Chumphon Pinnacle

The most famous dive site in Koh Tao is Chumphon Pinnacle. A 40-minute boat ride, the site is comprised of a large granite pinnacle and a series of smaller ones that go as deep as 36 meters (118 feet) and rise within 14 meters (46 feet) of the surface. The top of the pinnacle is covered in pink anemones and divers can spot pink skunk clownfish, shrimps, crabs, and scorpionfish here. Between two of the smaller pinnacles there’s also an overhang where giant groupers of up to 2 meters (7 feet) long can be seen. The whole dive site is abundant in different species of barracudas and big-eyed jacks.

Wrecks

Koh Tao has a number of shipwrecks that can be admired by intermediate, advanced, and technical divers. The most famous of all is the HTMS Sattakut, one of the best wreck dive sites in Thailand. The 48-meter/158-foot ship was sunk on purpose in 2011 and served in many battles during WWII.
The Torpedo wreck that sank in 1973 is another great wreck where penetration is possible; the engine room, wheelhouse, and accommodation block can all be explored. Other interesting wrecks include the small Tanote Bay catamaran, M.V Trident, and the Unicorn.

Shark Island

Shark Island is a small island located just 800 meters south of Koh Tao. Don’t get confused by the name – you won’t find any sharks here; the island got its name because of its shape. It has an abundance of soft and hard corals, towering boulders, and it’s also one of the few places in the region where divers can spot orange-spined unicornfish. Yellow-tail barracudas, batfish, polka dot nudibranch, trevallies, and crocodile needlefish are also common encounters here.