Sail Rock
Site ID
Choice: Primary
Rating: 1st class - 5 star
Topography: Rock formation and pinnacle with small patches of hard and soft corals.
Fish Types: Barracuda, Batfish, Jacks, Whalesharks
Max Depth: 45 meters
Average Depth: 25 meters
Current: Mild - strong
Visibility: Good to very good mostly 10 to 30 meters.
Experience Level: Possible for all levels. Excellent for advanced divers, 2 star divers and deep dive specialized experienced open water divers
Highlights: High chimney in the rock easy to enter and ascend or descend inside the rock, good chance to spot whalesharks.
Lying 45 km. north of Koh Samui, between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, Sail Rock is acknowledged as the best dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. Quite simply Sail Rock has got the lot. A single granite rock pinnacle rising from the sea floor at a depth of 30 meters to stand an impressive 15 meters above the surface, it offers divers a stunning underwater topography in which to explore sheer vertical walls, beautiful coral gardens, a unique vertical swim-through and an extraordinarily abundant variety of marine life in all shapes and sizes.
A complete circuit of the whole rock at a relaxed pace will take around 30 - 40 minutes depending on prevailing dive site conditions. Looking out to sea away from the rock you will see the larger fish and pelagics including chevron barracuda, jacks, big eyed trevally and schools of batfish with spectacular seasonal visits by the majestic whale sharks.
One side of the site comprises of a sheer wall in which you will find a huge range of marine creatures including tiny cleaner shrimps, impressive white-eyed moray eels and beautiful colored cowry shells. Patrolling the wall are blue-ringed angelfish and banner fish. The famous vertical swim-through known as the "chimney" lies towards one end of this wall with an entrance at 18 meters and exits at 12 meters and 5 meters. The other side of the site comprises of a series of ledges and terraces at varying depths forming a series of coral gardens that cascade down the side of this majestic rock formation.
Here you will find many varieties of grouper, including the giant grouper which grows up to 1.5 meters long, parrotfish, wrasse, sweet lips, yellow tailed barracuda as well as a couple of feisty titan triggerfish which nest on the lower sand ledges and come up to munch on the coral. Anemones abound around the site with their attendant anemone fish and you will swim through clouds of tiny damsel and tang. Sail Rock unquestionably deserves its 5 star status and its reputation as the King of the Gulf. This dive spot is not to be missed.
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