Southwest Pinnacle

Southwest Pinnacle sits further offshore than most of Koh Tao’s dive sites, roughly 10 kilometres from the island, which immediately sets it apart from the more accessible reef sites closer to shore. The extra distance is part of what makes the site special — being away from the immediate coastal pressure means healthier coral, bigger fish life, and a genuine sense of diving somewhere a little wilder.

The site is made up of several distinct granite pinnacles rising from a sandy bottom around 35 metres up toward the surface at around 18 metres, depending on which section is being dived. The pinnacles are covered in a mix of hard and soft corals, with sea fans and barrel sponges adding to the structure on the deeper sections.

What Southwest Pinnacle is best known for is its fish life. Large schools of barracuda, trevally, and fusiliers are a regular sight circling the pinnacles, and the site has a reputation as one of the better spots around Koh Tao for encountering bigger pelagic species — including the occasional whale shark during the right season. The combination of structure, current, and depth that attracts these larger animals is exactly what makes the site better suited to Advanced certified divers.

Because of the depth range and distance from shore, Southwest Pinnacle is typically dived as a dedicated trip rather than a casual add-on to a closer itinerary. Divers who make the journey are usually rewarded with one of the more memorable dives Koh Tao has to offer.