Tarutao National Marine Park – The area is comprised of over 30 islands with colourful, vibrant coral reefs abundant in varied marine life. Dugong, common dolphins, the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, sperm whales, minke whales, several shark and ray species, innumerable reef fish and critter species have all been spotted here. No matter how many dives you make here, it won’t be enough.
Stone Henge – As the name suggests, this site features several large pinnacles which rise up from the reef resembling Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. You’ll also find a boulder, hard coral slope and a stunning soft coral garden. In the deeper areas, leopard sharks and eagle rays have been spotted. On the slope, moray eels and groupers are common with the soft coral garden home to a spectrum of interesting critters. If you want diverse topographies and marine life, Stonehenge should be on your list.
8 Mile Rock – Located 8 miles / 13 kilometres south of Koh Lipe, this exposed pinnacle site is a magnet for pelagics and schooling fish. The top of the pinnacle sits at approximately 15 metres / 50 feet and goes down to 50 metres / 160 feet. This can be an exhilarating current dive with the chance to see devil rays, manta rays, leopard sharks, barracuda, groupers, trevally and even whale sharks.
Koh Taru - This small island dive site is perfect for beginners, offering easy conditions and a diverse mix of corals. The reef attracts a range of marine life and critters including seahorses, nudibranch, commensal shrimps, scorpionfish and even occasional harlequin shrimp. You’ll also find sting rays, moray eels, schools of snappers and plenty of colourful reef fish darting in and out of the reef.
Far Islands - This group of islands offers several stunning dive sites which are characterised by healthy, vibrant reefs, colourful soft corals, an abundance of reef fish including some larger species and a plethora of critters. These dive sites are a must for photographers as you can expect to find a host of different nudibranch, various crustaceans including harlequin crabs, moray eels, turtles, schools of colourful antheas and damsels as well as scorpionfish and other interesting bottom dwellers.
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