chumphon pinnacle
Name divesite:
Chumphon Pinnacle
Average Depth: 20m (66ft)
Maximum Depth: 36m (120ft))
Visibility: 10-60m (32-196ft)
Accessibility: Boat, Speedboat
Time to visit: April - September
The best dive site in all of the
Gulf Of Thailand is undoubtedly Chumphon Pinnacle,
a lozenge shaped rock that begins at about
16 metres and goes down to 30metres, with
a flat bottom sloping away from its base.
Visibility out here can be spectacular thanks
to its ocean location rather than being close
to the shore - it's not uncommon to be able
to see 20 metres and beyond. And it's just
as well, because the star attraction at Chumphon
Pinnacle are the grey reef sharks that patrol
its edges.
Chumphon Pinnacle is located 11km
to the north west of Koh Tao and is considered
by many, as the best dive site in the region.
Made up from one huge granite pinnacle and
a series of smaller ones, Chumphon's main
difference to Sail Rock is that the pinnacle
starts 14m underwater and drops off to over
36m.
Whalesharks are a common visitor
here and they arrive with an entourage of
hangers on like remoras and other smaller
fish.
| Manta rays also pass
by on occasions. Giant trevally hunt
bait fish around the pinnacles. Great
barracuda, mackeral and tuna are some
of the other big visitors.
Large grouper can be found under ledges.
Moray eels like the crevices in the
rocks. Titan triggerfish can be very
territorial here. Parrotfish, pufferfish,
trumpet fish and butterflyfish are numerous.
Leopard sharks can occasionally be seen
on the sandy bottom. Curious batfish
like to watch divers. |
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The shallower area's of the pinnacle is covered
in purple, pink and red anemones. Clownfish,
schools of bannerfish, yellow box fish and
surgeonfish will greet you when you are doing
your safety stop at eight meters deep.
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