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Scuba Diving at Victoria's Secret Garden Reef

The diving location is worthy of being called a 'secret' because the narrow strip of fringing corals is almost hidden away from regular divers.

This help guide explains how to get to the dive site, average depth limits, and what species of marine life animals you might see below the surface.

Why Divers Dive Koh Rong Samloem Island

One reason visitors choose to scuba dive Cambodia is for the constant sea temperatures of 26 to 30° Celsius (78-86 Fahrenheit).

This area of South East Asia usually gets the wet season from June to October and the dry season starts in November until May.

Even so, most scuba schools in Cambodia offer year round scuba diving and snorkeling lessons at the nearby islands.

Sihanoukville city is one of the popular destinations that backpackers and tourists choose when visiting the area.

There are twenty two (22) islands in the province of Sihanoukville, and a few of them have private ownership. Even so, many of the favoured diving locations have not yet been destroyed by any significant foreign investment.

The scenery at Koh Rong Samloem Island is beautiful and an ideal getaway from the chaos of city life. Most visitors will make the short journey from the coastal city of Sihanoukville and enjoy a relaxing day trip (or longer) at one of the sundrenched islands.

This area is a paradise for scuba divers and there are many dive spots to choose from. In general, you should base the destination on which particular sea life creatures you are hoping to encounter.

Note: The dive site Victoria's Secret Garden is a shallow reef with a maximum depth around ten (10) metres. So, some dive shops conduct the PADI Discover Scuba course (e.g. an introductory program for absolute beginners) at this reef.

Marine Life at Victoria's Secret Garden

Unless you choose a bad day for local storms, you should expect to experience underwater visibility around six (6) metres (20 feet). But, you could get thirty metres (100 feet) of water clarity if you schedule your visit for the best time of year for scuba diving (e.g. December to March).

The offshore reef is located a few kilometres north of Sunset Beach on the west side of Samloem Island. It may be useful to go with a local dive guide because the remoteness of this site means it can be difficult to navigate.

It's not unusual to have mild water currents in this area. So, having the drift certification will be an advantage. The narrow strip of reef boasts a profusion of soft coral formations which adorn the sea bed around ten metres (32 feet) below the surface.

There are several different nudibranch species to see here, and this is an ideal shallow-water venue for snorkeling trips and for novice divers to gain some hands-on experience.

Some of the other aquatic animals and marine creatures you may see diving around Koh Rong Samloem Victoria's Secret Garden dive site include:

Head out to Cobia Point dive site and you are more likely to see barracuda and cobias (black kingfish). Venturing out to deeper waters is where you may catch sightings of round face batfish and the mighty whale shark.

Related Information and Help Guides

There is no shortage of dive sites for divers of all certification levels to explore when scuba diving Koh Rong Samloem Island near Sihanoukville.

Some of the neighbouring destinations that are easily accessible from the beaches and popular with divers and snorkelers include:

Note: Another section explains how to have a positive experience with marine animals and the importance of diving safely around hazardous sea life.

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