Dive· Koh Bon· Thailand
Koh Bon West Ridge (mantas)
8° 49.6′ N · 97° 47.8′ E · approximate
A ridge running off Koh Bon's western tip and furred with tiny yellow soft corals. Currents bring in plankton, and oceanic mantas queue at its cleaning station. It is the most reliable manta dive in Thailand.
Practical
Approx: placed at the western tip of the OSM-mapped Koh Bon islet. The reef slopes from 10 m to sand at 25–30 m, with walls to 40 m; current is usually medium to strong, so it is an intermediate to advanced dive (Khao Lak Scuba Adventures). Mantas are most often seen from early December to the end of April, with about twenty residents identified by divers (Khao Lak Explorer). Do not chase or touch the mantas; hover off the ridge and let them come to the cleaners. Hin Luang, a yellow-coral pinnacle topping out at 18 m about 200 m north of Koh Bon's north ridge, needs a negative entry because of the current.
Best for
Manta rays
Season
Mid-October to mid-May; mantas peak December to April
Nearby
- Koh Bon and Koh Tachai Day-Use Mooring Rules0.1 NM away
- Koh Bon Moorings0.1 NM away
- Manta Season at Koh Bon (Feb–Apr)0.2 NM away
- Hin Luang (Koh Bon Pinnacle)0.3 NM away
- Breakfast Bend12.3 NM away
- North Point (Koh Ba Ngu)12.3 NM away
- Christmas Point12.8 NM away
- Koh Similan Park Restaurant and Shop13 NM away