Ko
Tao: literally turtle island, what used to be
a backpacker island with very few power supply has changed
and grown in the right way. Still no huge hotel complex,
but some comfortable beach bungalow and a very cool atmosphere.
Diving in Ko Tao offers some of the biggest fish you will
find in Thailand, the guest stars being the Whale shark.
The black tip reef sharks and the gray reefs have quite
a success though, and the shallow waters of the numerous
bays are home to loads of reef fish.
Sail rock: this is
where you want to dive, this why you traveled all
this way from your home country. Located between
Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, Sail Rock is diving until
40 meters. But as everywhere in Thailand, it's not
necessary to dive deep. Stay around 20 meters, it
will be enough to spot the famous whale shark. Of
course, this splendid giant fish is not guarantied,
and if you see none of them, you will be delighted
by the ballet of jack fish and trevallies hunting
in the blue. There is another attraction at Sail
Rock: a chimney with an entrance a 18m and an exit
just below the surface. A dive site not to miss.
Shark island: with
maximum 20 meters deep, diving in shark island is
accessible to beginners and experienced. A colony
of sponges and alcyonaries is spreading along the
rock, within the ones you will surely spot a turtle,
as this is their favourite meal. Deeper below at
20 meters, with a bit of luck you will spot black
tip reef sharks and giant groupers (or at least
70 cm one).
Chumporn Pinnacles:
whatever you have to do the day this dive is planned,
forget it and board for a dive in Chumporn Pinnacles.
It consists in a group of submerged rock beginning
at 14 meters deep. The top is covered with pink
anemones, with above it, a huge crowd of reef life
trying to escape to the giant groupers present here.
It's not the best place to live for a fish: schools
of barracudas are circling in the blue, gray reef
sharks and black tip reef sharks are very often
seen among the tons of predators who are hunting
without paying any attention at the divers. It's
forbidden to miss this one. |
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