Wicked Diving Wicked Diving

This site – famous for the frequent sightings of Manta Rays – Koh Bon is easily accessible for one day trips from Khao Lak. Two dives at Koh Bon is a great way experience one of the best sites Khao lak has to offer. Due to the convenient location we are able to visit the site via speedboat several times a week. This gives you the opportunity to do some great diving and still sleep at your resort each night. We do two dives, one in the morning and one in the afternoon with a nice long lunchbreak in between. If the weather cooperates, we will have you back in your resort by 4:30 – time for a shower, nap and sunset drinks. What a life!

Only 5400 (what’s included?)

Koh Bon Geology

Koh Bon is located about 20 kilometers north of Similan Island #9 and features one of the only vertical walls in Thailand. The island has no beaches and is in the shape of a horseshoe. Only 40 km from Khao Lak, these day trips are shorter – giving a more relaxed pace! The main dive site is on the southwestern point of this limestone Island. The dive site consists of a wall facing the small cove, and a step-down ridge that carries on to depths of over 45 meters. Although the soft corals are not as high-profile as they are in the Similans, the colors of the corals are radically different and include shades of turquoise, yellow and blue, besides the more common pinks and purples. With the angles on the wall, they also offer an ever changing spectrum of colors and make for some great photos around noon.

There is also a pinnacle just to the north of the ridge. It is a deep rock, but if you’re an experienced diver it’s worth the short bottom times you’ll get (especially if you’re on a longer trip). Not all boats visit it and if conditions are not good (like the current is too strong), it’s not worth it. But, if the water is clear, you’re good with your air, and the current is slack, it’s a stunning rock. It looks like a temple built by some ancient culture. The bottom is over 50 meters deep, and the top only come up to about 18-20 meters. Leopard sharks are almost a guarantee and you can expect to be the only group on the site. It’s possible to make a swim in the blue towards the main divesite, where you can finish the dive in the shallows. 

Diving Koh Bon

While there are no beaches to climb onto (sorry) the island forms a protective horseshoe shape, so the bay usually has very calm water on the surface. Koh Bon still can have strong currents depending on the tides, but we usually jump in the water up current and there is always a sheltered area at either side of the wall. It is also common to have virtually no current inside the bay but a ripping current on the outside. Diving depths range from 1- 30 meters (1-100 feet), with most time spent on the ridge at 15-25 meters (50-85 feet). Visibility runs about 20 meters (60 feet) but gust of cold water, with associated plankton blooms are not uncommon. Sad news for visibility, great news for Manta Rays –they eat plankton!
Experience level: while beginners can do this site, it is recommended that the diver be intermediate and above due to lack of beaches, potentially strong currents and popularity of the site.

Koh Bon – Marine Life

Many amazing small creatures are seen here including nudibranchs, pipefish, boxfish and mantis shrimps. It’s also a good spot to see sea snakes, octopus, lionfish, sweetlips and moray eels. Sometimes we find the bigger stuff like leopard sharks, napoleon wrasse and an occasional whitetip cruising by. Oh yeah – and Manta Rays. Last season was great, but some seasons seem to be better than others so no guarantees. But it is still the best spot in the region to encounter them. These amazing creatures can be spotted around the ridge and there is also a cleaning station further north. But the best tactic is still to let them find you. Sometimes they just cruise by but if you are lucky, they will treat you to an underwater acrobatic show you will never forget. Don’t chase them, as they will likely swim off, but just hang back and see what happens. And watch your buoyancy please!