Sharks, Sharks, and Sharks! Awesome spot to swim with Blacktip Reef Sharks, beat the crowds by going in the morning, and hire a longtail boat for an hour to take you to and from the snorkel spot.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Video
Snorkel Snaps
Snorkel Review
Highlights
Small patches of Coral
1-2 Meters Average Depth
Good Visibility
Easy to Medium Difficulty
Cafe’s near beach
Longtail Boats cost approx $15 USD
Sea Urchins Present
Jellyfish unlikely
When:
Who:
Tour Cost:
Star Rating:
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On my final morning at the Phi Phi Islands, I had a ferry leaving at 11:30 am to Koh Lanta, but I didn’t want to miss out snorkeling Shark Point, so I had an early start (7:00 am) and walked across to Shark Point at the South-East of Koh Phi Phi Don. The walk is a bit up and down and does involve a questionable roped section you have to climb down to the long beach. It took me a good 45 minutes to get to Long Beach which is where Shark Point is located.
If you see the dive center, that’s where the longtail boats are docked off the beach. The actual snorkel spot is about 50 meters off the beach to the left of the rock formation.
On the beach there were a few longtail boats, however, at that time, there weren’t many locals to take you out. I asked a few people and managed to find a local for who I negotiated ฿500 Baht ($15 dollars) for 1 hour of snorkeling at Shark Point. It only took 5 minutes to make our way out to Shark Point and anchor, but I still think it’s worth it to hire a longtail boat for safety and also to have a place to store your bag and valuables.
Some people say it is possible to swim out to shark point, but as an ex-competitive swimmer, I would not recommend this, I think it would be too dangerous to swim out from the beach due to the strong currents and changing conditions. One of the benefits was the local took me to the exact spot to see the Blacktip and to be fair to him I did see 3x sharks in that spot.
Shark Point is home to Blacktip Reef Shark’s which are ranked by ICUN as Vulnerable and very important to the marine ecosystem. Not all snorkel spots at the Phi Phi Islands are home to Blacktips Reef Shark’s, which is why this is a great spot. Although there wasn’t much more to see at Shark Point, aside from small patches of coral.
I then got back onto the boat, and as soon as I did another boat turned up with tourists, so I timed it well. I then headed back for the 45-minute walk, where you do get some stunning viewpoints of the island and beaches. You can opt to pay for a sea taxi to take you back to the pier.
Overall in my opinion, if you want to see Blacktip Reef Sharks, get to Shark Point early in the morning to beat the crowds. I did have to wait a good 20 minutes before the sharks arrived, so be patient. Shark Point is one of the few snorkel spots on the main Phi Phi island (Koh Phi Phi Don), so if you hire a longtail boat or go on a tour, it can run either south to the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh to Maya Bay, or Pileh Lagoon, or North to Bamboo island.
Top Tip:
Go to Shark Point early, 8:00 am to beat the crowds and tours that can scare the sharks off. If you walk, it takes 45 minutes from the main pier of the island and isn’t the easiest walk along the coast.
Before seeing the sharks, I snorkeled around the area for a good 15 minutes, seeing small spots of coral and Moorish Idols, Blue Sea Star. I then spotted a large Barracuda swimming in the distance checking me out, it was big, but wallowed with its distinctive black stripes running down its body, then within a flash, it was gone into the blue.
Marine Life
And then, I had my first glimpse of a big Blacktip Reef Shark as it cruised away from me, I was surprised at how large the sharks were, ranging from 1-1.5 meters swimming along the bottom of the sea bed. In shallow waters, this big shark did make me feel like I was in its waters… all alone.
The water was shallow 1.5 meters, and the visibility was ok, good for 4 meters, then a bit cloudy due to the wave/current. I then started to see another two smaller sharks swimming around this area. They didn’t get too close but can be curious and check you out, although generally stay a good 5 meters away from you. Smaller juvenile sharks were swimming along the rocks, which were much more timid.
Safety Tip:
Flippers will be required as the currents are very strong at shark point, pushing you towards the rocks that lie off the shore. I’d recommend hiring a longtail boat for 1-1.5 hours which costs ฿500 Baht ($15 Dollars), the snorkel spot is about 50 meters off the coast but the currents are strong. Finally, if the currents or waves pick up, make your way to the boat.
