In Koh Tao we are lucky enough that we can dive all year round unlike a lot of other dive spots that have seasonal diving due to weather conditions. But what is the best time to dive in Koh Tao? Although we do get a monsoon season here on Koh Tao we can dive on the other side of the island to avoid the worst of the wind and waves. That being said there certainly is a best time to dive here and that is over the months of March and April. The water is crystal clear, the weather is incredible and best of all the reefs seem to explode with life. Huge schools of juvenile fish swarm over every dive site including inside and outside the wreck of the HTMS Suttakut 742. What is normally a nice easy wreck penetration dive suddenly becomes a dazzling shiny silver blur in every direction. The reason there is such a dramatic increase in marine life around this time of year is because there is a ban on commercial fishing using nets across the gulf of Thailand. In previous years the Ministry of Agriculture issued a mandate to help protect the dwindling numbers of mackerel in the area. This is also breeding season for many types of marine life. The waters are getting warmer at this time of year and full of nutrients after the monsoon rains so there is plenty of food for juvenile species to thrive on. To add to all this in the last few years we have seen an incredible increase in the amount of whale sharks in the area. April – May and October – November are the best chances to see them but conditions are far nicer at the beginning of the year. The pictures from the last few months speak for themselves so if your planning on booking a dive trip to Koh Tao and want the best of the best then get here for the end of March.
A school of juvenile Barracuda sticking close to the pinnacle at Chumpon in excellent visibility.
A turtle ascending to take a breath of fresh air on the surface at our popular dive spot White Rock.
A whaleshark completely undisturbed by us admiring it on this dive. It is just enjoying a bit of sunshine.
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