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After descending from the twin peaks at Koh Nang Yuan, divers can explore three separate groups of rock boulders running westwards from the island.
This guide contains helpful tips for scuba diving at Twin Rock underwater pinnacles with extra details about the sea life that thrives in the lower Gulf of Thailand.
There are 44 sun-drenched islands in the Chumphon Archipelago. But, the major hot spots for deep sea diving and snorkeling are:
Koh Tao is a compact kidney-shaped island that has about twenty one (21) square kilometres of total land mass.
Nevertheless, the pristine white sand beaches and azure blue water have transformed Koh Tao Island into one of the top places for diving holidays in Thailand.
Here's the thing:
Most scuba divers want to explore destinations that are sunny and have calm conditions underwater. Well, Koh Tao has over three hundred days of year-round sunshine and the temperature of the water is a constant 29° Celsius (84° Fahrenheit).
As a consequence of that, it's fair to say diving in Koh Tao is an annual activity. But, divers need to be mindful that the southwest monsoons usually arrive towards the end of October and may continue until the end of January.
At certain times of the year, the south western gulf can have thirty (30) metres of underwater visibility. Hence, the best months for divers to enjoy clear water dives are July, August, and September.
Pro Tip: Check out our sea life section for interesting facts about whale sharks that tend to make an appearance around the islands near Koh Tao during the months of April and May.
Twins Pinnacles is a popular diving destination located to the south of a small island called Koh Nang Yuan. In fact, there are three (3) separate groups of large rocky boulders that have good coral growth and lively fish families.
It's also fair to say the sheltered dive site called Twins is one of the best for scuba training. Maximum depths range from as little as six (6) metres on the eastern side and drop down to eighteen (18) metres (60 feet) in the west.
But wait - there's more:
Learner divers will appreciate some protection from the prevailing wind and waves, especially if you dive south of the twin peaks of Koh Nang Yuan.
As a consequence of that, this is often the first choice for local dive shops to conduct scuba training dives required for the PADI® Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver certifications.
That being said, divers who are less confident with their neutral buoyancy skills will benefit from practicing above the soft sandy seabed at the Buoyancy World Artificial Dive Site near Koh Tao.
Pro Tip: Sheltered bays with areas of open sand and little water movement are ideal locations for local dive shops to conduct the Discover Scuba Diving program, and its related training dives. This kind of underwater topography also provides a superb backdrop for underwater photography, freediving, and learning how to snorkel.
Koh Tao dive sites are good places to see big fishes (e.g. pelagics). Plus, divers should expect to catch sightings of common marine life native to the lower Gulf of Thailand, especially during the plankton blooms in March and April, such as:
Pro Tip: Most of the dive sites around Koh Tao offer good opportunities to explore sea life that lives around hard and soft corals. For example, the hard varieties include brain, table, and staghorn corals. The soft coral species include mushroom coral and toadstool leather corals (Genus Sarcophyton).
Pro Tip: This short video [55 seconds] presented by "Black Turtle Dive" contains footage of the amazing marine life and different varieties of coral reef fishes found at Koh Tao Twins Pinnacles diving site.