Snorkelling in Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan

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The day after our dive we booked ourselves onto a snorkelling trip around Koh Tao for the day. We were picked up around 9am and fitted with snorkelling gear before boarding a boat at the jetty and setting off around the island. First stop was Shark Point, a rocky outcrop on the south of the island where black tipped reef sharks are often spotted. We jumped overboard and started slowly swimming towards the rocks, watching various different types of fish on the way. At one point we even spotted a box fish which we hadn't been able to see on any of our dives. As we got nearer the rocks I thought I saw a shark in the distance but the visibility in the water wasn't great so we swam closer. Then suddenly a 2 foot shark swam past on the sea bed, about 15 metres in front of us! Reef sharks aren't dangerous and rarely get very big but it was still exciting to see one all the same. We continued towards the rocks and the nearer we got, the more sharks we saw. Most of them were between 1 and 2 feet long but we did spot one really big one that must have been over 3 foot. All in all I think we saw around 20 sharks swimming gracefully below us. Before boarding the boat we'd bought an underwater disposable camera so I started frantically snapping away, trying to get good pictures of them but most of the pictures have come out blurred and the sharks weren't too keen on posing for us. I'll include the only decent couple I got.

After about 45 minutes we got back on the boat and had a snack of fresh fruit before heading to the next snorkelling site. Most of the sites we visited on the trip were fairly similar and not particularly good. Some of them we saw quite a lot of fish but they were mostly small fusillier fish or single pairs of butterfly fish which we had already seen dozens of so the underwater viewing wasn't as great as we had hoped, especially after the spectacular dives we had done the day before. Instead, we enjoyed the view around the island and the glorious sunshine. As the day wore on the sun really came out and it turned into one of the hottest days we have seen so far and it was lovely just lounging on the boat between snorkelling stops. We did reapply suncream as often as possible but despite our best efforts we did both come away a bit burnt.

The undisputed highlight of the day was the final stop. On the way back to the jetty we diverted via a small island 15 minutes off the coast of Koh Toa called Koh Nangyuan. On the way we were told by the boat staff that no plastic at all was to be taken onto the island and that any we had on us was to be left on the boat. We also had to pay a 100 baht (2 pound) entrance fee. All a bit draconian we thought. However, when we arrived we saw why. The island is small enough to walk across in about 20 minutes and consists of two small mountains, each surrounded by beach and rocks and connected by a thin, pristine stretch of sand. It is also entirely private and owned by one combined diving and resort company who make sure that the island remains perfect and that the marine life is preserved to the best of their abilities. The company have built just one small and sensitive complex on the island and it blends in with the natural beauty very well. I know that I've already said that two or three places so far have been the most beautiful we have ever seen but I really don't think that Koh Nangyuan will be beaten. The place is trully breathtaking. After a couple of hours wandering we were dragged away and put back on the boat for the return to Koh Tao. While on Nangyuan we did pick up a brochure for the hotel but unfortunately it was out of our budget. Perhaps another day!

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