Shark Island, one of the good site off Koh Tao
Shark island is located just off the southern coast of Koh Tao. The name comes from the shape of the rocky island which can ressemble that of a shark fin sticking out the water. There are not many sharks around the island but some black-tip reef sharks can sometime been spotted.
Shark Island is home to many species of fish, coral, anemones and sponges. The site is good for beginner but also have an appeal for more advanced divers going around its base.
Name
Shark Island
Depth Range
0 to 28 meters
Bottom Composition
Walls, smaller pinnacles, boulders, sandy bottom
Currents
None to Moderate
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), 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
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
Big boulders are piled around which are good hiding places to spot less common fish such as the Scribbled filefish
Shark Island is big and 2 dive might be good to explore the underwater world around the whole island.
