One of the gems of the Ang Thong Marine Park
One of the small rocky islands at the northern tip of the Ang Thong Marine Park is Koh Yippon Lek the little sister island of Koh Yippon Yai. It bears all the resemblances to make it another great dive site.
This site is notorious for the half-flooded archways and cave going through the island as well as many other smaller swim through scattered around.
One of the more colorful reefs because of the many soft coral gardens and anemone beds this shallow dive site has a great variety of species of fishes, corals, and crustaceans.
If you like small macro life and nudibranchs make sure you go around slowly and take a good look.
Whale sharks also come around this dive site from time to time to spend the day feeding on plankton and small fishes.
Name
Koh Yippon Lek ( Small Japanese Island)
Depth Range
0 to 24 meters
Bottom Composition
Main rocky island, walls, large piled up boulders, sandy bottom around
Currents
None to Strong
Common Marine Life
Coral Grouper (Plectropomus leopardus), Yellowtail Barracuda (Sphyraena flavicauda), Bluebarred Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban), Pink Anemonefish (Amphiprion perideraion), Long-spined Sea Urchin (Diadema setosum), Moon Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare), Longfin Bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus), Blackfin or Chevron Barracuda (Sphyraena qenie), Bigeye Trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus), Dash-and-dot Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus), Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), Scissor-tailed Fusilier (Caesio caerulaurea)
Uncommon Marine Life
Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus), Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), Harlequin Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides), Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus), Honeycomb Moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)
Coral, Anemonnes and Sponges
Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis), Brain Coral (Platygyra lamellina), Giant Barrel Sponge (Xestospongia muta), Whip Coral (Leptogorgia virgulata), Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica), Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
Special features
The dive site has an open cave that goes from one side of the island all the way to the other side. It is also not completely submerge at low tides and both entrances are easy to spot being in the light zone.
Many swim throughs can be found all around the main island.
The dive site also boast many sightings of whale sharks.
