Snorkeling at Koh Phra Thong
Koh Phra Thong has good snorkeling around the islands of Koh Pling Yai and Koh Pling Noi. These are situated in the clear warm waters at Golden Buddha Bay. Active swimmers can access these snorkeling areas directly from the beach. For a little more luxury then day trips are available on Blue Guru's custom built dive boat, Winnie (see video of Winnie at Koh Pling in bottom left of this page).
Koh Phra Thong - marine life
The sites at Koh Pling are inhabited by a good selection of life. There are shallow areas on the eastern sides of the islands. Here you can find hard corals and boulders encrusted with life. There are lots of colourful reef fish, including many fairy basslets and the kids' favourite, clown anemonefish (nemo). It is also possible to find some interesting nudibranch and juvenile cephalopods here.
The water is slightly deeper in the channel between the two islands. Again there is a variety of hard corals and anemones. A lot of life can also be spotted hiding amongst crevices between boulders. This includes a number of different types of surgeonfish, angelfish and butterflyfish. Groupers and barracuda lurk in the shadows looking for a tasty meal.
Macro life in the channel is excellent. There are many types of colourful nudibranch and seaslugs. If you are lucky you can also see pipefish and seahorses, but it is very difficult to see these from the surface. To get a better look we suggest you try a PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience with Blue Guru Diving.
Thailand Snorkeling - Great Value
One of the brilliant things about snorkeling on Koh Phra Thong is that it is great value. A mask and snorkel are all you need. You can hire snorkel equipment for 100 Bt (€2) for half a day from Blue Guru Diving. Check out the other snorkeling deals on the prices page.
Blue Guru provides PADI dive courses at Surin and Richelieu
PADI Dive Courses
Diving courses on Koh Phra Thong are conducted by the PADI Instructors from Blue Guru. A full range of PADI courses are offered up to Assistant Instructor. Also 18 different PADI specialty courses for refining skills and knowledge.
PADI 1 Day Specialties
Try one of these PADI 1 Day Specialties to improve your knowledge and diving skills.
Boat Diver
Drift Diver
Multilevel Diver
Navigation
Marine Habitats
This tropical Thai island is fortunate to benefit from diverse & healthy marine habitats. In Golden Buddha Bay there are coral reefs. In Koh Ra Channel there are expanses of seagrass and some of the densest mangrove forest in the country.
PADI Non-Dive Specialties
Don't dive? Introduce yourself to the idea with these Non-Diving PADI Specialties.
Project Aware
Coral Reef Conservation
Oxygen Administration
Equipment Specialist
Surin snorkeling - the best coral in Thailand
The Surin Islands has some of the finest snorkeling in Thailand. A fringing hard coral reef runs along the entire eastern edge of the islands whilst the western side has numerous boulder sites. Koh Surin has the greatest diversity of hard corals in the country.
There is an abundance of other marine life too. Almost a thousand different species of fish are reported to live within the Surin archipelago. Snorkeling with Blue Guru at Surin reveals other favourites - there are 4 different species of sea turtle - Hawksbill, Green, Olive Ridley and Leatherback. Also, bumphead parrotfish and cuttlefish and other more remarkable types of fish are sometimes seen here. This includes shaded batfish, manta rays and the majestic whale shark.
Koh Surin Snorkeling and dive trips
Blue Guru Diving run regular trips to the Surin Islands during high season. Most visitors to Koh Phra Thong will go on one of these trips so early booking is advised. A two dive trip costs 7,700 Bt (€150) and the snorkeler price is 4,900 Bt (€95). Discounts are sometimes available for early booking specials and as part of activity packages.
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