Southwest Pinnacle

South West Pinnacle is a cluster of seven granite rock pinnacles rising steeply from a sandy bottom (about 5–6 m) up to roughly 30 m, located about 10 km southwest of Koh Tao. The pinnacles are heavily encrusted with hard and soft corals, whip corals, anemones (with resident pink anemonefish), sea whips, black corals and barrel sponges, and the site is renowned for rich reef life plus pelagic visitors such as large schools of snappers and fusiliers, jacks and barracuda, with occasional sightings of whale sharks. Entry is by boat only. Typical diving involves descending on a deep pinnacle and circling upward to explore overhangs, swimthroughs, holes and passages between the rocks. Depths range from about 5–6 m at the tops to ~30 m at the deepest, visibility is generally 10–30 m in calm weather but can fall to a few metres in inclement conditions, and currents can vary from mild to strong so drift diving is common and divers may shelter behind pinnacles when flow is strong. Water is warm (tropical); there are no overhead hazards and no decompression requirements if the dive is conducted within no-decompression limits. Advanced certification is recommended and plan for a safe boat pickup or drift ascent.