Liveaboard Diving in Koh Bon
What To Expect On A Koh Bon Liveaboard
Liveaboards to Koh Bon take divers to this remote uninhabited limestone island in the shape of a horseshoe to the north of Similan Island no.9. As with Koh Tachai, it is within speedboat distance of Khao Lak, but unlike it, there are no beaches here so water entry is strictly from the boat only. This isolated island in the middle of the Andaman Sea is covered with forests and plants and poorly sheltered from the elements in bad weather. Koh Bon Ridge and Koh Bon Pinnacle are considered two of the best dive sites in Thailand. The marine life here is abundant, and there is a manta ray cleaning station, so there is a high probability of seeing these majestic creatures. Not as popular a dive site as its surrounding partners in the Andaman Sea, it means this site can be a wonderfully quiet one to dive, a refreshing change in the busy season of April - May. Koh Bon offers a beautiful selection of marine life and is a great destination for your liveaboard journey.
What You Can See
The underwater terrain of Koh Bon Ridge, on the southwestern corner, starts with a ridge that drops off to depths of up to 45m. A significant vertical drop, the wall here is covered in zigzag clams, anemones, and soft corals; notice their variation and changing spectrum of colors the deeper you go. The wall is worth investigating closely for critters and makes a good first deep dive. Its bay is quite sheltered and, with minimal current, provides a good spot for night dives. The western side of the ridge is covered in stunning coral formations and sea fans of different shapes and sizes and slopes down gently. These coral formations provide shelter for a varied marine life. On your liveaboard dive cruise, it is common to see resting Leopard Sharks or nurse sharks on the sandy bottom and common morays, triggerfish, lionfish, and sweetlips. The banded sea snake, octopus, batfish mantis shrimp, pipefish, and the rare frogfish are exciting additions to these waters, albeit what all divers aim to witness is the gentle gliding of the Manta Ray, here to feed and be cleaned. A dive can sometimes involve hanging around in one spot. At the same time, these curious black and white majestic beings circle and hover over you, enjoying your bubbles, demonstrating the perfect buoyancy, and then showing off their acrobatic skills.
Koh Bon Pinnacle, to the west, is more exposed, suitable for the experienced diver, and suggested only in good conditions. With 18-40m depths, the pinnacles jet out to around 25m high. With a mountainous look and feel, this small site is far from boring. The reef's sloping wall is covered in yellow soft coral, hiding decorator crabs, moray eels, and their cleaner shrimps and shrimp gobies peering out of the holes. Look into the blue for passing eagle rays, blacktip reef sharks, or manta rays. The currents can be strong here and may attract Manta Rays as well.
Getting There
The best way to get to Koh Bon is on a Thailand liveaboard trip to the Surin Islands, which will depart from either Phuket or Khao Lak. Further from Phuket than from Khao Lak (200 km north of Phuket and 80 km northwest of Khao Lak), it is worth checking what port you prefer to depart from. Khao Lak is about 100km north of Phuket and can be reached overland. Please check your itinerary before purchasing flight tickets. There are international flights into Phuket and domestic flights from Bangkok to Phuket. As part of the Similan Islands, the area is closed between May to October.
