Your must-do dives!
- Travel time : 2 hours
- Location: South east of Koh Tao
- Depth: Max 40m, Min 1m
- Classification : Large Granite main pinnacle with smaller clusters
- Level of Diving: Beginner to Experienced Divers
- Conditions: Can get wavy with some current due to its offshore location
- Average Visibility: 05-40 meters
If Sail Rock isn't already on your diving bucket list while you're here, you're missing out on a fantastic diving opportunity!
Our Sail Rock Day Trips kick your Koh Tao diving adventure up a notch on the excitement scale! This site, nestled between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan is strategically positioned as a central hub for marine life, including some of our larger sharky friends. Many divers regard Sail Rock as one of the best dive sites in the entire Gulf of Thailand. Even without the big spotty fish, it's usually a fantastic dive.
What You Can Expect!
Sail Rock's main structure rises about 15 meters above the water's surface, and the dive site itself offers depths of over 40 meters. The rock gradually descends to around 20 meters, where it meets the sandy seabed. Beyond this point, the seabed continues to slope deeper, extending to smaller rock formations located off the south, east, and west sides of the main rock.
One of Sail Rock's standout features is its exceptional wall dive, widely regarded as the best in the Gulf of Thailand. This site includes a unique underwater channel called "The Chimney," which allows divers to make a thrilling vertical descent or ascent within the rock's interior.
Vibrant and diverse marine ecosystem
Gazing into the deep blue, you'll spot some serious predator action. Queenfish, Spanish Mackerel, and Giant Barracuda are on the prowl, always on the lookout for their next meal.
The site is a bustling hub of activity with schools of yellowtail and chevron barracuda, batfish, snapper, trevally, and more.
There's a vibrant underwater neighborhood here, including Giant, Marbled, and Honeycomb Groupers, along with Damselfish, Angelfish, and Butterflyfish.
While the big fish and the epic size of the schooling fish are a sight to behold, the rock itself is a wonderland. The main Pinnacle wall is covered in colorful cup corals, giant black corals, soft sponges, and Giant Clams. Look closely and the rock will come alive with Moray eels, Scorpion fish, tiny Shrimp, Crabs, Nudibranch and Wart Slugs in various colours and sizes all hiding in the many cracks.
Sail Rock boasts a ‘chimney’ feature!
Sail Rock is renowned for its vertical chimney, a swim-through accessible at 18 meters, 12 meters, and 6 meters.
Venturing into the chimney is like entering another dimension. Sponges, corals, and fascinating creatures like ghost shrimps, moray eels, and yellow boxfish have made their homes along the chimney's walls, creating a unique ecosystem within.
As you navigate this unique feature during your descent or ascent, keep an eye out for sneaky Groupers and other marine residents, which love to play hide-and-seek in the shadows.
Whalesharks!
Sail Rock has gained a well-deserved reputation for its frequent and awe-inspiring encounters with whalesharks. If luck is on your side, you might even have the extraordinary opportunity to witness not just one, but multiple of these magnificent creatures on a single dive!
TO SUM IT-UP
- You'd be absolutely crazy to miss out on a Sail Rock Day Trip during your time diving on Koh Tao. Sail Rock is hands down one of the best dive sites not just in Thailand but in the entire Gulf of Thailand.
- Our 3-tank full day trips to Sail Rock are subject to weather conditions. Your safety is our top priority. We recommend checking with us to confirm trip availability before making your booking.
