Palm Beach Divers offers diving and snorkeling to the following dive site area's: Koh Ha, Koh Phi Phi, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang and the Kings Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point Phuket and Anemone Reef. The best diving of Thailand, you will find around Koh Lanta !

• Hin Daeng Hin Muang
• Koh Ha
• Koh Phi Phi
  • Bida Nok
  • Bida Nai
  • Fantasy Reef
  • Palong
  • Shark Point Phi Phi (Hin Bida)
  • Karen Heng
  • Phuket Shark Point
  • Anemone Reef
  • King Cruiser Wreck

The sites we have listed are the main dive destinations we visit. There are many more beautiful dive sites in this area.

If you would like any further information about different dive sites, feel free to come into the shop or send us an email.

Hin Daeng Hin Muang

- 1 hour

- 3 hours

- 70 metres

- Advanced Divers (or 20+ dives)

Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Muang (Purple Rock) are named after the beautiful red and purple soft corals you'll see once you are submerged. These two dive sites are rated as Five Star, World Class, dive sites and, with the deepest drop-off in Thailand contributing to the highest concentration of Whale Shark sightings in Thailand, it's not surprising that these two dive sites draw divers and photographers from all around the world.

Both marine life and coral formation is rich and plentiful at each of these sites. You can expect to see large Giant Moray Eels, large Leopard and Grey Reef Sharks, high numbers of reef fish and a higher concentration of bigger fish such as Tuna, Barracudas, Rainbow Runners and Travellie, but most people come to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang to swim with, and observe, the huge, yet graceful, Manta Rays. (If you are very lucky, you may see more than ten on one dive!)

The other big attraction at these sites are the Whale Sharks. The season when these huge marine creatures pass by Hin Daeng and Hin Muang is from November to May. During this time, there are occasional sightings of single and groups of these gentle giants. Just in case you aren't lucky enough to see them, there are still many other nice fish and corals to be seen. Swimming amongst a huge school of Barracuda or spotting a large Shark cruising by beneath you can be very exciting!

Because of their depth, these dive sites are more suitable for Advanced divers or divers with more than 20 dives. If you want to, you can do your Advanced Deep Dive together with your Instructor, on one of these dive sites.

Koh Ha

- 45 mins

- 2 hours

- 34 metres

- Divers of all levels

Koh Ha (which means 'Five Islands' in Thai) is rather confusingly made up of six small islands that lie due West of Koh Lanta. This charming group of islands provides several good dive sites that range in ability level from gentle beginner dives from the lagoon area to deeper, more advanced dives, through caves and caverns, to a maximum depth of 34 metres.

Most popular for its great visibility, usually over 20 metres, Koh Ha offers many tiny animals like Ghost Pipefish, little Shrimps and plenty of Nudibranches. There are also beautiful corals, Lionfish, Sea Snakes and Turtles. On island number 5 you have the famous cavern, where inside you can ascend to the surface into this huge chamber with stalactites. From here you can see the beautiful green and blue light coming in through the entrance of the cavern.

If you are lucky, you might see a Whale Shark swimming by Koh Ha. Also an excellent place to bring your snorkelling partner. There are plenty of shallow reefs for snorkelling. This is one of the best places to learn to dive or to start your diving.

Koh Phi Phi

• Bida Nok
• Bida Nai
• Fantasy Reef
• Palong
• Shark Point Phi Phi (Hin Bida)
• Karen Heng
• Phuket Shark Point
• Anemone Reef
• King Cruiser Wreck

- 50 mins

- 2 hours

- 35 metres

- Divers of all levels

Around Koh Phi Phi, there are approximately 20 dive sites. The most popular dive sites, are the Bida Islands. With their enormous red Gorgonian Sea Fans, great diversity of sea life and year-round diving, they have earned their place as one of the best dive sites in Thailand. You can find creatures from as little as a Seahorse or Nudibranch, all the way up to Hawksbill Turtles and Sharks. In the deeper parts (reaching up to 35 meters between the islands) you might get lucky and see a Whale Shark, Manta or Eagle Ray!

Bida Nok

This large pinnacle dive site would take at least three separate dives to cover the main parts of it. If you head South-West over Finger Reef, you are most likely to find the Leopard Sharks, which Koh Phi Phi is so famous for. Starting from the shallow bay area, you can swim over beautiful soft and hard corals, past avenues of red Gorgonian Sea Fans, towards the wall on the back side of Finger Reef. Here the bottom drops away to a depth of 20 metres.

Remember to look down as you pass the sand patches, you might see a Leopard Shark or Khul's Ray. One of our instructors saw seven Leopard Sharks and two Black-Tip Reef Sharks during just one dive here! In the corals you can find many small juvenile fish, Shrimps and Crabs and if you look out into the blue, look out for Tuna, Travellie and other Sharks. At the end of this dive there is a cavern at 5 metres, where the light falling inside is gorgeous.

Starting on the Deep Side of Bida Nok, you can dive along the beautiful wall, where you can find small Boxfish, Nudibranches and watch the fantastic hunting displays that the Travellie and Fusiliers put on in the blue. As you follow the reef into the shallower bay area, you can find many Lionfish and sometimes Octopus hiding amongst the rocks and corals. There's a good chance of seeing some Giant Barracuda's and some Black-Tip Reef Sharks.

Heading East out of the Bay, you can see some of Koh Phi Phi's finest corals. Many rare types of Moray Eel can be found hunting for crabs in the shallower sections of the reef. In the sand patches between the coral you can find Stingrays and often Leopard Sharks. For the diver with a keen eye, there are Scorpionfish and some Stonefish hidden amongst the rocks on the sandy bottom.

Bida Nai

Bida Nai, the smaller of the two Bida Islands, can be comfortably explored in one or two dives. Basically a pinnacle dive site, you can find many rocky outcroppings that provide some fascinating underwater topography. There are some very nice swim throughs where there's an excellent chance to show off your buoyancy skills. In can be quite an experience to swim through what looks like a wall, but is actually a dense school of glassfish.

In a small crack between the rocks you might find a Tiger-Tail Seahorse, that never strays far away from it's home. On the North side of the island, there is a huge wall that plunges down to 30 metres where there is a good chance to see Black-Tip Reef Sharks and Leopard Sharks. Lionfish and Scorpionfish can often be found swimming around the bottom or lying on the corals, waiting for their prey. Inside the huge schools of Glassfish you will be able to find nice Shrimps and other smaller creatures.

Fantasy Reef

Hidden away between Bida Nok and Bida Nai is our favourite dive site on Koh Phi Phi - Fantasy Reef. This is one of the deepest places to dive around here - you can reach a maximum depth of around 35 metres, and because of its greater depths, it remains a very pristine reef. There is a particularly good chance to find some of the larger creatures, like big schools of Giant Barracuda, Tuna, different kinds of Sharks and sometimes the Whale Shark.

Palong

Palong offers an interesting and beautiful dive no matter what depth profile you choose. With a maximum depth of around 22 metres and beautiful coral and rock formations at every depth up to 5 metres, there is something for everyone on this dive site. This is also one of the best spots in Phi Phi to find a Seahorse or a Turtle. There are many cleaning stations along this site, so you can observe the Cleaner Shrimps and Wrasse going to work on the larger fish, even exploring inside their mouths and teeth to clean.

Located on the west side of Phi Phi Ley, this dive site is best enjoyed in the early afternoon, when the light is at its best and ripples through the many small caverns and rocky swim-throughs.

Shark Point Phi Phi (or Hin Bida)

Accessible, only when there is little or no current, Shark Point Phi Phi (or Hin Bida) is a rocky pinnacle, which sticks out of the water with a small tip, at low tide. Offering exceptional diving in the right conditions, this site is home to many large schools of reef fish, Painted Lobster and, of course, Leopard Sharks. Amongst the dense soft corals you can find Scorpionfish, Lionfish, Moray Eels and many types of juvenile fish.

At its deepest point, at about 16 metres, you can see Leopard Sharks resting on the sandy bottom. There are Stingrays and sometimes a Whale Shark in season. There are often Cuttlefish to be found in the shallower regions. There's also a few Giant Triggerfish that are normally friendly, but sometimes, when they're nesting, it's best to give them a wide berth.

Karen Heng

Karen Heng is also one of our favourite dive sites. Because this dive site is only known to people who have been working in this area longer, it is a nice and quiet place to dive. Karen Heng is a completely submerged, rocky outcrop in the open ocean, which has beautiful soft and hard corals from 6 to 20 metres. The top of the pinnacle often attracts Snappers and other larger predators so you can watch a dramatic feeding display. This is also a good spot to see Leopard Sharks and Bamboo Sharks.

Towards Phuket there are 3 dive sites we sometimes visit:

Phuket Shark Point

This dive location has one large point protruding from the water, but under water there are actually two different rock formations with very nice pink and lilac soft corals thriving on them. As the name implies, Leopard Sharks can often be seen around here. You have a good chance to see free swimming Moray Eels and plenty of Lionfish. The very shallowest sections of the reef provide an

excellent vantage point to watch the many fish hiding away from the current. As this dive site is quite exposed, we prefer to plan this trip when there is little or no current.

Anemone Reef

As you would expect from its name, Anemone Reef is home to hundreds upon hundreds of anemones, and their many resident anemone fish. The scenery and underwater rock formations are beautiful, and the diversity of both soft and hard corals is breathtaking. Everything on this reef is very densely packed. It is a haven for underwater Photographers. There is a good chance of seeing Leopard Sharks, Moray Eels, Travellies, Barracuda, Batfish and Scorpionfish!

King Cruiser Wreck

On the 4th of May 1997, the passenger ferry "King Cruiser" sank after hitting Anemone Reef on its journey between Phi Phi and Phuket. The Wreck now lies at 30 metres, about 1 km from Anemone Reef. It is a nice wreck to dive on, even though there has been some damage in the strong currents and storms during the monsoon season.

This dive site is only suitable for Advanced Open Water divers, or Open Water divers with 20 or more dives. It is possible to complete your Wreck Adventure Dive as part of your Advanced Course on this dive site, as long as you have already completed your Deep Dive. The fish life is amazing around the Wreck. You will find many Scorpionfish, Lionfish and Stonefish camouflaging themselves all over the encrusted parts of the ship.

Moray Eels hide in the rusty pipes and many big schools of Jacks and Batfish seek shelter in the large car deck. You can swim into the Captain's cabin and even view the old bathrooms.

If you're really interested in Wrecks, there's also the Wreck of an old Japanese War Ship from WW2, at Koh Kradan: an island in the Koh Lanta National Marine Park.