And then I had quite the fright! As I did a 360 turn I turned around to see a very curious Blacktip slowly creeping up on me swimming directly at me, I stayed calm and still maintained eye contact and it came within 2 meters of me, swimming much higher in the water than normal, and then away it turned to the right and swam by. Pretty cool experience, the shark had some coral/seaweed caught in its jaw as it cruised by.
I think this is rare due to me being the only snorkeler in the water. It is very rare for Blacktip Reef Sharks to attack unless they are threatened. The only threat I was posing was a dodgy stomach after that encounter! The shark was about 1.5 meters in length and had some coral/seaweed tangled in its mouth which I suspect was from a hunt that night. The visibility dropped slightly, the sharks only came within 4-5 meters after that encounter.
I then got back onto the boat, and as soon as I did another boat turned up with tourists, so I timed it well. I then headed back for the 45-minute walk, where you do get some stunning viewpoints of the island and beaches. You can opt to pay for a sea taxi to take you back to the pier.
Overall in my opinion, if you want to see Blacktip Reef Sharks, get to Shark Point early in the morning to beat the crowds. I did have to wait a good 20 minutes before the sharks arrived, so be patient. Shark Point is one of the few snorkel spots on the main Phi Phi island, so if you hire a longtail boat or go on a tour, it can run either south to the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh to Maya Bay, or Pileh Lagoon, or North to Bamboo island.
Tour Guide Options
Some tours that run from Phi Phi Don’s main island which are pretty cost-effective, you can hire private long boats on the main beach to take you out to the islands and you can decide where you go and negotiate the price, we paid approx $45.00 for 2 people, 3-4hrs. If you are staying in Krabi or Phuket there are Fast boat day trips to the Phi Phi islands to Pileh Lagoon / Bay, as well as Maya Bay just around the corner and Shark Point on Phi Phi Don.
Best Snorkel Spot
If you’re looking from the beach, the best spot is about 50 meters from shore and 5 meters to the left of the rock formation. Do not get too close to the rocks as there is a strong current pushing you into the rocks, flippers are required.
Best Time Of Year
The best time of year to snorkel in Thailand is it’s dry season which runs from October to April.
Popular Marine Life
Blacktip Reef Shark
Parrotfish
Moorish Idol
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Common Comet star
Blue Sea Star
Rare Marine Life
Barracuda
Pufferfish
Butterflyfish
Coral
Boulder Coral
Acroporidae Stoney Coral
Lettuce Coral
Table Coral
Staghorn Branch Coral
What I Saw
(Seen on March, 2023)
| Blacktip Reef Shark | Singular Bannerfish |
| Moorish Idol | Blue Sea Star |
| Needlefish | Bluetail Mullet |
| Honeycomb Grouper | Checkered Snapper |
| Sergeant Major Damselfish | Blackedge Thicklip Wrasse |
| Chinese Demoiselle | Variegated Lizardfish |
| Eastern Triangle Butterfly Fish | Slender Suckerfish |
| Smallspotted Dart Fish | Quoy’s Parrot Fish |
| Redlip Parrotfish | Spineytooth Parrotfish |
| Blackspotted Pufferfish | Whitespotted Rabbitfish |
| Giant Clam | Common Comet Starfish |
| Blue Sea Star | Dusky Rabbitfish |
| Double Spined Sea Urchin | Black Sea Urchin |
| Table Coral | Brain Coral |
| Lettuce Coral | Staghorn Branch Coral |
| Boulder Coral | Honeycomb Coral |
Phi Phi Islands Snorkel Reviews
Where is the Phi Phi Islands?
The Phi Phi Islands are located in the Adaman sea, in the South of Thailand. The Phi Phi Islands are made up of six islands, Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest and most developed island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shark Point is accessible by either the walkway around the side of the island which takes 45 minutes from Konsai Beach, or by a Longtail boat sea taxi taking 10 minutes.
I paid 500 Thai Baht for a longtail boat to take me out to Shark Point from Long Beach and stay for one hour. It was only a five-minute boat ride out from long beach to Shark Point, about 100 meters from the beach. This was for one hour of snorkeling at Shark Point (08:00 am-9:00 am), which was about the right amount of time. In my opinion, it is too far to swim, there are strong currents, somewhere to store my valuables while I snorkeled, and I wanted local knowledge of the best spot to see the Blacktip sharks.
The best time to snorkel at Shark Point is Thailand’s dry season, which is between October and May. The morning is probably the best time to see the Blacktip Reef Sharks, as there are usually fewer tourist boats and tourists snorkeling.
