Sail Rock is one of Thailand’s premier diving locations. Situated an hour and a half from the mainland, the rock is home to an incredible amount of sea life. Charlotte Merell recounts her experiences of diving at Sail Rock, and her close encounters with some of the residents. Just don’t mention ‘The Big One’ …
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Sail Rock – Diving in the Gulf of Thailand
Travelling on a speedboat across a sea that was as flat as glass, we approached the most lauded dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. Sail Rock didn’t look like much from the surface: a small pinnacle of rock protruding from the ocean amidst a flock of rowdy seagulls, but its humble peak was not what I’d come to see.
The area has earned its reputation due to the sheer volume and diversity of marine life that resides here. Barracuda, trevally, batfish, butterfly fish, angel fish, as well as a huge variety of smaller creatures such as the alien-esque nudibranchs, can all be seen here.
Before we began our descent, our dive guide–also a first-timer at Sail Rock–waxed lyrical about the plethora of fish we were bound to encounter. He also alluded to ‘the big one’ that we all hoped to meet, but whose name superstition forbade us from mentioning.
By this point in my trip I had already spent a week on the island of Koh Tao, and approximately six hours exploring the underwater world off its beautiful coast. However, none of my previous dives had prepared me for the wonders of Sail Rock.
The Chimney
Our journey into the depths began with a descent of ‘The Chimney’: a vertical shaft in the rock that starts five metres below the surface and emerges twelve metres lower. As I watched our dive leader making his way headfirst into the rocky tunnel, I felt a moment of trepidation. As a relatively new diver, I hadn’t experienced anything like this before.
Despite the fact that I knew there were two exits on the side of the shaft, and the possibility of ascending again from the top, I was still worried that I would somehow become stuck inside. However, as I descended my fears disappeared and I was able to admire the brightly-coloured rocks and tiny fish that surrounded me – as if welcoming me into the revered waters.
Once through the chimney we swam alongside numerous schools of sleepy-looking batfish and spritely fusiliers, and also saw the odd giant grouper and moray eel. Then, rounding a bend in the rock, I was greeted by the largest amount of fish I had ever seen.
Marine Life
It wasn’t just the sheer number of fish that was overwhelming; it was the variety. Tiny black reef fish hovered just above the coral and seemed to cascade from top to bottom in a constantly moving stream. A huge shoal of fusiliers moved effortlessly as one, and chevron barracudas paraded by, their shiny eyes gleaming with intent.
We tried to make as little disturbance as possible as we swam calmly through this amazing display of marine life, but the fish didn’t even seem to notice us. As I passed through the midst of a group of small trevally, some of them came so close to my mask that our eyes met. I felt totally enveloped in this underwater world.
As with all dives, there is a point when one must return to the surface, but luckily we were scheduled for a second dive later that day. While we impatiently waited out our surface interval, we noticed that the other dive boats had started leaving. Many dive shops making the relatively long trip out to Sail Rock use large vessels in order to pack in as many divers as possible.
Fortunately, our operator utilized a nimble speedboat that carried only 10 passengers. The bigger craft had to leave early in order to reach shore before dark. Our smaller, faster boat allowed us to stay longer and have Sail Rock all to ourselves.
With no other divers around we were all doubly eager to get back into the water. Once our safe surface time was finally over we leapt back into the sea and made straight to the point at which our last dive had ended. We hoped to get a closer look at a huge moray eel we’d glimpsed at the end of the last dive.
Great Barracuda
However, after we’d dropped down to twenty-nine meters, we were distracted from our hunt for the moray by an even bigger resident of Sail Rock: the great barracuda. As a shoal of the smaller chevron barracuda passed by, seven of these massive giants – each as thick as my thigh and as long as I am tall – swam slowly towards us.
As they approached I saw the slim, sharp teeth lining their slightly gaping mouths and had to remind myself that they didn’t attack humans.
The great barracudas swam nonchalantly by, paying us almost no attention at all. Conversely, our small dive group was far from indifferent – it may be difficult to read expressions behind the scuba breathing equipment, but I was sure each of us had a huge, childish grin on our faces – I know I did.
Beer And A Glorious Sunset
Resurfacing after the second dive, we were all keen to get back to the boat so that we could swap stories over a celebratory Thai beer and enjoy the glorious sunset. Despite the amazing sights we all experienced, there was a very slight air of disappointment that we hadn’t seen the ‘Big One’, or as we were now allowed to call it, the whale shark.
Sightings of these gentle giants had been very infrequent in recent months – as had encounters with many other shark species in the area. Our speedboat captain lamented the disappearance of the bull sharks that had previously visited these waters, citing lack of food as a probable reason.
Many dive shops on Koh Tao – the favoured base for most divers visiting the Gulf of Thailand – are thankfully raising awareness of the decline in the shark population, which is a pressing worldwide issue.
Diving At Sail Rock: Conclusion
Following my extraordinary experience at Sail Rock, and despite not seeing a whale shark, this dive site now ranks as my personal favourite. As I continue my diving journey I can only hope to see such diverse and abundant sea life at other destinations I visit.
I would urge all scuba aficionados to make it a priority to dive at Sail Rock if visiting Thailand. If possible, try to go with a small operator outside of peak time – and remember: don’t mention ‘the big one’ by name!
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