Koh Bon Diving – Phuket’s Manta Magnet

Koh Bon Diving – Phuket’s Manta Magnet

Koh Bon is The Best Place to Spot A Manta On Your Phuket Diving Trip

A two hour sail northwest from Similan Island #9 will bring you to the granite island of Koh Bon. Although a fair distance away it’s still considered part of the Similan Island National Park. Easily recognisable by a circular opening in the granite wall.

The majority of dives here will incorporate the west ridge. A thin granite spine of rock that starts above the surface and continues underwater to a depth of 40m. Along the ridge you’ll find lots of colourful soft corals, hordes of cleaner and butterfly fish. They draw in giant manta rays from miles around. Even without the big guys it’s a stunning dive site with a wealth of varied marine life. Leopard, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks are regularly seen here although sadly as with most places around the world shark sightings are on the decline. This is what makes Koh Bon diving very special.

Giant Manta Ray At Koh Bon

Giant Manta Ray At Koh Bon

Koh Bon Diving isn’t Only Manta’s

The dive will begin in either the north or south bay depending on the current. Don’t be in a hurry to get to the deeper section of the ridge. Mantas rays are quite often spotted in the shallower areas especially around a large bommie in the north bay. Before reaching the ridge hopefully you will have encountered quite a few other animals such as napoleon wrasse, great barracuda, sweetlips and octopus. At certain times in the season, the whole reef can be covered in glassfish, this attracts predators such as trevally, rainbow runners and scad.

As you near the deeper section of the ridge be very careful of the down current that cab be quite fierce. If the down current is not present then spend as much time as you can here. This is the best area to spot the various shark species that occasionally turn up.

Napoloeon Wrasse At Koh Bon

Napoloeon Wrasse At Koh Bon

You’re safety stop will usually be in one of the two bays either side of the ridge. Although often divers will finish the dive above the ridge to get that last glimpse of the majestic manta rays.

Most Similan Island liveaboard safari’s will visit Koh Bon so it can get a bit hectic at times but common sense is sometimes encountered and the boats will stagger their drop times.

A great dive site and one not to be missed on any Similan Island liveaboard especially if you get the opportunity for a sunset dive.

Contact Us Now

Popular Services

Manta Queen 2 Liveaboard In Thailand

Manta Queen 2

Manta Queen 2 runs a great little 3 day/3 Night trip that takes you to the very best dive sites that Thailand has to offer. The liveaboard will head straight up to Koh Bon and complete the rest of your diving around Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock, giving you the best chance of an encounter with a giant manta or if you’re really lucky a whale shark… This comfortable boat offers no thrills but the fun and professional crew offer a great [...]

Find Out More
similan island liveaboard mv lapat

MV Lapat

MV Lapat offers a super flexible option for diving the stunning Similan and Surin island National Parks. Guests are transferred daily via a speedboat service from Thaplamu Pier in Khao Lak. You can stay as many nights as you like but if you have time and budget restraints then you can stay for just one night. There are other similar options but a great price and only 16 overnight guests make for a great choice. It's not a large boat but ce [...]

Find Out More

Daily Schedules

M/V Kepsub Schedule

Jobs @ Local Dive Thailand

Local Dive Thailand is one of Phuket's fatest growing & most vibrant scuba diving operations, we are always looking for quality staff to join us, so feel free to have a look at our jobs listing page.

Job Listings

Contact LDT

Local Guides, Local Knowledge, Local Experiences

Don't trust your diving to amateurs or freshly minted dive guides, dive with local experienced experts from Local Dive Thailand. Our Scuba Diving Phuket Tours will take you to see the rarest of the rare critters, you will be amazed by the macro life our guides can find, in the secret places only they know. To put it in perspective, if you were going to climb Mount Everest you would certainly hire a local sherpa to lead the way & keep you safe. Diving is similar because there is absolutely no substitute for local experience & local knowledge, Local Dive Thailand's guides are Phuket's Sherpa's of the Andaman Sea!

Learn More About Us

Scuba Diving Phuket, Phi Phi & Thailand

When talking about Scuba Diving in Phuket, you should believe the hype, many seasons we have had Whale Sharks grace us on our regular and easy to reach dive sites and on a good day you can add Sea Horses, Sea Moths, Snake Eels, Frog Fish & Octopus to what you can see on any given dive and so much more. If we are heading to Phi Phi Island for the day, you can possibly see Hawksbill Sea Turtles and Black Tip Reef Sharks, also don't forget the King Cruiser, 84 meters of beautiful wreck and the most amazing reef nursery for fish and nudibranch. Local Dive Thailand day trip tours to these locations are not to be missed when you are scuba diving Phuket, get in touch with us and book an 'awesome' day of diving.

Book Your Day Trip

Related News From Local Dive Thailand

See why we are Thailand's leading scuba diving Phuket tour provider, stay up to date & watch out for news & special liveaboard offers!

enjoy beautiful phuket with changes to the tourist sandbox scheme News & Updates

Changes For Phuket Sandbox From October 01st

The much heralded Phuket Sandbox scheme did bring in some extra income for Phuket's beleaguered tourism sector but it was nowhere near enough. Changes had to be made and from October 01st we will see some easing of restrictions. We're still not where we want to be but none the less the changes are welcome and we hope it will boost the appeal for a holiday and diving in Phuket. The changes for the Phuket Sandbox were officially published in th [...]

Read Full Story
learn to dive as a family in phuket Phuket Sights & Fun

Scuba Diving – Getting Family And Friends Involved

Enthusing about your latest dive to family and friends can often be met with some bored looking stares. It's very hard to get across the sensations that we experience to others who've never tried. The feeling of weightlessness, the colours, the excitement of getting up close to some incredible creatures is very hard for non divers to comprehend. The only way around it is to get them to try. It may well sound like the perfect solution to [...]

Read Full Story
sea moth the size of a fingernail tg5 Equipment We Like

Weefine Ringlight 3000 Review & Samples

The original Weefine Ringlight was a simple affair, more of a good idea rather than a good product but the upgrades on the latest version have made it a very useful tool indeed. Brightness has been beefed up and strobe, red light and UV light features all make it a great addition to the macro photographers armoury. Along with the ring light itself you'll find a couple of spare o rings a battery charger and a rechargeable 26650 battery. [...]

Read Full Story

Local Dive Thailand Office In Phuket


Find Us On Google Maps