Great place for a quick snorkel if you’re staying near Pattaya Beach to see Clownfish, and Anemonefish. Sunrise Beach is a better beach snorkel, and the Half Day and Full Day Koh Lipe trips are a better snorkel overall.
Pros
Cons
Snorkel Video
Favourite Snorkel Snaps
Highlights
Patches of Coral
1-3 Meters Average Depth
Good Visibility
East Difficulty
Cafe’s on Walking Street
Free to snorkel
Sea Urchins Present
Jellyfish unlikely
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Pattaya Beach is the longest and the main beach of Koh Lipe, which is one of Thailand’s most southern islands. On Pattaya Beach has the main floating-pier at Koh Lipe and is the main entry point for tourists from fast boats traveling from neighbouring Thai islands. There are many longboats docked on and off the stretch of the beach, bringing in supplies to the island or tourists.
There are two to three designated snorkel zones on the beach, located along the left-hand side of the beach looking out to sea. I had only heard of this snorkel spot from two Dutch guys, whilst staying at the Sang Chan hostel, where they mentioned that they saw a sea snake along the rocks on the left of the beach. I was intrigued, so decided to go for a snorkel and explore.
In the roped section you have to swim about 15 meters out over the sandy shores, you’ll then start to hit the coral reef. There were a few spots of Boulder coral on the sandy sea bed, which hosted Anemones and Nosestripe Anemonefish, Giant Clams, which was cool to see so close to the beach. Be aware of sea urchins which can be on the sandy sea bed, and lodged in the rocks. The Anemones were growing from rocky patches on the sea bed. If you watch the tentacles you’ll soon be able to tell if there is a host living in the Anemone.
Snorkel Spot
Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe
The beach is the main port for the island, located on the Southern side. The beach is popular for tourists entering and leaving the island by speed boat, as well as tourists enjoying the beach. Walking Street starts at the center of the beach, which runs through the island.
Pattaya Beach Map
Snorkel Spot Map
I snorkeled the left-hand side of the beach. There was a roped snorkel section on the left-hand side of the beach. Below I’ve mapped Harmony Cafe which is near the snorkel spot, the snorkel zone is a short walk up the beach.
I swam to the outer roped section, this is where the coral ends and the sea bed turns to sand, it was at this moment that I saw a silhouette in the sand. I took a closer look to notice the triangle outline, lying in the sand was a Kuhl’s Stingray. This was very cool, and the first stingray I had seen at Koh Lipe and Thailand on this specific trip. The stingray was small, 1-1.5 meters in length including the striped tail. I swam to the side of the ray to get a closer look, it had a distinctive diamond-shaped grey body and a long white tail.
Coral Reef
I then made my way back to the beach and walked along to the next snorkel spot, which was on the far left of the beach, among the rocky coastline. There was a roped-out snorkel section close to the rocks, I did swim within this section and then went out of the roped section closer to the rocks. I was very careful and aware of moving boats, as the beach’s waters are busy. The sea bed was shallow at 1 metre depth, many fish were feeding on the algae off of the rocks.
I spotted a lobster tucked away within the rocks. You spot a lobster by its white antennae which stick out of the rocks. There were patches of Boulder coral in good health, with sea urchins dotted in between, so be very careful, water shoes or flippers are advised. There were Lettuce coral, Goby fish, Moorish idols, Common Clownfish, and other small reef fish.
Top Tip:
If you make your way to the end of the roped section you can sometimes see stingrays bathing in the sand just off of the coral reef.
Unfortunately, there were fishing nets and anchors along the shores, surprisingly coral was growing on some of the debris, suggesting it has been there for a long time. I then came across a family of Oscellaris Clownfish living in a small single Anemone bundle. The visibility was excellent, due to the shallow waters, meaning I could get some cool pictures as shown below. From my experience, I thought it was unusual to see Clownfish living in Anemone that was on the sea bed and not protected by the coral or rocks. Normally I would spot Clownfish choosing an Anemone more protected from the wave and currents.
