Tao Thong Dive Site, Koh Tao: Muck Diving Guide

Tao Thong, also written Tao Tong, is a muck-diving site off the south-west coast of Koh Tao. It is a lesser-known spot, and honestly there is not much published about it, so this page sticks to what we can say with confidence. It is relatively shallow and popular with macro photographers.

If your idea of a great Koh Tao dive is a wall of barracuda, this is not that site. If you enjoy hunting small creatures on a sandy bottom with a camera and plenty of patience, Tao Thong Koh Tao is worth asking your dive centre about.

What is muck diving at Tao Thong?

Koh Tao is famous for granite boulders and pinnacles, and Tao Thong is the opposite. The seabed is sandy and silty, with very little in the way of big structure. That is exactly what muck divers want, because small animals show up well against a plain background.

Muck diving around the island generally means sandy bottoms with sea pens, solitary corals, heart urchins, algae and small critters. These are general descriptions of muck sites, so treat them as a guide to what the style of dive offers rather than a species list for this exact spot.

Marine life at Tao Thong

The headline is blue-ringed octopus, which dive-log descriptions say can be seen here. Sightings are possible, not promised. If you do find one, look and photograph from a distance. It is small, beautiful and highly venomous, so never touch it or poke it.

Beyond that, no confirmed species list is published for the site. Go in expecting small things in the sand rather than schools of fish.

Conditions and how to dive it

Depth, current and visibility have not been confirmed for Tao Thong. It is described only as relatively shallow, so it should be an easy profile, and your guide can give you the real numbers on the day. Ask your dive centre before you book, because conditions on this coast change with the weather.

Dive it slowly. On a silty bottom, a heavy kick can send up a cloud and ruin the view for everyone, so keep your fins up and your buoyancy neutral.

Tips from local divers

Go slowly and bring a macro lens. Look closely at the sand.
Never touch a blue-ringed octopus. Observe only.
Ask a local dive centre for current conditions and depth.
Stay off the bottom to protect visibility.

Safety notes

The main hazard is the blue-ringed octopus, which is highly venomous, so keep your hands to yourself. The other is silt: kicked-up sediment can cut visibility fast, and a dive that starts clear can turn murky if the group is careless. Keep your buddy in sight.