This reef shark is found in the turquoise waters of the island of Koh Phi Phi and easily recognizable thanks to the presence of black tip on the dorsal and caudal fins. Living in small groups, these hunters feed mainly on small fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Blacktips have made many of Phi Phi’s dive sites home giving visitors the privilege to see them up close and personal in their natural habitat.

Listed on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) red list, you may be surprised to meet this shark around serveral Phi Phi dive sites. A nocturnal predator, this beautiful shark spends most of its day lying on the sand often accompanied by remora. Up to 3m long, it is easily recognizable thanks to the multiple black/brown spots that cover its body, but also its caudal fin that can reach the length of the body.

Yellow seahorses are small in size reaching a max length of 30cm. They are known to form monogamous pairs and during their courtship they change colors and entwine their tails in an aquatic dance. When they mate, the female deposits her eggs into the brooding pouch of the male. Male incubation is a practice known in only one other species, the sea dragon, a close relative of the seahorse.

Turtles have inhabited our oceans for more than 150 million years, true dinosaurs of the seas you will have the opportunity to meet two species in Koh Phi Phi: the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle. Revered around the world as symbols of longevity, wisdom and protection, sea turtles will amaze you.

Often called the pokémons by divers, come in search of these small marine slugs. Playing a major role for marine ecology, these small animals maintain the ocean garden and limit the proliferation of stinging organisms. You will also be amazed to see all the colors and shapes they can adopt, so can you find them?

Imagine a gentle giant gliding through the ocean depths. That’s the whale shark, the undisputed heavy weight champion of the fish world reaching lengths of 18m and weighing in at 18 tons. Swimming near the surface, its mouth is wide open like an enormous net scooping up whatever happens to be around; mostly small fish, fish eggs, plants, and plankton. Whale sharks are majestic creatures that play an important role in the ocean ecosystem making them a favorite among divers and marine enthusiasts.

The guitar ray, also known as the shovelnose ray, has a fascinating mix of shark and ray features. Imagine a shark with a ray’s head and flattened body like a ray, but its tail fin is muscular and powerful resembling a shark’s tail. They use their mouths located on the underside of their body to suck up food from the seabed. So look for them on the sandy bottom of Phi Phi’s dive sites, partially buried, waiting to ambush their prey!

Bamboo sharks are captivating creatures with a docile temperament and unique adaptations. Compact in size, reaching about 1m in length, this makes them well suited to navigate the coral reefs and tight space. So look to spot them using their pectoral fins to crawl across the sandy bottoms or hidden in the nooks and crannies Phi Phi’s coral reefs.