Turtle Rock

The Phi Phi Islands, located between the provinces of Phuket and Krabi, are one of the most famous tourist destinations in Thailand.

The archipelago includes several islands, the most well-known being Phi Phi Leh. The island is famous for its dramatic limestone cliffs. Underwater, there is a large coral reef that forms part of a National Marine Park. This makes the area beautiful both above and below the surface.

The island became world-famous after Maya Bay was featured in the movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Just to the left of Maya Bay, in the neighboring Malong Bay, lies the dive site Turtle Rock - the subject of this article.

The dive site received its name because of the frequent sightings of sea turtles. Turtles here are already used to divers and usually ignore them. However, you should not approach too closely or touch them. If disturbed, a turtle may swim rapidly toward the surface. While this is not dangerous for the turtle, a rapid ascent can be risky for a diver.

Even without turtles, this is still a very pleasant dive site.

Diving here is relatively easy and rarely affected by strong currents, making it suitable for divers of all levels.

Most dives at Turtle Rock begin in shallow water at the base of the reef. Depending on where the boat anchors, divers follow the wall either to the left or to the right.

Almost along the entire length of the site there is a plateau, usually not deeper than 5--6 meters. The reef slopes down to 14--16 meters and mainly consists of rocky formations covered with hard corals. Deeper areas transition into sandy bottom, where you may find seahorses, rays, and sometimes even zebra sharks.

The area is filled with large rocks and boulders that once fell from the limestone cliffs above. These create interesting swim-throughs and small caves.

Common reef fish are everywhere. You can often see octopuses, spiny lobsters, and cuttlefish. There are also several triggerfish and moray eels in the area.

Closer to the southern corner between the bays, there is a section with beautiful soft corals and rocky formations that attract large schools of snappers. If you swim closer to the island, you can discover a grotto that can be explored.

Before entering the grotto, you should make your safety stop. The entrance starts at about 7--8 meters, but after swimming through, the depth decreases to around 2 meters. When you surface inside, you find yourself in a natural chamber where you can admire stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

Swimming through the cave, you can feel the massive weight of the mountain above as the light gradually becomes dimmer.

Although this is an easy dive site, it is important to choose a safe place for ascent. The biggest danger here is the fast-moving speedboats entering Maya Bay.

Overall, Turtle Rock is an excellent dive site that almost guarantees turtle encounters and can offer many pleasant surprises.