Surin Islands · Thailand · Reef · Muck & macro · Night
Moken Bay
Calm ten-metre sand and coral bay used for training and night dives
Area photo: The Cosmonaut · CC BY-SA 2.5
Moken Bay is a shallow, sheltered bay off the shore of the Moken sea-nomad village on Ko Surin Tai, with a sandy bottom, scattered coral patches and small rock formations to a maximum depth of 10 m. Conditions are calm and the site is used for relaxed dives, training and night dives. The sand is where the macro life sits.
Also known as Mokken Village Reef.
Where it is and how deep
9.4068° N, 97.8676° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The bottom is sand with coral patches and small rock formations scattered across it, and the whole bay is inside 10 m. Sheltered water keeps conditions calm, which is why this is where courses and night dives happen rather than out on the exposed reefs — there is no current to fight and no depth to manage, so the dive runs at whatever pace the group needs.
The route is a slow sweep of the sand and the coral patches, and the finds are small. Ghost pipefish and seahorses hold on the patches, cuttlefish and octopus work the open sand, and shrimps and nudibranchs are on the coral. Small reef fish are common across the bay. It is ground that rewards stopping and looking, and the shallow profile means you can give it a full tank.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime |
Season follows Surin Islands: The national park closes mid-May to mid-October for the south-west monsoon; Feb–Apr is the peak of the open season.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Moken Bay?+
Dive The World gives the reef off the Moken village a maximum depth of 10 metres. It is a shallow, sheltered bay with a sandy bottom, coral patches and small rock formations, so the profile stays flat for the whole dive.
Is Moken Bay good for a night dive?+
It is one of the sites used for them. The bay is protected and calm, which suits relaxed dives, training sessions and night dives, and the macro life on the sand — ghost pipefish, seahorses, cuttlefish, octopus — is what you are looking for after dark.
Sources
- Moken Bay — Scubago
- Surin Islands diving sites — Dive The World
More dive sites in Surin Islands
Shallow coral-block reef the dive tables list as a night dive
Reef
Scattered boulders on sand, with overhangs holding the fish life
Pinnacle
A current-swept pinnacle from 30 m to within 5 m of the surface
Blacktip reef sharks over a granite slope on the western side
Reef
Coral plateau that breaks the surface, and a ridge out at 30 m
A 40 m drop-off on the west side, with 20 to 30 m of visibility
Reef
Shallow hard-coral shelf that works for snorkellers and divers alike
Similar dives elsewhere
Mandarinfish dancing at dusk among black sea urchin spines
A 3 to 12 m house reef off the beach for training, macro and night dives
Shallow bay under the duck-shaped rock, with no current
Shallow coral bay used for snorkelling and night dives