Diving and Snorkeling spot - Koh Tao
This spot on Koh Tao is a reliable, easy dive, perfect for a relaxed afternoon. We’ve always found it a great place to wind down after a deeper morning dive, or for newer divers getting comfortable with their buoyancy. It’s not going to blow your mind with dramatic topography, but the sheer volume of fish here is what makes it. You’re pretty much guaranteed a visual feast of fusiliers, the blue and gold ones shimmer in the sun, sometimes so thick they practically block out the light. We often see big schools of redcoats, too. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff flitting in and out of the corals – the blue ring angelfish are always a treat. It’s a gentle drift, visibility is usually decent, and the currents are generally mild, making it a great spot for photographers keen to capture those busy reef scenes without fighting a surge. For snorkelers, it's equally rewarding; the reef comes up shallow enough that you don’t miss much from the surface.
- Location
- Koh Tao, Thailand, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 11.779551, 102.389656
- Difficulty
- beginner
Marine Protected Area: Mu ko Chang
Best Time to Dive in Koh Tao
The warmest water temperatures in Koh Tao occur in May, averaging 30.6°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.3°C
- February: 28.6°C
- March: 29.3°C
- April: 30.2°C
- May: 30.6°C
- June: 30.2°C
- July: 30.0°C
- August: 29.7°C
- September: 29.4°C
- October: 29.2°C
- November: 29.3°C
- December: 28.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Koh Tao
Nearest Dive Centres to Diving and Snorkeling spot
Marine Life in Koh Tao
Home to 56 recorded species including 35 reef fish, 11 sharks & rays, 4 other, 2 hard corals, 1 clams & mussels, 1 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Stony coral (Porites lutea) - Hard Corals
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Largescaled Terapon (Terapon theraps) - Reef Fish
- Butterfish (Scatophagus argus) - Reef Fish
- Flying Gurnard (Dactyloptena gilberti) - Reef Fish
- Lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taenioptera) - Reef Fish
- Blackedged Blaasop (Arothron immaculatus) - Reef Fish
- Star Blaasop (Arothron stellatus) - Reef Fish
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- Short Mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma) - Reef Fish
- Six-banded Rock Cod (Epinephelus sexfasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Congaturi Halfbeak (Hyporhamphus limbatus) - Reef Fish
- Comb goby (Paratrypauchen microcephalus) - Reef Fish
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Pacific blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera) - Seagrass & Algae
- Slender Hammerhead (Eusphyra blochii) - Sharks & Rays
- Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus gigas)
- Bluespotted stingray (Neotrygon kuhlii) - Sharks & Rays
- Deep Body Silver Biddy (Gerres erythrourus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Diving and Snorkeling spot
Based on average water temperature of 29.5°C, currents 14 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories