Located between 1 ½ to 2 hours from the Cambodian mainland, Koh Kong is a small uninhabited island with two little beaches on its east side. The remainder of the island is rocky, as are the reefs that surround it. While it is feasible to dive around the entire island, the best diving to be had is along its western and southern shores. While visibility normally averages about 10 meters here, it can sometimes be lower, though occasionally it reaches about 25 meters. An excellent place to dive day or night, Koh Kong is surrounded by tranquil waters, making its sites suitable even for newer divers. Let’s take a look at all the island has to offer.
Koh Kong West
You can do this as a shore dive or your dive boat may drop you into the water. All along the water’s edge, a line of splendid rocks shelter a wealth of crustaceans, including lots of little crabs. Be careful as you explore the rocky portion of the site – don’t touch anything as there are stinging sea urchins that can leave you in pain for days. As you move away from the shallows, you will enter a lovely coral garden, where beautiful hard and soft coral shelters an abundance of small reef fish and a few larger ones – look for triggerfish, angelfish, butterfly fish, and parrotfish, along with boxfish and the occasional porcupine fish. Toward the southern end of the dive site, you’ll find an area where anemones wave to greet you, and where massive schools of yellow goatfish create a curtain of life suspended in the beautiful blue water. As you make your way to maximum depth, which is just twelve meters, you might encounter sea bass, along with some large yellowtail snappers and quite a few sweetlips. Watch for parrotfish around the site; particularly around the corals. You might hear them crunching at the reef as they enjoy lunch.
Koh Kong South
A lovely coral reef starting in the shallows, then dropping away to meet the sandy sea bed at a depth of between 9 and 14 meters, Koh Kong South is at its best after the sun goes down, when the hard and soft coral blooms to feed, and when crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans put on a show. Watch for octopus and squid here, and keep an eye out for some of the many intriguing nudibranchs that inhabit these waters. Along the sandy bottom, keep an eye out for stingrays, including the electric blue spotted variety. Watch for bamboo sharks, curious little cat sharks, and some large moray eels, as well. During night dives, you may also encounter parrotfish sleeping in the protective cocoons they construct for themselves each evening, and during the day, these same fish mingle with many other colorful tropical varieties.
Cambodia is still developing as a country, now that it has managed to free itself from thirty years of unrest and upheaval. You can find a variety of accommodations, some extremely inexpensive, plus all kinds of wonderful cuisine, both local and continental, when you visit. By diving in Cambodia and patronizing local businesses, you add to the economy, which is rebuilding itself mostly by tourism alone. This tropical nation still has a chance to save its marine life from exploitation – when you visit, you can be sure you are helping to further that cause. The best time to dive is between October and June, although trips are available year round. Remember your camera, and don’t forget to see some of the amazing topside attractions that await in this little slice of paradise.