Koh Laun - Scuba Diving - Koh Tao
Koh Laun often gets overshadowed by its flashier Koh Tao neighbours, but we think that’s a real shame. We love its gentle slopes, a welcome change from some of the deeper pinnacles around here, making it a fantastic spot for a relaxed dive. The rock formations here create plenty of nooks and crannies, perfect for spotting the shyer residents. Take your time poking around the crevices and you’ll find iridescent Cleaner Wrasse darting about their cleaning stations, busy Blennies peeking from holes, and our favourite, the Nocturn Goby, almost camouflaged against the sand. We’d suggest heading here in the morning. That’s when the light really plays nicely on the reef, illuminating the blues and golds of the Fusiliers that cruise past in loose schools. Keep an eye out for Blue-spotted Stingrays nestled on the sandy patches, and if you’re lucky, a Blacktip Soldierfish will eye you curiously from under a ledge. It’s not about huge pelagics here; it's about the small, intricate details. Koh Laun is perfect for those who enjoy a slower pace, for divers who like to hover and observe the subtle dance of reef life. Expect to find a lot of character in the smaller creatures that call these rocks home.
- Location
- Koh Tao, Thailand, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 11.784395, 102.394420
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 Koh Laun - Scuba Diving
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 Koh Laun - Scuba Diving
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