Palong Wall Phi Phi dive site

Palong Wall is a popular Phi Phi dive site because there is a very good chance that you’ll see black tip reef sharks there.

You also have the chance to see Leopard sharks and Hawksbill turtles. Stingrays are found in the sand. Plus lots of other stuff like groupers, snapper, fusiliers, lionfish, scorpionfish, bannerfish, angelfish, sweetlips. We could go on.

Palong wall is located on along the north west side of Phi Phi Ley island just outside Maya bay (to the left as you look into Maya bay). The vertical cliff face is a stunning place to start and finish a dive. Underwater the reef is made up of boulders and hard coral with barrel sponges and gorgonian seafans adding some colour. In a couple of places the boulders have formed swim throughs.

It’s generally an easy dive with a maximum depth at around 20 metres but the sharks are seen in the shallows above 10 metres, actually snorkelers often see more sharks than divers. Patience is required because the sharks like to keep a distance from divers, swimming after them is pointless.

Visibility at Palong Wall is lower than at Bida Nai and Bida Nok, the nutrient rich water can be rather green.

The black tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) is beautiful requiem shark that is generally considered harmless to swimmers and divers. They are not at all aggressive, actually they are quite shy. Large adult sharks at Palong Wall are about 2 metres long with fat bodies, white bellies and a black tip on the dorsal and caudal fins. Often you will see families swimming together, the juveniles are about a metre or shorter.