Lighthouse Bay is a Lesser known snorkel location in Koh Tao, where there are healthy corals and Anemone’s along the southern rocky shoreline.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Coral present
3-6 Meters Average Depth
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:
Cost:
Lighthouse Bay, also known as Gluay Teun Bay, is a secluded snorkeling spot on the northeastern coast of Koh Tao, Thailand. Accessible by boat or snorkel trip, the large bay offers fantastic corals along the rocky shoreline in the south. There is a hike via a steep, overgrown trail from a partially constructed resort, this remote bay offers an unspoiled marine environment.
Underwater, Lighthouse Bay boasts vibrant Boulder, Boulder Star, Brain, Staghorn, and Lettuce corals, providing shelter for a diverse array of marine life. We encounter various species, but it wasn’t as much marine life as other Koh Tao snorkel spots.
Snorkel Spot
Tours:
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Lighthouse Bay Map
Lighthouse 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 main highlight of the snorkel spot was the very large Anemone structures home to anemonefish. These structures were some of the largest I’ve seen in Koh Tao, and were relatively shallow in 3-4 meters waters.
Coral Reef
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.
Marine Life
The main highlight of the snorkel spot was the very large Anemone structures home to anemonefish. These structures were some of the largest I’ve seen in Koh Tao, and were relatively shallow in 3-4 meters waters. There were also Butteflyfish, Damselfish, Parrotfish, Rabbitfish swimming amonst the coral reef. There were also vibrant Christmas Tree Worms and Feather duster Worms within the Boulder coral.
Safety Tip:
There are Sea Urchins along the sea floor in shallow water, 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.
Summary
Overall this snorkel spot was very good for a 30-minute snorkel. I think the visibility generally is good, and an good spot to enjoy the snorkelling and the beach. The boat was docked far from the snorkel spot, and on the swim from the coral coastline in the south of the bay, there were large schools of smallers fish in the deeper blue.
Tour Guide Options
There are few snorkel trips that stop off at Lighthouse Bay, I didn’t see the location advertised on snorkel trips.
Best Snorkel Spot
The best snorkel spot was in the Southern of the bay near the rocky coastline where there were the healthy corals are protected from the waves. There was also this incredible Table coral!
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
Giant Moray Eel
Blacktip Reef Shark
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)
| Seargent Major Damselfish | Nosestripe Anemonefish |
| Virgate Rabbitfish | Weibel’s Butterlyfish |
| Christmas Tree Worm | Black Eyed Rabbitfish |
| Singular Bannerfish | Parrotfish |
| Feather Duster Worm | Crescent Wrasse |
| Black Sea Urchin | Giant Clam |
| Boulder Star Coral | Stoney Acroporidae Coral |
| Boulder Coral | Branch Coral |
| Brain Coral | Lettuce Coral |
| Massive Boulder Coral | Table Coral |
| Mushroom Coral |
Frequently Asked Questions
The bay is only accessible by boat either snorkel trip or private longtail trip. There is a hike, but from what I’ve read is very overgrown and I wouldn’t know if it is safe.
We joined a morning snorkel trip around the island which stopped at Lighthouse Bay, as the waves were too large at Mango Bay. The snorkel trip cost approximately $35 USD for 5x snorkel spots and Koh Nang Yuan, for 3-4 hours.
We went on the Premium morning snorkel trip with Oxygen tours.
