Koh Tao offers about 25 divesites in close proximity to the island. They feature mostly rock formations and pinnacles, as well as shallow reefs and coral gardens. Whalesharks are regular visitors. Maximum depth 45 metres.
Torpedo Wreck
The Torpedo Wreck is a 70 meter Japanese cargo boat sitting upright about 2 hours north from Koh Tao. This divesite provides ideal depths and situations for deep specialties and all levels of the DSAT tecrec program. Maximum depth 54 metres.
Unicorn Wreck
The Unicorn Wreck is a 60 meter Japanese cargo boat sitting upright about 12 km north from Koh Tao. The top of the bow is at 38 meters, lots of penetrations are available for highly skilled technical divers. The wreck is completely intact with resident monster groupers and big red snapper living inside. Schools of jacks and barracuda patrol the area directly above the wreck making for a comfortable ascent. Maximum depth 50 metres.
USS Lagarto - rediscovered 19-05-2005
The United States of America W W 2 Balao class submarine USS Lagarto SS-371, has been discovered in the Gulf of Thailand by Jamie Macleod and Stewart Oehl of M.V.Trident , Koh Tao at a depth of 75 metres (225) feet. The USS Lagarto is believed to have been sunk during a daring convoy attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy minelayer HATSUTAKA, at 0010 on May 4 1945. The submarine is a restricted war grave and is being treated with the utmost respect which it deserves. She is currently being researched and documented by our team with the permission of the US Navy's Naval Historical Center. The exact location of the Lagarto remains a closely guarded secret.
Big Boy - rediscovered 19-02-2006
WW2 Japanese Passenger/Cargo vessel upright in 70m,top of the wreck is 57m, a large one, weighing about 4,500 ton. On the starboard side she has been torpedoed, lots of penetration. Perfect for Trimix training.
Tottori Maru - rediscovered 28-07-2005
"The Gulf of Siam was invaded by SubSoWesPac patrollers during this closing period of the war. Believed strewn with mines, the Gulf's interior had long been marked out-of-bounds for patrolling submarines. But in March 1945 the Gulf patrol was resumed by the British sub TRADEWIND. In April HARDHEAD had covered the approaches to Bangkok. Entering the Gulf in May, BAYA, LAGARTO, and HAMMERHEAD found targets. Teaming up with BAYA to attack a convoy, LAGARTO was lost in these waters. BAYA was frustrated by unexpectedly strong measures. But HAMMERHEAD sank a small tanker off the Malay coast on May 6, and in the same area downed TOTTORI MARU 5,973 ton passenger cargoman, on the 15th. Thereafter, traffic between Siam and Singapore was reduced to a trickle." Quoted from "UNITED STATES SUBMARINE OPERATIONS IN WORLD WAR II" by Theodore Roscoe 1949.
The wreck lies on her starboard side in 58m. The top of the wreck is at 40
m, length is 150m, tonnage is 5-7000 tons. She has had some damage starboard aft. More research is needed but we suspect from Hammerhead's logged co-ordinates that this could well be the Tottori Maru, a 'hellship' used as transport for Allied POW's.
No Name Maru - rediscovered 15/08/05
This wreck is about 60 nautical miles from Koh Tao, an easy 6 hour run. She
lies on her port side in 60 metres of clear water, the top of the wreck is
at 48m. Length is about 80m, beam 14m, weight approx 3000 tons. From the
damage to the superstructure it looks like she has either had an explosion
or has been bombarded from the air. This wreck is very well appointed, twin
screws, lots of portholes, telegraphs and deck machinery. We suspect this
was some sort of working vessel as opposed to the regular 'maru'.
Information from machinery maker's plates tells us she was built in Japan in
1911.
Tanker Maru - rediscovered 22/10/05
This wreck lies close to the No Name Maru. She is a 70m, 3000 ton Japanese oil tanker sitting upright in 60m. There is no apparent damage except for a split in the bow below the waterline. The superstructure has three levels and has yet to be explored.
Unidentified Marus
The Gulf of Thailand was heavily patrolled by US submarines, in 1945 they sank dozens of 'marus' - japanese freighters and tankers carrying everything from supplies to POW's. Using the submarines' logs as a starting point each of our expeditions will include exploratory dives with the chance of diving virgin WW2 wrecks.
info@techthailand.com
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