Shark Bay is a Popular location to snorkel when visiting Koh Tao, where there are limited corals, and the opportunity to see turtles and reef sharks.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Come patches of Coral present
3-4 Meters Average Depth
OK to Good visibility
Medium difficulty
No Public Toilets
No showers
No Cafe’s
Boat required
Sea Urchins Present
Jellyfish unlikely
When:
Who:
Tour Cost:
Star Rating:
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Shark Bay (also known as Thian Og Bay) on Koh Tao is a top snorkeling spot in Thailand, famous for spotting Blacktip Reef Sharks and Turtles. The bay is located on the island’s South-East coast, the bay offers easy access by foot or boat and is ideal for all skill levels. With calm, shallow waters and rich marine life, it’s a must-visit for anyone looking to explore Koh Tao’s underwater beauty.
Snorkel Spot
The coral reef was mainly dead with algae forming which large schools of fish could be seen feeding on. The boat stopped off a good 200 meters plus from the beach, and the water depth was approximatley 4 meters, and there was a vast field of dead branch coral. There were some large patches of coral and Anemone which did draw smaller reef fish, and even a Giant Barracuda!
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Shark Bay Map
Shark bay is located at the South-East of the island of Koh Tao, a short 30-minute ride from Sairee Beach by car or moped.
The bay is a popular for Blacktip Reef Sharks and Green Turtle’s which can be seen cruising and feeding in the bay. However I did hear that you are potentially more likely to see Sharks and Turtles in the morning, and we were snorkeling mid day. There were a lot of reef fish, such as Singular Bannerfish, Butterflyfish, Damselfish, Parrotfish, and Rabbitfish feeding on the algae on the sea bed.
Coral Reef
There were a few large schools of Rabbitfish feeding on the dead coral in vast numbers. It was very cool to see such a large school of fish. I did see a ginormous Giant Barracuda, which was approximately 1.5 meters which I mistook for a shark initially. The Barracuda was still, basking next to a large rocky patch of Anemone and coral.
Marine Life
Top Tip:
The larger coral reefs were only 5 meters off the beach. These corals were small, but as you saw out the corals became much larger in deeper water (3-4 meters) and in very good health. To the left of the large rock and to the right of the bay were spectacular coral reef formations.
Safety Tip:
There are Sea Urchins along the sea floor, so do not stand up and wear something to protect your feet such as water shoes or flippers. Be careful not to get too close to the coral and rocks.
There were many fish and marine species on the snorkel including Damselfish, Rabbitfish, Parrotfish, and Butterflyfish were a common sight. There were large schools of Rabbitfish and Parrotfish to the left hand side of the large rocks. We saw Parrotfish swimming in large schools feeding on the coral.
Summary
Overall this snorkel spot was very good for a 30-minute snorkel. I think the visibility generally is ok to good, and an good spot to enjoy the snorkelling and the beach. If I were to snorkel Shark Bay again, I’d be sure to go earlier in the morning to increase the chance to see Sharks and Turtles.
Tour Guide Options
There are multiple snorkel trips that leave from Sairee Beach and stop at the popular locations around Koh Tao.
Best Snorkel Spot
The best snorkel spot we experienced was a large patch of Anemone which was in the center of the bay. This is also where we spotted the Giant Barracuda.
Best Time Of Year
If you are visiting Thailand, the dry season will give you the best weather for snorkeling is October-May.
Popular Marine Life
Anemonefish
Parrotfish
Christmas Tree Worm
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Giant Clam
Black Sea Urchin
Featherduster Worm
Titan Triggerfish
Singular Bannerfish
Angelfish
Rare Marine Life
Green Turtle
Blacktip Reef Shark
Giant Moray Eel
Giant Barracuda
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Branch Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Brain Coral
Boulder Star Coral
Table Coral
Massive Boulder Coral
What We Saw
(Seen on April, 2025)
| Giant Barracuda | Nosestripe Anemonefish |
| Virgate Rabbitfish | Weibel’s Butterlyfish |
| Crown Of Thorn Starfish | Black Eyed Rabbitfish |
| Singular Bannerfish | Parrotfish |
| Feather Duster Worm | Crescent Wrasse |
| Neon Damselfish | Giant Clam |
| Boulder Coral | Branch Coral |
| Brain Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Massive Boulder Coral | Table Coral |
| Mushroom Coral | Boulder Star Coral |
Frequently Asked Questions
The bay is accessible by boat, and a popular stop on snorkel trips.
We joined a snorkel trip from Sairee Beach. Shark Bay was the first stop of the day at 09:00am.
We went on a snorkel trip which stopped at 5x snorkel spots around the island.
Luke
FOUNDER
Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse to live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.
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