Whale shark sightings around Koh Tao, Thailand, can vary, and there isn’t a specific “whale shark season” as they are wild animals and their movements are not strictly predictable. However, whale sharks are more commonly spotted in the waters around Koh Tao during the months of February through till about May. (This year however we’re starting early. Having seen 1 whale shark at Shark Island we then got to dive with another one the following morning at Chumphon Pinnacle!)
It’s believed that around the deeper islands in the Gulf of Thailand where plankton levels are higher, whale sharks are attracted to feeding on these tiny organisms.
Some dive sites around Koh Tao where encounters with whale sharks are more likely are at:
Chumphon Pinnacle
Widely considered Koh Tao’s best dive site, Chumphon Pinnacle ranges from depths of 15 meters to 45 meters and is well worth diving at least once whilst you’re here. The site is a group of massive rocks arranged in a rough oval and running north to south. Visibility is superb in season, and the site plays host to a wide variety of pelagic creatures as well as reef fish. Great barracuda, king mackerel, grouper, and queenfish visit the site all year round, and whale shark sightings are common here. Once home to visiting reef and bull sharks, recent sightings of both suggest they may be about to come back to this excellent site in numbers; fingers crossed!
Southwest Pinnacle
Southwest Pinnacle, a series of rock formations ranging from 6 meters to 30 meters and is another one of Koh Tao’s top ten dive sites. The tops of the pinnacles are covered with a carpet of anemones in brilliant greens, pinks and blues, all stocked with their resident anemonefish. Whale sharks are frequent visitors to the site. It’s also home to large schools of snapper, yellowtail barracuda, and fusiliers. Large groupers can also be seen here, along with scribbled filefish and masked porcupine fish. The more observant diver may also be able to spot scorpionfish camouflaged on the rocks, plus some lovely macro in the deepest parts of the site too.
Sail Rock
Sail Rock is a single rock that protrudes from the water between Koh Tao Island and Koh Phangan Island. Big Blue Diving visits Sail Rock less often than other dive sites since it is about a 2-hour boat trip away, but the diving there is well worth the trip. The most noticeable feature of the dive site is ‘the chimney’, a vertical swim-through that opens at 5 meters and descends down to 18 meters at the exit. But it’s not just this feature that makes the site interesting. The rock is riddled with small holes which makes a perfect habitat for white-eyed moray eels and the large anemones that cover the site are filled with anemone fish and shrimp. Whale sharks can be seen in the winter months here as well. Octopus camouflage themselves so exactly to match the covering of the rock that you may miss them completely, but keep your eyes peeled because they are there! Whale sharks can be seen all year round here as well.
If you’re interested in diving with whale sharks, keep in mind that while these months have historically seen more whale shark activity, there are no guarantees, as the presence of these magnificent creatures is influenced by various factors, including oceanic conditions and the availability of food sources, but if they’re there we will find them and we will show them to you!
