Description of dive sites.....
Koh Mak is very close to national marine park Koh Rang, the divesites there offer great coralreefs and colourful dives. We head out to the national park most days. On other days we dive the local sites around Koh Mak, good coral reef and interesting rock dives. During dry season the visibility is good to very good, the sea is calm and flat. The dives are quite shallow and easy, perfect for relaxed dives and enjoying the beautiful reefs.
Once or twice a week we head to the Koh Chang wreck combined with other sites around the HTMS Chang wreck. The wreck offers spectacular diving so at times we stay there for 2 dives. On this day we make 3 dives a day. The schedule is flexible, depending on weather and customer requests.
Quite often we make a special trip to Koh Kood where we make 2 dives, have lunch in a nice local restaurant with seaview and we take you up the river to visit the beautiful Klong Chao waterfall. This is a great day out diving and snorkeling combined with visiting Koh Kood Island.
Koh Mak dive sites
Koh Phe
10 - 18 m,
Lovely divesite with nice variety of coral reef and rock formations. Quite a lot of fish around, mostly small coralfish.
Koh Rayang
6 -16 m
Easy relaxed dive with good coral reef. Great snorkeling site as well.
Koh Rang National Park sites
Hin Ga Daeng (Koh Rang pinnacle)
- Depth: average 15 m / max. 30 m.
This spectacular pinnacle is the deepest dive around Koh Rang, a great multilevel site. The rock itself has a very special structure, looks like an underwater cathedral. There are plenty of fish around it, not so much coral though. Things to see are big barracuda, porcupine, groupers, triggerfish, turtle, nudibranches, sweet lips, and schools of batfish. The currents here can be quite strong and unpredictable, but it is certainly worth the effort! Great site for photography.
Koh Tien West
- Depth: average 10 m, max. 16 m.
Sadly enough on one side of the island the coral is mostly destroyed by anchoring fishing boats and dynamite fishing, but it is a good spot to see how the reef is recovering. On the southside of the island there is the biggest formation of staghorn coral you re likely to see, forming a stunning view and protection to an abundance of fish. Also great snorkeling site.
Hin Kuak Ma (or three finger reef)
- Depth: average 10 m, max. 16 m.
This is one of the greatest dives here. The south side is a rock wall, good to spot eels, nudibranches, stone fish etc. The backside of the rock is a slope, covered in coral, and with an abundance of fish. Sometimes we spot a bamboo shark or turtle, every dive we see blue spotted stingrays, moray eels, blue ringed angelfish, parrotfish. Good snorkeling if there is no current.
Koh Yak and Koh Laun
- Depth: average 8 m, max. 1 2m.
These small islands are ringed with a very beautiful coral reef with a rich abundance of different coral fishes. Both islands are small enough to dive around; because of the shallow depths we have plenty of dive time. Many divers' favourite…
Koh Chang dive sites
HTMS Chang Ship wreck
On the 22nd of November 2012 the HTMS Chang has been sunk. The wreck quickly turned into a great artificial reef thriving with marine life. It is truly a spectacular wreck dive, the bottom is on 30m, the topdeck on 21m, captain's cabin and mast on 12 meter and reaches close to the surface. The ship is 100m long, making it the biggest shipwreck in Thailand.
Many fish have taken refuge at the Chang, batfish, filefish, scorpionfish, barracuda, giant groupers, squid and octopus, shrimpfish,... interesting diversity of marine life. The HTMS Chang is lying close to Koh Chang, so it is perfect to combine with either Hin Luk Bath or Hin Raab.
Hin Luk Bath
- Depth: average 11m / max. 25 m.
This is one of the prime dive sites around Koh Chang. Hin Luk Bath is a pinnacle that offers refuge to plenty of shoaling fish. There are moray eels, stingrays, parrotfish, snappers, fusiliers, big groupers, butterfly fish, banner fish, barracuda, angelfish, and many more. On the way to the dive site we sometimes see dolphins. The pinnacle is surrounded by huge uw boulders that offer some great swim throughs. The deepest point is 25 metres, however, most of the dive we spend from 5 to 16m. This dive site has an abundance of Christmas tree worms, which makes it very colourful. Great for night diving.
Hin Raab South (locals call it Hin Laab)
- Depth: average 11 / max. 16 m.
This is a rocky site with good variety of coral around it. There are actually 3 dive sites in this area: one is a dive around the rock, a good place to spot turtle, batfish, stonefish, porcupine fish, stingrays, moray eels, often we see big barracuda. We also had quite a few whale shark spottings here. There is an abundance of soft coral. The second one off to the north is a bit deeper and richer in coral and has a lovely small canyon, called secret reef. Here we often see rays, morays, angelfish, groupers, triggerfish, anemone fish, parrotfish. Once in a while we spot a turtle. The third one is the T11 small shipwreck...
T11 Shipwreck
This smaller wreck was sunk for diving in 2013 and is very close to Hin Raab. This gunship is about 30m long, maximum depth at 16 meters. It was sunk in a vertical position but has been used as target practise by the navy so is now in bits and pieces. We often dive this site in combination with Hin Raab.
Hin Tai Nam (Blueberry Hill)
- Depth: max. 16 m.
This site is located close to Hin Raab, a bare rock full of fish. Only the southside has coral. Great place for spotting nudibranches, batfish, stingray, eels, groupers.
