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Scuba Diving at The Steps Dive Site

As you may guess, the site name for the dive spot is taken from the topography. Rocky formations and underwater ledges create one of the most interesting destinations for the local diving community.

This section explains how to get to a dive site called The Steps, average depth limits, and what marine species you should expect to see.

Why The Steps is a Good Site for Beginners

One reason visitors scuba dive the islands at Sihanoukville is for warm 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 stunning scenery at Koh Tang Island creates an ideal escape from the noise and pollution of life in the city. So, visitors will make the short journey from the coastal city of Sihanoukville and enjoy a relaxing day trip around the sundrenched archipelago.

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 underwater topography at The Steps is shallow in most areas with maximum depths around twelve (12) metres. So, some dive schools will conduct the Discover Scuba Course and the PADI® Open Water Diver course at this sheltered location to the west of Koh Tang Island.

Sea Life at the Stepped Rocks

The unique rock formation stepping its way down from the shallows is the reason behind the dive site's name. It all starts near the shore where a large shallow ledge is easy for new divers to explore at four (4) metres.

After the next level bottoms out, (around seven metres), it flattens out again at ten (10) metres. This is where you should find another large, flat shelf smothered in hard corals.

The superb visibility and hard corals in this area create a stunning backdrop for large schools of juvenile sweetlips and other marine species, such as:

Dive a little deeper and you should find bright coral bommies and stunning hard corals (e.g. staghorn coral) at the bottom of the staircase around twelve metres.

Related Information and Help Guides

There is no shortage of dive sites for divers of all certification levels to explore when scuba diving Koh Tang Island, Sihanoukville. Some of the best spots for qualified divers include:

Note: Another section explains more about interacting passively with marine animals and the importance of dive safety around hazardous sea life.

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