Phi Phi Islands Diving

Bida Nok

"Outer Father" is a small limestone cliff islet, 2 kilometres south of Phi Phi Leh. It is Phi Phi Islands' best dive site, due to its great diversity of marine life and is often visited on Thailand liveaboard cruises.

South West of the islet, just outside a large sheltered bay is where the most beautiful coral and rock formations can be found. It's also the best area for seeing banded sea snakes and hawksbill turtles. The cliffs descend straight into the sea and are covered with soft corals and anemones of purple, green, blue and pink. This creates magical, colourful wall diving. Look closely into the crevices and zigzag clams for all types of moray eels, the most common being the white-eyed moray.

Caverns and overhangs are plenty, with a beautifully diverse finger reef replete with gorgonian sea fans, sea whips, giant brain corals, table corals and bubble coral. Bida Nok is home to lionfish, bearded scorpionfish, bird wrasse and moon wrasse, moorish idols, parrotfish and honeycomb grouper.

Leopard sharks are common here as are black tip reef sharks and, although not regular visitors, whale sharks and mantas are seen here by some lucky divers every year.

Although you probably will not want your dive to end here, as you surface above the water the islet rock formations will take your breath away. As you wait for the boat to pick you up you can watch the sea eagles soaring overhead.

Bida Nok Reef Basics: Finger reef and wall diving
Depth: 5 - 32m
Visibility: 10 - 20m
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Can be choppy
Water temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - intermediate
Number of dive sites: 3
Diving season: All year round
Distance: ~45 km east of Phuket (3 hours), 30 km southwest of Krabi (2½ hours)
Access: Scuba day trips and liveaboards

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