Shark Bay (Ao Thian Ok), Koh Tao
Ao Thian Ok, universally called Shark Bay, is a curved bay on Koh Tao's southern coast. Beds of seagrass in the shallows attract juvenile blacktip reef sharks, and this is the most dependable place on the island to snorkel with them.
Blacktips are small, timid and not considered dangerous to people; the usual difficulty is getting close enough to see one rather than the reverse. Early morning and late afternoon around a higher tide give the best chance. The bay also holds green turtles.
Access is down a steep path from the road, and a small fee is usually collected. Do not chase or corner the sharks - a bay where they are harassed is a bay they leave.
Related Routes
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- John-Suwan Viewpoint — The rocky headland at Koh Tao's southern tip, looking down on the twin bays of Chalok Baan Kao and Thian Ok.
- Ao Leuk, Koh Tao — A small south-east bay with a sandy entry and a reef close in - the island's easiest snorkelling from the beach.
- Chalok Baan Kao, Koh Tao — The island's third village, on a sheltered southern bay - quieter than Sairee, with its own beach and restaurants.
- Freedom Beach, Koh Tao — A small sheltered beach at the island's southern end, below the John-Suwan viewpoint.
- Hin Wong Bay, Koh Tao — A boulder-strewn bay on the quiet east coast, with clear water and almost no sand.
- Koh Nang Yuan, Koh Tao — Three granite islets joined by a triple sandbar off Koh Tao's north-west coast - the most photographed view in the Gulf of...


