Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee. Resort nearby
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Last updated on January 14, 2024
Mango Bay, also known as Ao Muong Beach, is the northernmost bay of Koh Tao. Considered one of the best snorkeling spots on the island, it allows for observing a wide range of colorful fish. However, the corals are quite damaged, and visibility can vary depending on the weather.
There are three options for snorkeling in Mango Bay:
In general, you will enter the water from the small sandy beach of Mango Bay (snorkel entry 1 on the map ). Excursions include a stop on the beach. If you access the bay through the Mango Bay Boutique Resort, you will enter the water from the hotel’s wooden platform (snorkel entry 2 on the map), as this property does not have direct access to the beach.
Mango Bay is a relatively open bay, 250 meters wide at beach level and more than 500 meters on the open sea side. The best snorkeling is naturally located on either side of the bay, along rocks. It is in these areas that you’ll see the most corals and fish, in a depth varying between 3 and 15 feet/1 and 5 meters.
As often around Koh Tao, the corals of Mango Bay are in a very uneven condition. Busy areas often have dead or damaged coral, while more remote and deeper areas still have attractive clumps of branching coral, brain coral and finger coral.
You’ll also see in some places beautiful barrel sponges, blue sponges, and very colorful giant clams.
The sea life of Mango Bay includes lots of parrotfish, spinefoot and wrasses. The Hong Kong butterflyfish, the eight-banded butterflyfish and the pennant coralfish also inhabit the reef. Anemonefish, however, are quite rare here: to get better chances to spot them, head to Tanote Bay or Shark Bay, in the south of the island.
Ao Muong Beach Resort and Mango Bay Boutique Resort both provide direct access to the Mango Bay snorkeling spot.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
