Koh Bon Ridge – Dive Site Info
Rating by MV Giamani: ★★★★★
Location: Koh Bon Island
Type: wall / slope / drift
Depth: 0-40+ m
Visibility: 20-40+ m
Difficulty: intermediate
Current: moderate / very strong
Cruise: 4D/4N and 6D/6N – high season
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Koh Bon Ridge – Description
Koh Bon Ridge is the dive site that stretches around the cape on the western corner of Koh Bon Island, which is not part of the Similan Archipelago although part of the same National Park administration. The stepping rocky ridge that can be seen out of the water continues all the way underwater, giving the name to the dive site. The underwater scenery at Koh Bon Ridge is absolutely unique, with an incredible amount and diversity of marine life. Koh Bon is also the hot spot for Mantas in Thailand! We usually start our dive near the bay at the south side of the ridge. Here the scenery is characterized by a straight wall that at 10-12 meters of depth changes into a sloping hard coral garden, the corals here are in pristine conditions. The area is teeming with thousands of reef fish including species that are not commonly found in other Thailand dive sites. Keep an eye towards the deep side as White Tips and Guitar Sharks are sometimes spotted there. We then move to the ridge, where the scenery changes drastically with large square rocks that get deeper and deeper, like giant steps. The rocks on Koh Bon Ridge are covered by small soft corals of different colors, offering a stunning visual impact. This part of the dive site is often subject to strong current, which on the plus side attracts lots of fairly sized pelagics like Trevally and Tunas. The ridge is also the spot where the oceanic Manta Rays tend to gather, as the whole area is a large cleaning station…keep an eye to the blue all the time! The ridge steps end at around 35 meters of depth, and at the bottom of it lies a “hidden gem” that not many divers know about, a glowing orange anemone (see photo). It is usually possible to get to the end of the Koh Bon Ridge only when the current is not too strong. We then go around to the north side of the ridge and proceed in that direction, here the bottom changes again into a sloping hard coral garden and small rocks. Keep an eye to the rocks as here is often possible to spot octopus (if not too camouflaged!) and Banded Sea Kraits.