North Twin Plateau

56 North Twin Plateau

This expansive site consists of dozens of large, widely scattered granite boulders resting on a rocky plateau at 24 to 30m. This plateau is in turn surrounded by a gradually sloping sandy bottom, resulting in topography reminiscent of the western Similan Islands. Marine life is healthy and abundant, yet tends to be scattered over a fairly large area. Therefore, a good strategy is to start at the deeper edges and work inward, making an effort to cover some distance rather than linger at anyone place. You'll have a better chance of encountering the leopard and whitetip reef sharks that inhabit the reef's outer perimeter, while taking in more scenery.

Many of the deeper areas are populated with dense forests of orange fan corals, and soft corals sprout from rocky

crevices at moderate depths. Surrounded as it is by open water, this site attracts a wide range of mid-water predators, including rainbow runners, bonitos, queenfish and lots of pickhandle and great barracuda. Sandbar sharks-easily distinguished from other species by their tall dorsal fins-have reportedly been seen here.