Thailand Scuba Diving

Koh Bon Island

Located just to the north of the Similans, Koh Bon is one of the best places in Thailand to see manta rays, especially from April to May but, as in recent years, you can see them all year round when you're scuba diving in Thailand.

There are few sights more awe inspiring than watching mantas perform their graceful somersaults. These magnificent creatures glide majestically through the water and are frequently seen by scuba divers, feeding alone or in small groups near the surface and in near shore waters near coral reefs. Manta rays visit reef-side cleaning stations at the Similan Islands to let cleaner wrasse remove small parasites from skin and gill cavities.

Koh Bon Island has a thirty three metre deep wall on its south side, facing a small cove, with a stepped ridge pointing west and down to over forty metres.

Leopard or zebra sharks are common at the ridge on the sandy flats below the wall, and white tip sharks can be seen roaming the depths off the edge of the reef. Soft corals the colours of turquoise, yellow and green dominate, a unique sight in the Similans and Thailand scuba diving. Listen carefully and you'll hear the warning clicks of hundreds of nervous damselfish, and the coral crunching of hungry titan triggerfish.

The small cove of Koh Bon provides a good location for a night dive. The reef is made up of pore corals, with shrimpgobies peering out of the holes, and coral ledges. There are splendid decorator crabs, the intelligent red octopus, and red and white banded boxer shrimps.

To the west of Koh Bon Island lies Koh Bon Pinnacle. This Similan National Park favourite lies in deep water (eighteen to forty metres) and is exposed to strong currents and surface swells, so consequently it is only possible to dive here in favourable conditions, if you're experienced or have advanced scuba diving training. The west wall is steep, covered in small, yellow soft corals, and has a large cavern with a fish trap at its entrance. There is a smaller pinnacle lying to the north. Making your way back up the mountainous terrain, keep your eyes out for passing eagle rays, black tip sharks, and manta rays.

• Map of Similan Islands

Koh Bon Reef Basics:
Great for: Large animals, dive value-for-money, advanced divers
Not so great for: Wrecks, beginner divers, non-diving activities
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 15 - 40m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 3
Diving Season: October to May
Distance: ~145 km north of Phuket (8 hours), 50 km northwest of Khao Lak (3 hours)
Access: Similan scuba liveaboards to Burma and Thailand
Recommended length of stay: 1 day

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