Monica Travel Inc - Best Snorkeling Trip on Koh Tao Island in Thailand

 Best Snorkeling Trip on Koh Tao Island in Thailand

Monica Travel Inc

Koh Tao is world famous for its clear waters. So it’s not surprising there are plenty of great Koh Tao snorkeling tours out there.

Turtle Island, AKA Koh Tao, is an island in Thailand famous for its scuba diving sites along with its relatively inexpensive scuba certification. But for those who don’t want to dive underwater for extended periods of time (if you’re thinking about it though, you should definitely give it a go!), seeing fantastic marine life from the water’s surface is easily accomplished here.

While I hired snorkel gear on the island more than once, the best snorkeling trip on Koh Tao was organized through my hostel.

Summer Hostel lies around a 1km walk from Sairee Beach. While it sits away from the thumping nightclubs hosting pub crawls, it is a lively and welcoming place to relax. On top of that, the staff was incredibly helpful in any way they could. A full day snorkel tour, circling the island for 500 Baht ($20 AUD) with an extra 100 Baht ($4 AUD) entrance fee to the final stop, Nang Yuan Island.

All up, the Koh Tao snorkeling trip included five stops dotted around this beautiful island.

Snorkeling Trip on Koh Tao Island Stops

STOP ONE – SHARK BAY

As the name suggests, Black Tip Reef Sharks frequent this bay and that’s why it is a popular snorkel spot. Upon jumping into the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand, I realized there weren’t as many sharks as I had hoped.

In fact, only 3 or 4 people from the entire group (around 25 or so) saw them at all. I was lucky enough to see one in the distance, where the light started to filter and visibility began to fade into a dark abyss. The shark I saw must’ve been incredibly shy – as soon as I noticed it, it disappeared just as sudden.

If seeing sharks is what you’re after, I suggest scuba diving. Some companies allow you to take part in a “try dive” where you don’t need a certification. And trust me, you don’t need to be deep to see amazing creatures of the sea! Check out my posts on Diving Koh Tao and Phi Phi Island. If you get the chance, don’t pass up this amazing activity!

STOP THREE – HIN WONG BAY

The amount of marine life only seemed to be multiplying from one Koh Tao snorkel site to the next! Hin Wong Bay is known for its immensely-sized of schools of fish. Hundreds, if not thousands of fish gather in what at first appeared to be just a shadow. Only when the sun shone down causing a reflection off the scales of one fish did I realise that I was looking at a massive school, not a gloomy obscure shadow cast from a boat above.

To get a little closer, or even swim through these giant schools of fish, you will need to be able to dive a little with your snorkel. It’s a lot easier than it seems, especially with the addition of the flippers some of the deck hands were offering. As you dive down, remember to equalize your ears. The further you descend, the pressure builds around you, and any air trapped in your ears is unable to escape. By constantly equalizing your ears on your way down BEFORE you feel discomfort is the best way to dive with ease.

For tips how to equalize, check out the “tips” section below.

 

STOP FOUR – MANGO BAY

Mango Bay was the final spot on this amazing Koh Tao snorkelling trip, and it was incredible with its stunning visibility. Once again, the marine life here was staggering. So many fish the visibility was great! It was even more interesting when I returned to Koh Tao to complete my diving certificate. The contrast between swimming along the surface, to diving at depth with the beautiful creatures was interesting.

While I love snorkelling and recommend it to everyone breathing underwater is a whole different world!