Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao

Share

Learn about Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao

Junkyard Reef dive site on Koh Tao is an Artificial dive site first created in 2006 and now a flourishing site for beginner divers and marine conservation education programs.

  • Location: 400 metres from Mae Haad beach
  • Depth: 8m – 12 metres
  • Type of site: Shallow Artificial site with lots of sand
  • Level: Open Water diver
  • Conditions: Generally Calm and Flat unless South West Monsoon
  • Average Visibility: 2-12m
Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao in Thailand

Discover Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao

The Junkyard Reef Project was conceived, planned and built by our marine conservation partner, Eco Koh Tao and the original idea was pretty simple.

Any suitable unwanted materials to create an Artificial reef were donated and organized into an area that had been designated to attract and sustain marine life.

Several local businesses including a gym donated old or unwanted gym equipment and materials.

Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao - Black Spotted Porcupine Fish
Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao – Black Spotted Porcupine Fish

Artificial Dive Site – Junkyard Reef

Gradually over time the Artificial dive site expanded with man-made steel structures, coral nurseries, giant clam releases and various coral propagation programs were initiated.

The existing Artificial dive site is now home to an incredibly diverse and abundance of marine life and boasts a multitude of different species.

You will see many reef fish including Yellow Spotted Rabbitfish, Copper Banded Butterfly fish, Batfish, Masked Porcupine Puffer fish and the Saddleback Clownfish.

There are even two resident Lionfish at Junkyard Reef, a Yellow Box fish and a Yellow Margin Triggerfish.

Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao - Saddleback Clownfish
Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao – Saddleback Clownfish

Diverse Marine Life & Coral Restoration

Junkyard Reef dive site is the conservationists dream with Coral transplants positioned magnificently on steel structures supporting a vibrant marine ecosystem.

Junkyard Reef is a great example of giving something back to nature and it is also a fascinating dive site for all scuba divers to experience a great example of what can be achieved through motivation, education and community action.

Junkyard is popular for training dives and offers lots of soft sand around the perimeter of the dive site that facilitate this.

It is amazing to see so many diving centers on Koh Tao regularly using this dive site and it has evolved considerably since 2006 when it was merely a patch of sand between the reef.

Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao - Yellow Margin Triggerfish
Junkyard Reef Dive Site Koh Tao – Yellow Margin Triggerfish