Image galleries

This gallery is comprised of "general" scenes such as coral landscapes, interesting features, etc.
Most of the scenes will feature a diving or snorkeling theme, with views from both above and below the water.

A field-guide to the local marine life of the Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Angthong Marine Park area of the Gulf of Thailand.

All species will be divided initially into one of the following four main groups:

• Pelagic -

  This section contains those species that live predominantly in the water column, away from reef systems or the bottom.
  There are many species which may frequent the other zones from time to time, but which are undoubtedly Pelagic by nature.
  An excellent example of this is the Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) which traverses the world's tropical oceans, but may appear at shallow inshore reefs in order to exploit synchronized spawning events.

• Benthic -

  This section contains marine species that live, or are most active in the Benthic zone where "Benthic" is generally considered to be the "bottom layer of a body of water"

  Whilst true Benthic species such as Stingrays are almost confined to the sea floor, a large variety of species classed as Demersal fish are included also.

  Demersal fish differ slightly from "true" Benthic species in that whilst they are active on the sea floor, they may inhabit other areas such as coral reefs.

  A very good example of a Demersal species are the members of the Goatfish (Mullidae) family. This family spend almost all of their active life foraging for food on the sea floor, with their downward facing mouths and chemo-sensory "barbels" probing the sand for small invertibrates.
  However, when not foraging, it is a very common sight to find certain species resting on top of large coral formations within the reef zone.

• Reef-Dwelling -

  This section is dedicated to species predominantly associated with coral reefs. Although there are some species which are often thought of as reef fish, they may in fact belong with one of the other categories.

  A good example of these are the Stingrays (Dasyatidae), which are often found sheltering underneath large coral formations (particularly during the daytime). However, there can be little doubt that Stingrays and the like are perfect examples of Benthic species.

• Unidentified -

  This section contains species which cannot be identified with a reasonable degree of certainty.
  There will be instances where a particular species appears within a known family, but also appears in the Unidentified section. For example:
  If a fish has been photographed, and clearly belongs to the Wrasse (Labridae) family, but the exact species cannot be determined, it will appear in both the Wrasse AND Unidentified sections of the this gallery.

  In some cases, the photographs may be of poor quality due to the circumstances under which they were taken eg. poor visibility/lighting, fast moving species, difficulty in approaching, etc.

  As with all of the photographs in the Marine Life gallery, comments, observations or recommendations are most welcome, particularly regarding unidentified/misidentified species.

A rating system has been used with each photo to show the degree of certainty regarding identification.

This guide is intended as an aid to amateur enthusiasts, rather than a definitive reference source. Therefore, if you think that a species has been incorrectly identified, please feel free to leave a comment. User input is greatly appreciated.

We are one of the best equipped dive schools on the island and can provide for a wide range of divers and snorkelers, catering for all sizes from XXS – XXXL. All of our equipment undergoes regular maintenance, to ensure compliance with legal servicing requirements.

In addition to our standard equipment, we also supply Enriched Air Nitrox tanks, dive computers and underwater digital cameras (ask a member of staff for details).

We have a fully equipped, air-conditioned classroom in our main facility in Chaloklum village in which we provide all course materials in a wide variety of languages.

We also have an office based at Island View Cabana Resort on Mae Haad beach, providing easy access to Koh Ma for training and beach dives.

Access to the premier dive boats on Koh Pha-Ngan allows us maximum flexibility to get you to the dive/snorkelling site of YOUR choice, rather than being tied to an inflexible schedule… If you wish to maximize your holiday time, we offer the high-speed, custom-built catamaran to arrive first at the best sites, or…. If it’s a more leisurely day out you’re looking for, we can offer the larger diving boat, where you can soak up the sun throughout the day.