Home › Dive Sites › Thailand › Rocky Point

Rocky Point

📍 Thailand

Spotted Butterflyfish (Chaetodon guttatissimus) — recorded at Rocky Point

Rocky Point is a dive site in Thailand. It lies within the Mu Ko Similan National Park. The sea floor at the site position lies at about 19 meters. Currents typically run at 0.9 km/h and reach 1.6 km/h on the strongest days. Water temperatures range from 29°C in January to 31°C in May. The typical daily tidal range is about 1.6 m. Species recorded in the area include Spotted Butterflyfish, Orangestripe Triggerfish, Long-spined Crown-of-Thorns, Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish and Tricolour Parrotfish.

Dive Conditions

⬇️
Seabed Depth
19m
💨
Current
0.9 km/h (1.6)
🌡️
Water Temp
29–31 °C

🤿 Book a Diving Tour in Rocky Point

Tours powered by GetYourGuide. FindADive may earn a commission on bookings.

Typical Current 0.9 km/h (up to 1.6)
Seabed Depth 19 m
Water Temperature 29–31 °C
Tidal Range 1.6 m (typical daily)
GPS 8.4773°, 97.6556°

Data sources: currents and water temperature from Open-Meteo Marine (CC BY 4.0), hourly model values 2024; seabed depth from the GEBCO 2020 Grid, sampled at the site coordinates (grid resolution about 450 m). Tidal range is the median daily range of modelled sea level from Open-Meteo Marine, hourly values 2024. Protected area boundary from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Species observations from iNaturalist, checked against the World Register of Marine Species.

Conditions at Rocky Point through the year

Sea surface temperature at the site coordinates, averaged per month from hourly model values for 2024. The water is warmest in May at about 31 °C and coolest in January at about 29 °C, a spread of 2.2 degrees across the year.

Monthly sea surface temperature at Rocky Point (°C)
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
28.9 29.2 29.8 30.7 31.1 30.0 29.4 29.4 29.0 29.4 29.6 29.0

Ocean current at the site runs at a typical 0.9 km/h. In the strongest tenth of the hours modelled for 2024 it reaches 1.6 km/h, which is when entries are normally timed to slack water at the turn of the tide.

The tide moves the water level by a median 1.6 m over a day, and by up to 2.2 m on the largest days of the month. That range drives how much water is exchanged over the reef and when the current turns.

In the open sea off Rocky Point, the highest wave of the day exceeded 1.5 m on 15.0 % of days between 2015 and 2024. The roughest month was August (46 % of days), the calmest March (0 %).

Share of days with waves above 1.5 m, open sea near Rocky Point (%, 2015–2024)
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
110116294346291201

The seabed directly under the site coordinates sits at about 19 m. This is a bathymetry grid value with a cell size of roughly 450 m, so it describes the depth of the area rather than the deepest point a dive can reach.

Rocky Point lies inside Mu Ko Similan National Park. Protected areas can carry their own rules on entry fees, permits, anchoring and fishing; check the current rules with a local operator before you dive.

Satellite habitat mapping places Rocky Point on a back reef slope, over a seabed mapped as rock.

How Rocky Point compares

These comparisons use only the measured values above, set against the 376 dive sites published on findadive.com. A percentage shows the share of other sites with a lower (or higher) value, so it reads the same way wherever the site is.

Rocky Point compared with all listed sites and with Thailand
MeasureThis siteCompared with all sitesMedian in Thailand
Mean water temperature29.6 °Cwarmer than 67 % of the other 375 sites29.7 °C (126 sites)
Water temperature in the coolest month28.9 °Cwarmer than 87 % of the other 375 sites28.7 °C (126 sites)
Typical current0.9 km/hweaker than 62 % of the other 375 sites0.7 km/h (126 sites)
Current in the strongest 10 % of hours1.6 km/hweaker than 65 % of the other 375 sites1.3 km/h (126 sites)
Median daily tidal range1.6 mlarger than 62 % of the other 375 sites1.6 m (126 sites)