Hin Rua Tek (Banana Rock)
- Depth: average 10m, max. 16 m.
A rocky dive site, with nice crevices to search for shrimp, lobster, nudibranch, et cetera. There are big table corals, gorgonian fans, soft corals, sponges and more. No abundance of coral, but a dive most people love because of the general surroundings.
Hin Saam Sao
- Depth: average 11m / max 16 m.
Towards the northwest of Koh Chang, this dive site has some nice corals, rich fish life, but sometimes has poor visibility because of its closeness to land. One side of the reef was destroyed by dynamite, it is recovering though. Max. depth 16m.
Hin Raab North
- Depth: max. 18 m.
This site is very close to Hin Saam Sao, similar dive site. Max. depth 18m.
Koh Khlum
- Depth: 5 - 10m
This dive site has a few dive sites around, they vary from 5 to 10m and is suitable for beginner divers.
Koh Kood divesites
Description of dive sites north to south
On the West side of Koh Kood:
Tui Reef (Ao Phuk Waeng)
Depth 5 to 14 m.
This rocky dive site offers a nice landscape and a good variety of coral. Being on the top of the island we sometimes have schools of fish looking for shelter when the currents picks up.
Koh Maisi
Depth 5 to 14 m.
Lots of rocks and boulders offer a nice seascape. Between the rocks and coral reef we can find stonefish, eels, stingray, nudibranch, anemone fish, cleaning shrimp and more...
Soneva Reef (Salak Aoun)
Depth 5 to 12 m.
Two beautiful coral reefs next to eachother with a various marine life like groupers, angel fish, bannerfish with a beautiful view on the bay.
Koh Raet
Depth 5 to 14 m
This island offers different dive sites. The dive sites are located between Koh Rat and Koh Kood, giving shelter for snorkeling, discover scuba diving and regular dives. There is nice coral and on the reef we often see stingray, moray eels, all kinds of small coral fish, catfish, goatfish, razor fish, stone fish ... Around 4 meter there are statues in the water like an elefant, duck, tiger with beautiful corals on it. This attracts the reef fish. A nice place to start or end the dive.
Ao Klong Chao
Depth: 5 to 10 m.
This reef is a nice and easy dive. Ideal for night dives, perfect for discover dives or refresher dives. There is beautiful healthy coral and lots of things out in the sand such as starfish, octopus, crabs...
Hin Yedhi
Depth 5 to 14 m.
This rocky dive spots offer some nice coral reefs as well. Fish we find there are parrotfish, lionfish, jack, batfish. It is a good spot to find turtles.
Ao Tum
Depth 5 to 14 m.
Beautiful coral garden reef with a wide variety of corals.. especially the big table corals. The marine life we spot there are the fusilier, porcupine fish, cobia, lionfish, stingray and turtles and nice groups of yellow tale barracuda's
Bang Bao Reef
Depth 5 to 14 m.
Perfect coral dive site for a refresh course, Discover Scuba Dive or nightdive from the beach with parrotfish, carbs, anemone fish and stingrays.
Hin Loy
Depth 5 to 15 m.
This rock in open sea offers a good refuge, so it is full of fish. There are many nudibranch, groupers, sweet lips, fusiliers, parrotfish and lots of colorful shrimp hiding in the rocks, sometimes turtle. Around the rock there is nice coral reef, and of in the sand three are many things to find, ray, flounder, sepia, octopus and sometimes seahorses. Because of the abundance of crustaceans it is great location for a night dive.
On the East side of Koh Kood:
This side of Koh Kood is not accesable by road. During green season we use the pier of Ao Salad as departure and will take you to the dive site around here. Once the boat is out, look behind towards Ao Salad Village and see the big golden Buddha. During the trip you will enjoy the stunning view of the shore with untouched jungle and wildlife, looking up at the sky you will notice eagles flying.
Hin Ao Salad
Depth 5 to 10 m.
Nice coral reef just out of the Ao Salad Bay. There is a lot of marine life like fusilier, bannerfish, angelfish and plenty of anemone fish. Have a look at the big sea seastar.. we will only find on the east side if the island.
Ao Kluai
Depth 5 to 12 m.
Great coral reef with big boulders and a big groups of soldier fish hidding under the corals. Take a look inside the big shells.. once in a while we spot a seahorse inside. Sometimes there is some current at this site.. but don't worry.. our small boat is waiting for you to pick you up.
Hin Ao Yai
Depth 5 to 12 m.
Beautifil pinnacle site just out of the bay of Ao Yai. We will see here groupers, stingrays, bannerfish and scorpion fish.
Ao Karang
Depth 5-10 m.
This big site is on the south east part of Koh Kood with beautiful hard and soft corals. We will see the anome fisg, cuttle fish and also seahorses can be spotted here sometimes.
Others
Koh Wai
This lovely paradise island south of Koh Chang is great for a day trip or overnight stay, beautiful snorkelling, although for diving the reef is quite shallow. Some diving is done on the pinnacles close to Koh Wai, and also on the rocky side of the island. It is a good spot for trainings dives or protected diving when the weather turns bad.
Thonburi wreck
This is also called the Koh Chang wreck and was sunk in a fight over Koh Chang between the Thai and the French navy. It is mentioned in many dive guides, but it is in silt water, creating zero visibility most of the time.
