Diving Phi Phi
Diving is one of the prime activities in Phi Phi and the island counts a large number of serious and professional PADI dive centres dispensing courses – from Disvover Scuba Diving to Divemaster – and day trips to the many world-class dive sites available in and around Phi Phi waters.
Amongst the most notable dive sites of the area, Shark Point, Anemone Reef and the King Cruiser Wreck are located to the west between Phi Phi Islands and Phuket; Maya Bay, Koh Bida Nok & Nai are located on and near Koh Phi Phi Leh; all of them can be reached in less than 40 minutes from Koh Phi Phi Don, and offer superb underwater fauna and flora.
A small submerged reef just east of Phi Phi Ley and a excellent backup to Shark point so if you are unlucky there, Garang Heng has a healthy reef with anemones, soft corals and of course, sharks.
Four pinnacles starting just below sea level and dropping down to around 30 metres characterise Hin Dot (Chimney Rocks) on Phi Phi Don's southern headlands. Often quite dark due to the volume of fish life above you, but some interesting marine life under the rocks near the bottom where several nurse sharks have been discovered. These enormous towers are famous for their large schools of fish. Other fish populations include groupers, pufferfish, lionfish, squid and bearded scorpionfish.
Hin Pae is a relatively shallow dive site - 10 to 15 metres deep. Its shallow depth offers excellent snorkeling. Hin Pae is sometimes called Baby Shark Point, because even snorkellers have the opportunity to see different types of sharks. The main topography includes boulder and brain corals, with many holes and tunnels for moray eels to pass through. Soft and hard coral provide shelter for a rich variety of coral fish. Crabs, lobsters, angelfish, groupers, snappers and surgeonfish are also residents of this area.
Built in Japan 30 years ago, King Cruiser was a comfortable catamaran-hull passenger-cruiser with 4 decks until she sank on the 4th May 1997 in near perfect weather conditions. An easy dive, King Cruiser has large openings that allow easy access to the spacious interior.
One dive site not to be missed, Ko Bida Nok, has outstanding hard and soft coral with lots of marine life. Sightings include leopard sharks, turtles, moray eels & ghost pipe fish, plus there is always a chance of the unexpected whale sharks and manta rays. As one side of the island is very shallow and the other drops off to 30 metres, this site is suitable for all levels of diver.
Although the sister island to Bida Nok just a few hundred metres away, this island is very different under water. Large fallen rocks have created several swim-through and submerged islands, building an ideal habitat for marine life, and providing a fascinating dive.
Yes Shark Point (Hin Bida) does live up to it's name, well 95% of the time. This rock which justs breaks the surface, attracts a lot of Leopard sharks and often Nurse & Reef sharks as well. A small, submerged outcrop some 8 kilometres southeast of Phi Phi Ley, it's a favoured spot for whale sharks around February / March.
