Hin Wong Bay

Hin Wong Bay is an intermediate dive site on the northeastern coast of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, a boulder-strewn bay that reaches twenty meters depth and offers some of the island's best diving away from the more popular western and southern sites. The bay's rocky character creates a dramatically different underwater landscape from Koh Tao's sand-and-coral sites, with massive granite boulders forming swim-throughs, walls, and overhangs. The boulder formations at Hin Wong are among the most impressive on Koh Tao, with huge granite rocks tumbled into the bay from the steep hillside above. These boulders continue underwater, creating a three-dimensional maze of passages and sheltered spaces that provide exceptional habitat for marine life. The scale of some boulders is remarkable, with individual rocks the size of small buildings creating swim-throughs that divers can navigate at various depths. Coral growth on and between the boulders is healthy, with hard corals established on the exposed surfaces and soft corals decorating the shaded overhangs. The combination of bare granite, living coral, and the spaces between creates a complex habitat that supports diverse marine communities at every depth from the surface to the twenty-meter bottom. Fish life is notably abundant at Hin Wong. The boulder habitat provides exceptional shelter, and fish populations are correspondingly dense. Groupers inhabit the larger caverns, schools of snappers and fusiliers orbit the formations, and the usual Koh Tao reef species provide color throughout. Barracuda are sometimes seen in the deeper water, and turtles rest in the sheltered spaces between boulders. The intermediate rating reflects the navigation challenges among the boulders and the twenty-meter depth. Good buoyancy control is essential to avoid contact with the coral-covered surfaces, and awareness of your position within the boulder field prevents disorientation. The effort is well rewarded with diving that many locals consider among Koh Tao's finest. Hin Wong Bay is Koh Tao's hidden gem, offering intermediate divers a boulder diving experience that rivals the Similan Islands in its dramatic topography while remaining accessible for a fraction of the cost and travel time.