Diving in Cambodia –3rd Part

The prior part regarding diving in Cambodia you can read here.

Diving in KohTang Island

Description: Koh Tang is 4-5 hours travel from the mainland to the south-west of Koh Rong Saloem. On the island there are 2-3 sunny sandy beached and the rest are the stone coasts. On the island there is a small number of Cambodian soldiers, the rest of it is uninhabited. Visibility during the dive is about 1 to 30 meters; the average is about 15 meters. Remoteness from the mainland makes this place very exclusive, and of course the abundance of different fish species will not leave you indifferent to this unique island. 

Diving in Explosion Reef

Explosion reef is the coastal reef formations near Koh Tang. Depth of the waters ranges from 6 to 18 meters. The reef is composed of staghorn corals in the north side, giving way to the coral formations and rocky outcrops in the south. Hornlike corals serve as "nursery" and "blow up" the colorful diversity of young fish and other marine life. The pride of this place is triggerfish. Such species as titan triggerfish are also found here, the fish is really rare as only several lucky divers had the possibility to see it. The place is also great because of the best visibility in the area.

Diving in Three Bears Gulf

This popular diving place got its name from the cave formations on the slopes (one high and two smaller ones on the sides). Starting at a depth of about 2 meters reef "explodes" with bright corals and diverse water life and goes down to the sandy bottom at a depth of 16 meters. You can often find yourself with a bunch of bat fish floating around you, and over the sandy bottom you can find some big fish, such as Jackfish (schooling trevally, jacks) and barracudas.

Diving in Giraffe Lookout

Another popular place with a strange name, which came from the shape of the tree on the cliff-top (once you get there you'll see it and you will realize at the very moment why it is named this way). Coated with a mixture of hard and soft corals this reef is just pulsing with bright and vibrant colors. There is a large number of sea worms, nudibranches and pufferfish. Here just as at the Three Bears Gulf over a sandy bottom you can find big fish, such as Jackfish, schooling trevally and cobia sharks.

Diving in Atlantis Diving Spot

This amazing site for divers begins with a large reef and shallow water that spreads down to a depth of 16 meters, extending far into the bay. In the first part of the reef, that has a depth of up to 12 meters, there is a lot of coral formations that provide shelter to angelfish, spotted sweetlips, groupers and stingrays. At a depth of 12-16 meters, you will notice that the reef is gradually captured with horn corals with a variety of colorful small fish. 

Diving in Sting Ray Alley

As the name suggests, here you can find a huge number of rays, both during the day diving, and at night dive, when the views are especially amazing. It is a rocky site that serves as a home to various water creatures such as octopus, scorpaenidae fish, squid and crustaceans. If you dive further, below 25 meters will be small coastal reefs.

Diving in The Steps

This place got its name from the underwater stone formations: near the shore at a depth of 3-4 meters there is a wide shelf with the stone steps reaching a sandy bottom at 12 meters. Wide smooth stage is covered with hard corals. Deeper in the gulf there are bright coral formations and stunning array of hard corals. While diving you should pay attention to the young spotted sweetlips, which float here between sea urchins.

And if you like bright visual impressions we advice you to see Cambodian water festival. You will like it for sure. If you  plan to travel a lot around this beautiful country, don’t forget to take a portable freezer to cool down you drinks and keep some food.