Phi Phi Island diving
ranks among the 5 top destination in Thailand. Phi Phi Island is actually
composed of two Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh islands. Limestone
cliffs rise dramatically out of the sea and fall back down underwater,
forming the colourful soft coral walls that make Phi Phi famous.
The diving here is varied with more than 15 different dive sites
featuring caves, caverns and rugges walls.
The rich marine life includes glass fish, seahorses,
shrimp fish, black and white banded sea snakes, squid, angelfish,
black-tip reef sharks and leopard sharks.
Always
dive according to your level of training. Check with
your dive center for safety, additional information and level
required for each dive site before entering the water.
What distinguishes Phi Phi from the other Thailand destinations
are the amazing limestone cliffs that rise dramatically from
the sea and plunge underwater. The other thing is the variety
of dive sites in such a small area.
Phi Phi is one of the most picturesque islands in the world.
The main island suffered considerable land damage after the
Tsunami but luckily none of the dive sites suffered much damage.
Diving on Phi Phi is possible all year round however
the best conditions are available from February to
May when the waters are clear and warm.
Liveaboard diving is available from Phi Phi and they run all year.
The south westerly monsoon winds come end of May to October
and they cause the surface to swell. Consequetly the visibility
drops by about 25% but trips are rarely
cancelled due to bad weather. Heavy rains fall in the Andaman
sea in October as well. In November to January there are the
north westerlies that bring waves to the eastern shores. For
this reason most diving takes place on the sheltered western
side of the islands.
Some Phi Phi dive sites:
Hin Dot is located south of Phi Phi. These
submerged pinnacles are also referred to as Chimney
Rock. The pinnacles attract a lot of fish and near
the bottom you may see nurse sharks. There
are occasional currents.
Wang Long is reputed for its underwater cave
system and this site is recommended for advanced divers.
Maya Bay has been rendered famous by a series of movies.
"The Beach" was shot here and Maya Bay is just as
impressive below the surface as it is above. The gentle slopes,
clear waters and abundance of rock formations make it suitable
for divers with little experience.
Maya South which is outside the bay offers
more exciting diving for advanced divers with
30 metres (98 feet) wall dives, swim throughs and valleys made
by underwater rock formations.
Garang Heng
A small submerged reef off Phi Phi Ley's east
coast. Lots of fish can be seen here as well as soft corals,
anemones and sponges. There are chances
of seeing the leopard shark here.
The little sister of Koh Bida Nok has a different
underwater terrain. More boulders and fallen rocks here make
some interesting swimthoughs that are often hidden by large shoals of glassfish. Good bouyancy control here is essential as bearded lionfish are lurking on the bottom.
Upon closer inspection of the walls and caves
you may be lucky enough to spot a ghost pipefish
or boxer shrimp. There is a coral outcrop
called Fantasy Reef where you can spend some time and a staghorn
garden where you may come across leopard or black tip
sharks.
Koh Bida Nok is characterised by colourful
coral gardens in the shallow bay and a drop off on the other
side with hard coral. Moray eels are frequently seen here. December
to February is the time to see mantas and
whale sharks at koh Bida Nok.
Koh Bida Nai the sister island of Koh Bida
Nok has boulders and fallen rocks forming swim throughs often
hidden by glassfish. Watch out for bearded
lionfish at the bottom.
Shark Point is named after the leopard
shark frequently seen in its waters. Shark point is
an easy dive going to about 18 metres (59 feet)
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