Three Rocks & Pottery Pottery Pinnacle and Three Rocks Dive Site, Koh Tao

Three Rocks and Pottery Pinnacle are two small rock sites on the south-western headland of Mae Haad Bay, just outside Jansom Bay. On a map of Koh Tao dive sites they look like a footnote. In the water they make one of the island's friendliest dives: shallow, close to the pier, and full of little things to find in the cracks.

Most people know the pair by the shorter names Pottery and Three Rocks, and you will see Pottery Pinnacle on dive boards all over the island. The boat ride from Mae Haad is about 10 minutes, so this is an easy one to fit in between other plans. It suits Open Water divers, skill practice and relaxed fun dives, and it is one of the best night dives on Koh Tao.

Three Rocks & Pottery dive site map

1. 2Pottery Pinnacle, top 3 m
2. 3Small swim-through
3. 4Three Rocks, breaks surface
4. 5Short sand crossing

Diving Three Rocks and Pottery: the route

The usual plan is to use both sites on a single tank. You drop in at Pottery Pinnacle, spend the first part of the dive circling the rocks, then cross a short stretch of sand on a compass heading to Three Rocks. You finish shallow among the boulders, which makes for an easy safety stop and a very comfortable ascent.

That sand crossing is a favourite exercise for instructors. It is short, the heading is simple, and the reward at the other end is a second set of rocks. If you are working on navigation, this is a kind place to practise.

Underwater layout

Pottery Pinnacle is a cluster of small rock pinnacles sitting just below the surface. They are broken up by overhangs and cracks, and there is a small swim-through on the rock. Patches of hard coral cover the reef, including a big, prominent table coral that is hard to miss. A sunken longtail boat has also been reported on the site.

Three Rocks is a smaller group of boulders that actually break the surface, so you can spot them from the boat. There are swim-throughs between the boulders, and the whole group is shallow, averaging about 5 m and reaching roughly 8 to 9 m at the deepest. Between the two sites the seabed is sand at around 12 m.

Depths at Pottery vary depending on who you ask and where you measure, but expect roughly 3 to 12 m on the rocks, with 14 m the deepest figure anyone quotes.

Marine life at Three Rocks and Pottery

The cracks and overhangs are the place to look. Starry-eyed pufferfish tuck into crevices, blue-lined and hexagon groupers watch from the shadows, and blue-spotted ribbontail rays and Jenkins whip rays like to rest under the ledges. Go slowly and check under every overhang, because the stingrays are easy to swim past.

Out on the reef you will find:

• Reef fish: bannerfish, masked rabbitfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish and anemonefish.
• Macro: nudibranchs, flatworms, wart slugs, sea cucumbers and hermit crabs.
• Occasional visitors: giant pufferfish, and seahorses have been reported, though they are far from guaranteed.

After dark the site changes completely. Octopus and broadclub cuttlefish come out, crabs and hermit crabs are on the move, and bioluminescence sparkles when you switch off your torch.

Night diving at Pottery

Pottery is one of the favourite night dives on Koh Tao, and there are good reasons. It is close to Mae Haad pier, so the trip is short. There is little light pollution on this side of the bay. The depth is shallow and the layout is simple, which is just what you want on a first night dive or an Advanced night dive. Bring a torch, and when your guide says so, turn it off and wave your hand through the water to see the bioluminescence.

Conditions and best time to dive

Current is mild to average, and you may feel a gentle pull at the surface. Visibility is the variable here. It is often around 2 to 10 m and can be poor after rough weather, though some days are much clearer. The site is generally good through most of the year, and calm dry-season days give the best water.

It is not a site you need to plan a season around. Pick a calm day and go.

Tips from local divers

• Check cracks and crevices for starry-eyed pufferfish.
• Look under overhangs for resting stingrays, but keep your distance and do not touch.
• Go slowly and look closely for nudibranchs and flatworms.
• Take a torch for night dives, and look for bioluminescence once the lights are off.
• Practise your compass heading on the sand crossing.

Safety notes

Visibility can drop, so stay close to your buddy and keep track of your guide. Pottery Pinnacle sees boat traffic, so ascend with a surface marker buoy and listen out before surfacing. Shallow does not mean careless: keep up your buoyancy skills around the coral and the swim-throughs.

Why dive Three Rocks & Pottery

• Two shallow rock sites in one dive
• Stingrays tucked under overhangs
• Starry-eyed pufferfish in the cracks
• One of Koh Tao's best night dives
• Only 10 minutes from Mae Haad pier

Three Rocks & Pottery: frequently asked questions

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