Japanese Garden
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Japanese Gardens, also known as Aow Song, is a shallow reef site sitting in the shadow of Koh Nang Yuan island off Koh Tao, in the Gulf of Thailand. The reef runs from 5 to 12 metres depth, with a maximum of around 11 metres, and is carpeted with both soft and hard corals rising close to the surface.
The site is well suited to beginners and Open Water students, as the conditions are sheltered and consistently calm with light current and good visibility year-round. Its protected position keeps it diveable across the main seasons, broadly March through October, with July to August among the more active months.
Marine life at Japanese Gardens includes clownfish, turtles, yellow boxfish, pufferfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, damselfish, parrotfish, and whip rays, alongside soft and hard corals and Christmas tree worms. Sea snakes are also present. Titan triggerfish are a known hazard at this site and should be given space, particularly around their nests.
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The site is reached by boat and is accessible to anyone from beginner level upward, making it a regular stop for Discover Scuba and Open Water courses as well as snorkellers, with soft and hard corals visible directly beneath the surface.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
ButterflyfishButterflyfishReported here · unconfirmed
Hong Kong ButterflyfishChaetodon wiebeliReported here · unconfirmed
Redbreast Maori WrasseCheilinus fasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
Blue-barred ParrotfishScarus ghobbanReported here · unconfirmed
Doublebar RabbitfishSiganus virgatusReported here · unconfirmed
Pink Skunk AnemonefishAmphiprion perideraionReported here · unconfirmed
Slingjaw WrasseEpibulus insidiatorReported here · unconfirmed
Titan TriggerfishBalistoides viridescensReported here · unconfirmed
Blackeye ThicklipHemigymnus melapterusReported here · unconfirmed
Moon WrasseThalassoma lunareReported here · unconfirmed
Scissortail SergeantAbudefduf sexfasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
TriggerfishTriggerfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
BannerfishBannerfishReported here · unconfirmed
BatfishBatfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
LionfishLionfishReported here · unconfirmed
Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
UnicornfishUnicornfishReported here · unconfirmed
ClownfishClownfishConfirmed present · 7 independent sources
AngelfishAngelfishConfirmed present · 7 independent sources
FusilierFusilierConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Napoleon (humphead) wrasseNapoleon (humphead) wrasseReported here · unconfirmed
WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
PufferfishPufferfishConfirmed present · 5 independent sources
DamselfishDamselfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
ParrotfishParrotfishConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
Mourning DoridJorunna funebrisObserved near here · iNaturalist
Surf ParrotfishScarus rivulatusObserved near here · iNaturalist
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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