba diving in Koh Samui, please visit our
Koh Samui's diving guide.
Both islands are idyllic tropical paradises, and both are truly designed for
the divers. Unlike the more established islands such as Phuket or Koh Samui,
the dive sites of Koh Tao are only minutes away from the main islands. With
more than 10 dive sites charted, Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan offer a wide
varieties of divings. There are deep water pinnacles, shallow coral gardens and
rocky points with swim throughs.
Big fish actions are always expected here. And visibility can some time reach
30 meters. Such factors placed Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan among the best dive
sites in Gulf of Thailand.
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Dive Sites around Koh Tao
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Chumpon Pinnacle
Expect the unexpected when you dive in Chumpon Pinnacle. The pinnacle is
actually a huge granite boulder surrounded by a series of small ones. This
boulder is covered with anemone and it could be the best dive site in the Gulf
of Thailand.
This site has a regular reported sightings of whale sharks and manta rays.
There are even reported sighting of 12 meters long finback whales and the
magnificient sail fish. Adding to this list of magical visitors, there are
large school of resident great barracudas in the nearby water.
While you may not see all these creatures in every dive, you will definitely be
charmed by the inhabitants in this local water. The boat trip to Chumpon
Pinnacle usually takes about 40 minutes from Koh Tao.
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Green Rock
This is another site where whale sharks sightings are common. Resident fish
included moray eels, whitetip reef sharks, large groupers, harlequin sweetlips
and more.
In addition to the marine life, this site also consists of large archways,
caverns, caves and crevices which offer lot of swim-through opportunities at a
deep of 4 to 25 meters.
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Hin Wong Pinnacle
This dive site lies on the east of Koh Tao with a depth of 10 to 32 meters. The
site is filled with delicate sea fans and spiraling wire corals. It is home to
many types of fishes which include groupers, snappers and etc. There is also a
good chance of sighting sea turtles, whom feed at this reef.
Best Time to Dive in Koh Tao
The best time to visit Koh Tao is during the dry season which starts from
Feburary to Septempber each year.
Where to Stay in Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a relatively small island with limited hotel rooms to cater to all
travellers. Most of the people who choose to stay in Koh Tao, go there to enjoy
the peaceful and laid back lifestyle the island has to offer.
Travellers visiting Koh Tao can choose to stay in Koh Samui, a more established
island nearby with more offerings. Such arrangement will ensure you get the
best of both worlds. To know more about divings in Koh Samui and the
accomodations there, please visit our Koh
Samui's Scuba Diving Guide.
How to Get to Koh Tao
There are no airport in Koh Tao. The only way to reach Koh Tao is by boat. The
three most common places to catch ferry services to Koh Tao is in Koh Samui,
Chumporn or Surat Thani.
From Koh Samui, Songserm Travel provides a daily ferry services to Koh Tao at
Nathon Pier which leaves at 10.30am. There are minibus from Koh Samui Airport
to Nathon Pier. Transportation can also be easily arranged from hotels in Samui
to Nathorn Pier.
Most people travel to Chumporn via Bangkok. There are many tour agents that
provide combine ticket (coach and ferry) to travel from Bangkok to Chumporn
(coach) and thereafter Chumporn to Koh Tao (ferry).
From Surat Thani, another tourist attraction, Songserm Travel run an express
boat service to Koh Tao on a daily basis. These services will usually made a
short stop over in Koh Samui and in Koh Phangnan. There are regular morning and
night ferry services setting off here.
Other Interesting Dive Sites
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