Phi Phi Dive Spots

The Dive Sites in Koh Phi Phi and Their Special Features

The Phi Phi dive spots are very diverse. The Phi Phi archipelago consists of four islands. Phi Phi Don is the main island and the only inhabited one. This is where you’ll find accommodations, restaurants, shops, bars, a hospital, authorities, and all other infrastructure of a holiday destination.
The islands are made up of uniquely beautiful limestone formations with massive steep cliffs and stunning sandy beaches in between. The landscape is overwhelmingly beautiful.
A morning hike to the viewpoint on the main island, Phi Phi Don, offers a wonderful view over the two largest bays of the island — the narrow land bridge where island life takes place — and a spectacular sunrise, during which the cliff face opposite the viewpoint transforms from monochrome grey into an explosion of vibrant colors.
An excursion not suitable for “swamp chickens,” but for nature lovers and early risers it is a spectacular experience. And the dive sites in Koh Phi Phi make a multi-day liveaboard trip there a very special adventure.

Dive Spots Phi Phi – Bida Nok and Bida Nai

Two beautiful dive sites in Koh Phi Phi are the uninhabited limestone islets Bida Nai and Bida Nok. They are the southernmost islands of the Phi Phi archipelago. Rising vertically 50 meters above sea level, they sit close together and are almost connected underwater by a bridge of house-sized boulders. Some of these boulders reach up to just four or five meters below the surface.
Both islands feature steep walls as well as coral slopes and shallow areas. They offer a wonderful variety of hard and soft corals, gorgonians, huge barrel sponges, schools of yellow and white snappers, mollusks, large groupers, rays, and sharks. With a bit of luck, you may even encounter whale sharks there.

Dive Spots Phi Phi – The Wreck

A truly exceptional dive among the Phi Phi dive sites is the wreck located in front of the Swallow Nest Cave. It is a former navy freighter that was intentionally sunk by the Thai Navy a few years ago specifically for divers, at a depth of just under 30 meters.
The wreck sits upright on the sandy bottom and is about 45 meters long. With multiple decks and the bridge, it offers several levels that are all easy to explore. Since the wreck is the only structure on an otherwise flat sandy seabed, all marine life gathers around it.
Often, while descending along the guide rope, you won’t see the wreck until you’ve worked your way through the dense schools of fish. In addition to the ever-present snappers, you’ll find an incredible number of porcupine fish, which usually appear alone or in pairs. Large bigeye trevallies arrive by the dozen to hunt around the wreck, and some of the lionfish grow to the size of small groupers!
An absolute highlight among the Phi Phi dive spots.

Dive Spots Phi Phi – The Three Pinnacles

The liveaboard trip also offers a few interesting and partly rarely dived places in Koh Phi Phi, such as the Three Pinnacles. These are three vertical rock towers located right at the entrance of Tonsai Bay. They rise from almost 30 meters depth to just five meters below the surface, covered in beautiful soft corals.
The Three Pinnacles are a paradise for nudibranchs. You encounter densely packed snapper schools, all sizes and species of scorpionfish, and the very rare flame anemonefish. And all of this only five minutes by boat from the beach.

Another dive site in Koh Phi Phi is the southwestern outer wall of Phi Phi Don. A vertical wall rises 80 meters above the surface, then continues downward to 20 meters below sea level. With house-sized boulders in front, a massive cave, and overhangs, the underwater landscape is very diverse.
The steep wall and the boulders are covered with soft corals in all color shades. Everywhere you find crabs, shrimps, nudibranchs, and schools of fish.

Other Phi Phi dive sites can be found on the west side of Phi Phi Leh. They offer steep walls with overhangs and caves, as well as shallow sandy areas with large coral blocks and rock formations. Reef sharks and larger rays are often encountered there, along with the usual schools of fish, nudibranchs, and crustaceans.
The Phi Phi dive sites provide plenty of variety and often surprising encounters with marine life you wouldn’t expect.