Hin Bida

Ao Nang · Krabi Province · Thailand

Hin Bida is a submerged limestone pinnacle rising from the sandy seabed about two kilometres south of Phi Phi Leh, consistently ranking among the best dive sites in the Krabi region. The pinnacle tops out at around five metres and drops to a sandy bottom at 25 to 28 metres, with walls coated in some of the healthiest soft coral growth in the Andaman Sea. What it lacks in size it compensates for with remarkable concentration of marine life. The first thing most divers notice is the colour. The walls are blanketed in dendronephthya soft corals in shades of purple, orange, pink, and white, their delicate branches fully extended in the current. Sea fans spread across the rock in broad panels, barrel sponges anchor in crevices, and the overall effect is of an underwater garden in perpetual bloom. Shark encounters are the other major draw. Leopard sharks rest on sandy patches around the pinnacle base, their spotted bodies lying flat as they pump water over their gills. They are tolerant of divers who approach slowly, and photographing one at Hin Bida has become a rite of passage for Phi Phi divers. Blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows near the summit, their dark-tipped fins slicing through the water. At night, bamboo sharks emerge to hunt across the reef surface. The supporting cast is equally impressive. Banded sea kraits undulate through the water column in striking black and white. Cuttlefish hover beside the coral, changing colour in hypnotic pulses. Moray eels poke from holes, and lionfish hang beneath overhangs with venomous fins fanned wide. In the smaller nooks, patient macro hunters find seahorses, nudibranchs, and shrimp species that reward close examination. Hin Bida works on every level, from wide-angle drama to macro detail, leaving you wanting to dive it again before the safety stop is even finished.