Legitour·Koh Samui All tours
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Dolphins + 3 Islands

Pink dolphins off Khanom + Koh Tan + Pig Island. Mon/Wed/Fri only.

Pink dolphins surfacing near Khanom mainland

There are pink dolphins in the Gulf of Thailand. They live off the Khanom coast on the mainland, about an hour's boat from Koh Samui, and the resident pod numbers around forty. The Dolphins + 3 Islands tour is the only tour from Samui that goes there — three days a week, on the power catamaran that runs Tan + Pig the other days, and the dolphin sighting is guaranteed.

The dolphin watching is the headline, but the day delivers more than that. Khanom itself is a quiet stretch of mainland coast — limestone cliffs, mangroves, fishing villages — that almost no Samui-based traveller sees, because the only way to get there from Samui involves a ferry to Don Sak and a 45-minute drive. This boat takes you there directly.

The pink dolphins are technically Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. They live their whole lives in shallow estuary water, eat the fish that come into the brackish zones at high tide, and turn pink as they age. The pod has been monitored for over a decade and the operator we use works with the local conservation programme — they don't chase the dolphins, don't swim with them, and don't feed them.

After Khanom, the boat crosses back to Koh Tan for snorkelling. This is the real swim of the day — calmer water, cleaner reef, an hour or so to get in the water and play. The slider and paddle board come out here.

The final stop is the obligatory Pig Island photo session. By this point in the day it's quick — 30 minutes, a few photos, a swim, and home. You're back at Bang Kao around 4pm and at your hotel by 5.

Three days a week only — Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday version of this boat runs the Tan+Pig half-day instead. Book 48 hours ahead.

Price
฿2,300 / adult · ฿1,900 / kid (4–10)
Duration
Full day, ~7 hours
Departs
Bang Kao pier, 09:30
Returns
Bang Kao pier, ~16:00
Capacity
Joint power catamaran (up to 30 guests)
Captain / operator
Joint operator with Legitour-vetted crew

What's included, what's not

Included

  • Hotel pickup, round-trip transfer
  • Light breakfast on board
  • Buffet lunch at Khanom
  • Drinking water, soft drinks
  • Snorkel set, life jacket
  • Slider, paddle board, kayak
  • National park fee
  • Crew (English / Thai), insurance

Not included

  • Madsum (Pig Island) landing fee — ฿50 / adult
  • Premium drinks

Sample itinerary

08:30Hotel pickup.
09:30Depart Bang Kao on the power catamaran.
10:30Cross to Khanom (mainland Thailand) — pink dolphin watching, 100% sighting guarantee.
11:30Sightseeing along the Khanom coast, snorkel stop.
13:00Lunch on the boat or at a Khanom beach spot.
14:00Cross to Koh Tan for snorkel + paddle board.
15:00Quick stop at Koh Madsum (Pig Island) for photos.
16:00Return to Bang Kao, hotel transfer.

Pay on the day · cash or transfer · no card or deposit required

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Questions guests ask

Why is the dolphin sighting guaranteed?

The Khanom coast (mainland Thai, an hour's boat from Samui) has a resident pod of about 40 pink dolphins. They feed in the shallow estuary water year-round. The boat operators know the feeding times. We've never had a guest see no dolphins on this route — but if it ever happens, the operator gives a free repeat trip.

How close do you get to the dolphins?

Close enough to photograph clearly with a phone — typically 20–50m. The boat doesn't chase them or swim with them (it's protected behaviour) but they often surface near the boat naturally.

How does this compare to the regular Pig Island half-day?

It's a full day vs half-day, includes Khanom and the dolphins (which the half-day doesn't), and runs only Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. ฿2,300 vs ฿1,200 for the Tan+Pig speedboat.

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