Snorkeling with clownfish at Koh Adang, Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe Locations South East Asia Thailand

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Summary

By Luke

Summary

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

By Luke

Great spot for a 30 minute snorkel and relax on Lam Son beach near Koh Adang pier. Plenty of healthy coral, Clownfish, and Parrotfish.

Pros

  • Very healthy coral reef
  • Quiet snorkel spot
  • Fantastic day when combined with the viewpoint hike

Cons

  • Visibility can change quickly
  • Nothing big
  • Wave can pick up and shallow reef
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Snorkel Video

Snorkeling Koh Adang, Koh Lipe
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Favourite Snorkel Snaps

Clownfish and Giant Clam
Clownfish and Giant Clam
School Of Parrot Fish
School of Parrotfish stopping to feed on the coral reef
Clam Clownfish Koh Adang
Clownfish hiding in the Anemone
Blue Sea Star, Koh Adang, Thailand
Blue Sea Star, Koh Adang
Boulder Coral
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Boulder Coral
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Snorkel Review

Highlights

Coral Reef Icon

Coral

Thermometer Icon

1-2 Meters Average Depth

Australian Mado Icon

OK to Good Visibility

Snorkeling Partner Icon

Medium Difficulty

Food Drink Icon

No Cafe’s on the island

Econonic Financial Icon

Free to snorkel

Sea Urchin Icon

Sea Urchins Present

Jellyfish Icon

Jellyfish unlikely

When:

Who:

Tour Cost:

Star Rating:

Cost:

March, 2023

Luke

฿200 Thai Baht ($5 US Dollars) Return boat to island

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Koh Adang is a much larger island that neighbours Koh Lipe to the North and can be seen from Sunrise Beach. When staying in a hostel on Koh Lipe I met two German friends and they mentioned that you can get a boat to Koh Adang and hike to a viewpoint that looks over Koh Lipe. We decided we’d leave one morning and hike to the viewpoint, then I’d snorkel off of the sandy Lam Son beach on the South easterly side of the island.

Lam Son Beach, Koh Adang
Lam Son Beach, Koh Adang
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Koh Adang Snorkel Spot

Lam Son Beach is located on the Eastern side of the island, on the right-hand side of the map below. If you get a Longtail boat across from Sunrise Beach on Koh Lipe, it is a short 5-10 minute walk from the floating pier at the South of the island on the map below.

We set off at 10:30 am, the Sunrise Beach was a short walk from the hostel we were staying at, which was just off ‘Walking Street’. We reached a hut that was offering taxi transfers, which was opposite the small island off the beach of Koh Kra. We hired a longtail boat to take the three of us across to Koh Adang, which is a 10-15 minute boat journey. It cost ฿100 Thai Baht one way or ฿200 Thai Baht return, but you pay each driver ฿100 Baht on each journey.

Snorkel Spot

Lam Son Beach, Koh Adang
Sandy beach on the South East Coast
Snorkeling Koh Adang
Looking back at the beach

We arrived to the floating pier of Koh Adang and the backdrop was spectacular, it felt like we’d washed up at a deserted island, there were few people on the island. As we walked onto the island it was surprisingly tidy with an open walkway through the trees.

There were toilets, showers, and many tents within the trees where tourists were camping. There weren’t very good directions to the start of the hike, so we asked some people. It was a straight walk to the hike start point which started just past the toilet/shower block. We did the hike which you can read about in the post below:

Koh Lipe Viewpoint
Koh Lipe from Koh Adang Viewpoint

Check out post below:

Once we returned from the hike to the starting point we made our way to the beach on the Eastern side of the island, which you can see through the trees from the hike starting point. The beach was very quiet with few tourists, there is a roped-out square for snorkeling which is at the end of the sandy beach. There was a little wave coming into the shore, but not too major at the start.

However this isn’t a sheltered bay, so the wave and current can pick up. Initially, the visibility was awful within the roped section, very cloudy and I couldn’t see much at all. I got out and then went to the right of the roped snorkel section which had much better visibility, here I saw small coral patches, grazing schools of fish, and a Clark’s Anemonefish, which would be territorial and swim out right to my face.

