21 Divers, 3 Snorkellers and every single person on board saw a Manta Ray. Diving is certainly one way to experience these amazing creatures. But if that’s not for you, don’t fret. If you are looking for Manta Ray Snorkeling in Thailand, then Koh Bon could be the place for you!
That wasn’t all. We have some great photos of Seahorses, Cuttlefish, huge Napoleon Wrasse and much more. But first, to give you a real taste of a Manta Ray experience then watch Videographer Prudence Baker’s brilliant Highlights video.
Highlights from Hallelujah Trip #9
[az_video_embed class=”” link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi76TsE08d8&feature=youtu.be”]
Manta Ray Snorkeling in Thailand
This week I decided to appoint myself snorkeling guide. And I am glad I did. We had two great days snorkeling around the Similan Islands. But the highlight definitely came when we headed a bit further north to Koh Bon. We went on three separate occasions and they were all great fun in their own way.
21/12/2014 we went snorkeling in Koh Bon bay. There were relatively large waves around the Island, but Koh Bon bay remained perfectly calm. This very shallow bay is the perfect place to encounter Koh Bon’s colourful reef fish. 22/12/2014 we returned to the bay for some late evening/Night snorkeling. This turned out to be a great experience as we got so close to a White-tip reef shark that swam right underneath us. Then 23/12/2014, we saw a Manta Ray!
Manta Ray snorkeling in Thailand can be a wonderful experience. The advantage of scuba diving is you can go deeper than when you are snorkeling. But fortunately, Manta Rays tend to stay shallow when we encounter them. This means there are actually many advantages to snorkeling instead. Firstly, you can stay as long as you like. You are not going to run out of air with a snorkel! Secondly, depending on visibility, the aerial perspective can give you a better chance of spotting them in the first place. If for any reason Scuba Diving isn’t for you, snorkeling can be a great alternative.
This trip our final snorkeling session was definitely the best. The first 30 minutes we stayed in the bay to have a nice relaxing swim with the small and colourful reef fish. Sometimes surrounded by Sergant Majors, Fusiliers and Butterflyfish. Then we began to approach Koh Bon Ridge. We onlt just arrived when our guest Grace first spotted the Manta Ray. She poked her head out of the water and screamed ‘MANTA RAY’. This quickly attracted the other three of us and we watched as the Manta Ray swan straight towards and then directly underneath us. If you have never done it before, Manta Ray Snorkeling in Thailand is a truly unforgettable experience!
And of course the diving…
There was also some excellent diving on this trip. The visibility was a bit lower than usual (probably because of the wind and waves). However, the Marine life was still plentiful and we saw some excellent things on our Similan Liveaboard.
Check out all of our Photos below in the Image Gallery. Also Please leave us any comments if you were on the trip. What did you think of your Manta Ray Snorkeling in Thailand experience? Do you prefer snorkeling or Scuba Diving to encounter these Leviathans?
Image Gallery