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Phi Phi Cave Diving - Phuket

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60 million years ago The Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate causing devastating effects across Asia, forming large mountain ranges like the Himalayas. At this time lime stone karsts were pushed through the grassy plane to heights soaring over 100m. Later as the Pacific Ocean began to rise water began to fill this grassy basin later to be known as the Andaman Sea. The Phi Phi caves where born.

These amazing and interesting dive sites are virtually unknown to the multitude of divers that visit Phi phi island each year as venturing into the darkness is not something to be undertaken without the correct training.

Snake Cave

Type: Cave | Depth: 15m-0m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: Located on Phi Phi Don the larger of the two Islands is the Snake cave. Only a 10min boat ride from the harbour in Tonsai village. The entrance to this cave is at a depth of 15m, the ceiling is at 10m, the round opening is 5m at the widest point.
Snake Cave ceilingSnake Cave Stalactites
The Dive: The first part the cave is a host to a covering of sea clams that have attached themselves to the walls as well as schools of fish that shelter away from the reef. Further back on the right side, at a distance of 50m from the entrance is another spherical room leading off from the main passage. Continuing along the main passage 60-70m from the entrance the salt water abruptly changes to fresh water and the usual hydrogen sulphide clouds mark the halocline. The fresh water visibility is usually far greater than the salt water. At a distance of 100m from the entrance the cave ends in a depth of 6m, from here it is possible to surface into a fresh air chamber and even to walk in the dry cave.

Bell Chamber Cave

Type: Cave | Depth: 10m-0m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: Only short hope from the Snake cave is the Bell chamber cave, named for the spherical chamber that marks the end of this spectacular cave. The opening to this cave is an inverted V shape, the 4m wide floor lies at 14m the narrow top of the inverted “V” is at a depth of 10m.
Bell Chamber Cave entryBell Chamber connecting shaft
The Dive: Like the Snake cave the floor gradually becomes shallower towards the back of the cave. 70m from the entrance the cave turns back on itself in a “dog leg” bend leading to a connecting shaft. On the other side of the restriction is the bell chamber with round walls and a dome ceiling. Directly across from the restriction is a small tunnel too small to penetrate, from here a pulsing stream of fresh water is responsible for the haloclines just before the restriction in the main passage. Care should be exercised in the bell chamber as the floor has deep silt deposits that are easily disturbed.

Wang Long Cavern

Type: Cavern | Depth: 14m-2m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: Further along the Limestone cliffs from the Snake cave, a 10min boat ride will bring you to the Wang long gorge, this stunning canyon of 100m high limestone cliffs winds its way to a small sandy beach. Beside the gorge is a small cove where one of the entrances to the Wang long cavern is located.
This large cavern has several entrances on different sides of the cliff. To enter the cavern from the cove there is a small rocky lip at depth of 2m that drops down on the inside to 7m, the floor gradually drops to another larger exit on the far side at a depth of 14m.
Wang Long Cavern entryWang Long Cavern entry
The Dive: Wang long cavern has small tunnels to be explored and beautiful gas filled domes on the ceiling with stalactites, the floor is a host to lobsters, crabs and cowries while schools of fish swarm around the interior.

Corridor Cave

Type: Cave | Depth: 14m-2m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: On the other side of the Tonsai village on Phiphi don lies Lud lum bay, 10min by boat into the bay is Corridor cave.
This cave traverses from a low lying cavern with a very intricate ceiling and several chimneys, through an opening in the roof along a narrow 2m wide and 4m high winding corridor to an exit on the reef wall.
 
The Dive: Although the total penetration is only 42m the interesting complexity of this cave makes it a very pleasurable dive. The exit on to the reef is spectacular as visibility is reduced almost to zero by the school of glass fish that shelter in the cave entrance.

Maya Cave

Type: Cave | Depth: 12m-0m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: Phi Phi Ley approximately 40min from Tonsai village by boat. The cave is located on the South corner of the bay at a depth of 12m. This bay was made world famous during the making o the film The Beach and is one of the most spectacular bays in the world.
Maya Cave entryStalactites of Maya cave
The Dive: The large entrance leads to a huge cavern that is split in the middle by a pillar several metres across. The left side has a low ceiling 2-3m from the floor and has many interesting rock formations and stalactites, passing these the floor is littered with pieces of broken stalactites.

The right side past the split is more spacious with several metres from floor to ceiling but also with impressive stalactites. 100m from the entrance the two sides meet again at the back wall between huge stalactites. This cave as an abundant lobster population but they should not be disturbed by divers.

Chandelier Cave

Type: Cave | Depth: 20m-0m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: A short distance south from Maya cave is the Chandelier cave, named for the stalactite formations found in the cave.
Chandelier Cave ExitChandelier cave formations
The Dive: The entrance at 20m, is a medium sized cavern with several exits, the slanting floor has deep silt deposits so care should be taken when entering through the low entrance. A low restriction 1.5m wide leads to a passage way. A short distance later, passing under an overhead bridge, the passage leads up to another room. In this upper cavern the water is fresh and visibility excellent. At the back of this room are two rooms so crowded with ceiling to floor stalactites that entry is not possible.

Bida Cave

Type: Cave | Depth: 9m-6m | Visibility: 15m+
Location: Located on Koh Bida Nok is the Bida Nok cave. Only a 10min boat from Maya Bay.
Bida caveBida Cave
The Dive: The entrance to this cave is at a depth of 9m. Although the total penetration is limited, the cave has a very particular feeling. The dive brings you through a circular shaft shaped as a circle with an interesting restriction to exit from the entry point without turning back.