Clark's Anemonefish
Clark’s Anemonefish

A snorkel trip turned up with about 10x people with life jackets. They went out to the roped section where the waves had calmed down. I followed the out, as I assumed they’d be experienced snorkeling here and would know the best spots. The visibility improved and the coral reef was spectacular, incredibly healthy, and colourful. The coral was mainly made up of Boulder coral, with Acroporidae, Brain coral, and Branch coral.

Boulder Coral
Boulder Coral Reef filled the sea bed
Boulder Coral
Boulder Coral (Porites Lutea)
Coral Reef, Koh Adang
Coral Reef, Koh Adang

A dive boat arrived, but they were further out and didn’t enter the coral reef, it was quite shallow, 1 meter from you and the coral. I spotted a family of Ocellaris clownfish in between drifting Anemones, buried within the coral reef next to a Giant Clam.

Oscellaris Clownfish Koh Adang 3
Clownfish and Giant Clam
Common Clownfish
Common Clownfish

Top Tip:

A school of Parrotfish swam across the reef, feeding on algae on the rock and coral, leaving a sandy dust trail behind them. I followed them, they were pretty quick but I could keep with them as they kept stopping to feed. If you have your ears underwater you can hear the bites of the parrotfish which is cool!

School Of Parrot Fish
School of Parrotfish stopping to feed on the coral reef
School of Parrotfish
School of Parrotfish
Parrotfish Feeding on the Coral Reef
Parrotfish Feeding on the Coral Reef

Safety Tip:

There were showers a short walk from the beach which were good to shower down after a snorkel. Be mindful of your step as I saw a Hermit Crab crawling along the dusty forest floor. We then returned to the pier and there was a longtail boat waiting there, they leave every hour but I would double-check the return times with the people you book with.

There is a large area of land before your get to the beach where there are many tall trees. This area is designated for camping, you’ll also find a toilet and shower block.

Camping Forest
Camping spot before the beach

I saw this Giant Hermit Crab outside the shower block crawling along the ground. It was as surprised as I was!

Hermit Crab
Giant Hermit Crab

Tour Guide Options

There are tour guide options to Koh Adang, I did see a tour of 10x people snorkeling while I was at Koh Adang Beach. However, it costs ฿200 Thai Baht to get a return long tail boat from Sunrise Beach and you can snorkel off of the beach for free.

Best Snorkel Spot

The best snorkel spot was on the middle/right-hand side of the snorkel square if you are looking out from the beach. Probably 5 meters in from the rope as seen on the in the image below. This is where I saw the Giant Clam, Clownfish, Brain coral, and school of Parrotfish.

Lam Son Beach, Koh Adang
Lam Son Beach, Koh Adang

Best Time Of Year

If you are visiting, Thailand’s dry season will give you the best weather for snorkeling is October-May.

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Popular Marine Life

Parrotfish Icon

Parrotfish

Moorish Idol Icon

Moorish Idol

Clownfish Icon

Clownfish

Giant Clam Icon

Giant Clam

Powder-Blue Surgeonfish Icon

Powder Blue Surgeonfish

Sea Star Icon

Sea Star


Rare Marine Life Icon

Coral Reef

Boulder Coral Icon

Boulder Coral

Brain Coral Icon

Brain Coral

Acroporidae Coral Icon

Acroporidae

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What We Saw

(Seen on March, 2023)

Oscellaris ClownfishClark’s Anemonefish
Powder-Blue SurgeonfishJava Rabbitfish
Checkered SnapperRedlip Parrotfish
Blackspotted PufferfishOrnate Emporah Fish
Striped Triplefin GobyfishNeedlefish
Yellowbar SandperchMoorish Idol
Tree-Spotted DamselfishSergeant Major Damselfish
Blue Sea StarCommon Comet Star
Chinese DamoiselleGolden Gregory Damselfish
Brackish DamselfishTree-Spotted Damselfish
Giant ClamParrotfish
Moorish IdolBlack Sea Urchin
Boulder CoralBrain Coral
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Where is Koh Lipe, Thailand?

Koh Lipe is one of the most southern Thai islands on the South-West of Thailand, only a 3 hour boat ride from Langkawi, Malaysia.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Luke Snorkeling Nusa Lembongan

Luke

FOUNDER

Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse to live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.

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