Marine life
Koh Lipe or Ko Lipe, is a small flat island in Thailand. It stands out from its big sisters that are more touristic and festive, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi. Real paradise for divers, Ko Lipe has probably the best preserved seabed of Thailand. Its tourism boom is quite new and the small island has, for the moment, only one main street, the walking street, where you can find some bars and restaurants. In general, Dive Sites of Koh Lipe are accessible to all levels. Koh Lipe is one of the best destination for diving in Thailand for novice divers but also for experienced divers. Dives are more expensive tant in Koh Tao but still affordable. However the seabed of Koh Tao is much richer and better preserved. You can discover some of the most beautiful soft corals of South Asia and an exceptional underwater fauna. Experienced divers would prefer dive sites as 8 Mile Rock, to meet the large pelagics, Stonehenge, for its corals, Koh Pung for a drift dive or Koh Sarang for its pinnacles.
When to go diving in Ko Lipe?
There is, strictly speaking, no best time to dive in Koh Lipe. The high season runs from October to May; this is the period when weather conditions are the best and when you will have a better chance to dive with whale sharks, manta rays and devil rays. However, the low season has its advantages because the visibility is exceptional and there will be less tourism.
Scuba diving conditions?
Diving in Koh Lipe is accessible to all as there are dive sites for each level. During the full moon or dark moon, the current can be quite strong but dive centers then usually goes on more protected diving spots as Koh Yang or Koh Talang. If, you like to play with the current, excellent drift dives exists as Koh Pung, Big Rocks or Express Way. Visibility is variable depending on the tides.
What to see while diving?
If you’re lucky, you can dive with leopard sharks, whale sharks and devil rays. The best dive sites to meet with large pelagics is 8 mile rock. In addition to pelagic, you can dive with most of the common fish of Southeast Asia . You certainly will dive with stone fish, lion fish, moray eels, scorpion fish, stingrays, triggerfish, seahorses, nudibranchs or with the famous clown fish, Nemo. But Koh Lipe is also a great diving destination for its exceptional flora, consisting of amazingly well preserved hard and soft corals. Ko Lipe has a large coral garden with teeming colors. In summary , Ko Lipe is definitely one of the last well preserved diving destination of the Adaman Sea and a great destination for divers. Enjoy and good bubbles !