Safety Tip:
Be careful when snorkeling near the rocks, they can be sharp. Also, be aware of passing boats, this is a busy area. Finally, there are Sea Urchins along the sea floor in shallow water, so do not stand up and wear something to protect your feet such as water shoes or flippers.
I ventured out slightly deeper but there wasn’t much to see. I think that if you’re staying near Pattaya Beach or the entrance to Walking Street and fancy a quick snorkel, then this spot is good for 30 minutes or so to see some Clownfish, Starfish, coral, and reef fish. But if you are looking for a more comprehensive snorkel, then I’d recommend looking at either the half-day or full-day snorkel trip from Koh Lipe.
Check out the reviews below:
Summary
Overall the snorkeling was pretty good off of a very touristy beach. I liked snorkeling the far left-hand side of the beach where I saw Clownfish only 10 meters from shore. If you’re looking to experience the best snorkeling at Koh Lipe I would recommend looking at either the Half-Day or Full Day snorkel trips that run to the inner and outer Koh Lipe islands.
If you’re travelling around the islands of Thailand, please checkout my reviews for other Thailand Locations, including Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, and Koh Lanta.
Tour Guide Options
I do not believe tour operators go to this beach as there are better snorkel spots in the surrounding islands, and on the Koh Lipe itself. It is free to snorkel off of the beach in the designated zones. There are many places to book snorkel trips, including on the island with tour agencies, at your hotel or hostel, and on the Apps, ‘Getyourguide’, and ‘Klook’.
Best Snorkel Spot
The best snorkel spot was on the far left at Pattaya Beach, in the roped section where you’ll find many Anemones and Nosestripe Anemonefish. This is also where I spotted the Kuhl’s Stingray off the coral on the sandy bottoms just past the end of the snorkel ropes.
Best Time Of Year
If you are visiting Thailand, the dry season will give you the best weather for snorkeling which is October-May.
Popular Marine Life
Anemonefish
Giant Clam
Parrotfish
Moorish Idol
Butterflyfish
Sergeant Major Damselfish
Rare Marine Life
Oscellaris Clownfish
Kuhl’s Stingray
Bluetail Mullet
Coral Reef
Boulder Coral
Lettuce Coral
Branch Coral
What I Saw
(Seen on March, 2023)
| Ocellaris Clownfish | Kuhl’s Stingray |
| Nosestripe Anemonefish | Redfin Butterflyfish |
| Spotted Trunkfish | Crescent Wrasse |
| Redlip Parrotfish | Quoy’s Parrotfish |
| Giant Clam | Yellowbar Sandperch |
| Brackish Damselfish | Variegated Lizardfish |
| Sergeant Major Damselfish | Needlefish |
| Small-Spotted Dart | Dash-And-Dot Goatfish |
| Moorish Idol | Lobster |
| Black Sea Cucumber | Double Spined Sea Urchin |
| Black Sea Urchin | Staghorn Branch Coral |
| Branch Coral | Boulder Coral |
| Lettuce Coral | Honeycomb Coral |
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to get to Koh Lipe is by Fast boat from a port in Thailand Mainland Sanur, or the neighboring island of Koh Lanta.
Free! You can swim off the beach in the designated snorkel areas at Pattaya Beach for free. There is a half-day and full day snorkel trip that will take you out to the surrounding islands where you will get a more comprehensive snorkel.
I didn’t go on a snorkel tour, I swam off the beach for free. Pattaya Beach is very accessible if you’re staying on Koh Lipe. There are snorkel trip options to other popular snorkel locations in the surrounding islands of Koh Lipe, including the popular pink corals of Jabang.
Yes you can snorkel in the designated snorkel zones on Pattaya Beach. Check out our snorkel review to find out what we saw.
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.
Koh Lipe Snorkel Reviews
