Chumphon may feel quiet and understated above the surface, but beneath the sea, it is alive with an astonishing abundance of marine life.

At Ko Ngam Yai, one of Chumphon’s most renowned dive sites, vast fields of sea anemones create a surreal underwater landscape. These anemones are home to the Gulf of Thailand’s local “Indian red” clownfish. On days when the current is gentle, the anemones sway like an endless meadow of grass in the wind. Among them, clownfish dart in and out playfully—like children running and hiding in a wide, open field.

Another distinctive highlight of Chumphon’s sea is its black coral. Though its name may sound unremarkable—derived from its dark skeleton—the living polyps that cover it glow in bright yellow, resembling bushes in autumn bloom. When surrounded by schools of tiny fish, the scene feels almost like butterflies fluttering around flowers.

Speaking of butterflies, one cannot miss the Chumphon butterflyfish, a signature species of these waters. Found in the lower Gulf of Thailand and especially abundant in Chumphon, they glide gracefully in groups along coral reefs, adding elegance and motion to the underwater world.

Not far from Ko Ngam lies Hin Pae, another vibrant marine site. Here, enormous schools of yellowstripe scad gather in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Moving in unison, they form shifting walls of silver and gold—an instinctive defense mechanism that transforms these otherwise ordinary fish into something truly mesmerizing.

 

Diving trip to Mu Ko Chumphon islands operate by local dive shop and dive resort in Chumphon mainland. Normally price is 4,500 THB for 3 dives day trip.

 

Recommended dive center 

Sensui Dive Center

www.sensuidive.com