Water temperature, current and tide from Open-Meteo Marine (CC BY 4.0), hourly model values for 2024 at 8.4773°, 97.6556°. Seabed depth from the GEBCO 2020 Grid. Protected area boundary from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Wave statistics from ERA5-Ocean via Open-Meteo Marine (contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2015–2024), daily maximum wave height on a 0.5° grid; land shelter tested against Natural Earth coastlines. Reef structure and seabed cover from the Allen Coral Atlas © 2018–2023 Allen Coral Atlas Partnership and Arizona State University (CC BY 4.0).

Marine life recorded at this site

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist within about 12 km of these coordinates.

Spotted Butterflyfish (Chaetodon guttatissimus)
Spotted Butterflyfish Chaetodon guttatissimus A pale yellow butterflyfish with a dense pattern of small dark spots on its body and a black bar through the eye.to 12 cm · 3-30 m · by daycoral-rich areas of lagoons and seaward reefsOften seen in pairs; look for them methodically picking at coral polyps on reef slopes and walls. (c) luluchouette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Orangestripe Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus)
Orangestripe Triggerfish Balistapus undulatus A medium-sized triggerfish with a dark greenish body covered in wavy orange lines, a white tail base and a distinctive orange stripe from mouth to pectoral fin.to 30 cm · 1-50 m · by daycoral-rich areas of reefs and lagoonsOften seen foraging alone; can be aggressive when guarding a nest, which is a cleared patch on the sand. (c) luluchouette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Long-spined Crown-of-Thorns (Acanthaster planci)
Long-spined Crown-of-Thorns Acanthaster planci A large starfish with many long, sharp spines, often seen feeding on coral polyps, leaving behind white feeding scars.to 80 cm diameter · 0-30 m · at nightcoral reefs, often on stony coralsLook for white patches on coral heads at night; the starfish is often found on or near them. (c) nbasargin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon decussatus)
Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish Chaetodon decussatus A butterflyfish with a silvery-white body crossed by diagonal black lines, forming a chequered pattern. It has a black band through the eye and a yellow-edged tail.to 20 cm · 1-30 m · by daycoral-rich areas of reefs and lagoonsOften seen in pairs; look for them inspecting coral heads and crevices for food. (c) CaracalShan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Tricolour Parrotfish (Scarus tricolor)
Tricolour Parrotfish Scarus tricolor A colourful parrotfish with a blue-green head, orange-yellow mid-body and pinkish rear. It scrapes algae from the reef with its beak-like teeth.to 35 cm · 1-25 m · by daycoral-rich areas of outer reefs and lagoonsListen for the sound of scraping on the reef and look for clouds of white sand, which is its waste. (c) luluchouette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides bicolor)
Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse Labroides bicolor A slender wrasse with a distinct two-tone colouration: the front half is dark blue to black, the rear half is bright yellow.to 15 cm · 1-30 m · by daycoral-rich areas of reefs, often near cleaning stationsLook for a jerky, darting swimming motion near coral heads where other fish queue to be cleaned. (c) luluchouette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Black Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster)
Black Pyramid Butterflyfish Hemitaurichthys zoster A butterflyfish with a black triangular patch covering most of its body, bordered by white on the head and tail, often seen in large groups.to 18 cm · 5-30 m · by dayouter reef slopes and channels with strong currentsLook for them feeding on plankton in the water column above the reef, often in aggregations. (c) nbasargin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse Labroides dimidiatus A small, slender wrasse with a distinctive black lateral stripe that runs from snout to tail, bordered by electric blue above. It performs cleaning services for other fish.to 14 cm · 1-40 m · by daycoral-rich areas of reef, often at established cleaning stationsLook for a queue of larger fish hovering motionless; the wrasse will be darting in and out of their gills and mouths. (c) CaracalShan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · observation