Koh Samui is arguably one of the biggest and most beloved islands in the Gulf of Thailand. It bubbles with exciting tropical beaches and a bustling nightlife guaranteed to offer any reveler a lifetime-lasting experience. One notable attraction of the island is the many dive sites and the magnificent aquatic life, which make it the untainted perfect holiday getaway for divers of different levels. Some of the amazing dive sites include.
- Sail Rock – It is a thirty meters tall, granite pinnacle chimney, located in the middle of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. It is the perfect location for viewing various water species like boxer shrimps, glassfish, moray eel, trevallies, and the reef sharks. During sunny days, rays from the sun reflect off the granite rock creating a magical breath-taking radiant appearance. A person diving in Koh Samui can access Sail Rock via a hole at around twenty meters and exit at ten or fifteen meters.
- Koh Yippon – It is an eighteen-meter, shallow diving site, located at the northern end of the Angthong Marine Park. It is ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling and offers exciting aquatic life species like the blue-spotted stingray, fusiliers, anemones, and barrel sponges.
- Koh Wao – It is a shallow inlet packed with submerged rocks, full of marine life. Some of the species found here include anemones, corals, stingrays, snappers, barracuda, trevallies and the Fusiliers. The water in this diving site is relatively calm with little or no currents, making it suitable for any level of diver, diving in Koh Samui. The site has features resembling a sleeping dragon hence its name, ‘Dragon Island’.
- Koh Tao – It is a miniature tropical paradise with tempting sandy beaches located seventy kilometers north of Samui. It has several sites to cater for all levels of swimmers. For instance, the Mango Bay is ideal for beginners, while the Chumphon Pinnacle offers the ultimate experience for advanced divers. It is also home to plenty of marine life like the tuna, sea turtles, fusilier, barracuda and whale sharks.
- Ang Thong National Marine Park – It is a magnificent marine park comprising of eighty islands, all of which provide an unrivaled experience for anyone interested in diving in Koh Samui. The park is thirty kilometers northwest of Samui.
Related article: 11 Water Sports You Can Enjoy In Koh Samui
Koh Samui Diving Tips
Diving in the Island is open throughout the year. However, the peak season for diving in Koh Samui is from March to September when the underwater visibility ranges between thirty to thirty-five meters.
Anyone who wish to visit Koh Samui for a diving trip can access it by taking a flight from Bangkok or Phuket, or by taking a ferry from the mainland. Upon getting on the island, speed boats can bring the divers into different Koh Samui dive spots. These boats leave the main island every 8:30 am and returns around 5 pm. Lunch break is spent in one of the lovely sandy beaches of Koh Tao.
Related article: Ways of Transportation to Getting Around Koh Samui
There are three scuba diving options available, one is to pay just for the scuba diving trip. Second option is to go for a scuba diving trip and get a resort accommodation, or book a luxury villa and let the villa concierge do the diving trip arrangement for you.
Dive Summary
- Visibility – The underwater visibility is favorable at an average of thirty meters. It is however at its best from March to September and at its worst between November and February where visibility can drop up to ten meters, thanks to the northeast monsoon.
- Water Temperature – Due to its tropical climate, the waters of the Koh Samui have a pleasant temperature ranging between twenty-eight to thirty degrees Celsius, throughout the year.
- Featured Creatures – The Island is home to many aquatic species such as the whale shark, leopard shark, Reel fish, trevallies and the morays, among others.
- Climate & Diving Season -The Island has a combination of hot and humid climate throughout the year. From March to September during the monsoon, the temperature is both wet and warm and dry between November and mid-March. The perfect diving season is from May to September.
- Respect Marine Resources – A diver is not allowed to remove any marine items but they can always take photos.