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Sail Rock

Sail Rock is the most famous dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. It is also the site where whale sharks are spotted the most often and is home to the most marine life.

The most famous dive site in the Gulf of Thailand

Sail Rock is the most reputed dive site in the Gulf of Thailand it is host to huge schools of fishes. A big limestone formation rises 40 meters above a sandy bottom and 10 meters above water.

This site is appropriate for all levels of divers as it has many step-like formations around. It is also famous for its vertical chimney which is a swim-through with openings between 18 and 7 meters.

This rocky formation lies between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao more precisely 12 km north of Koh Phangan which makes it easily accessible from the island. It is home to huge schools of trevallies, jacks, batfish, and barracudas. The occasional visit of whale sharks makes it a very appealing dive site.

The name is said to represent the sail shape of the rock from the tales of old fishermen.

Name

Sail Rock ( Hin Bhai )

Depth Range

0 to 45 meters

Bottom Composition

Walls, smaller pinnacles, sandy bottom

Currents

None to Strong

Common Marine Life

Malabar Grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus), 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), Pickhandle Barracuda (Sphyraena jello), Blackfin or Chevron Barracuda (Sphyraena qenie), Pinnate Batfish (Platax pinnatus), Bigeye Trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus), Dash-and-dot Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus), Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus), Yellowspotted Trevally (Carangoides fulvoguttatus), 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), Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), Indo-Pacific King Mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus), Harlequin Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides), Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus), Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus), 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 with the most sightings of whale sharks in the area.

The chimney, a vertical swim through with an opening at 18 meters, a front opening at 12 meters and a top opening at around 6 meters.