Koh Yang South

Protected Area

Tarutao

Why dive here

With 177+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, giant moray eels, whale sharks, clownfish and pufferfish - Koh Yang South offers some of Koh Lanta & Phi Phi's richest diving.

Marine lifeBarracuda, Giant Moray Eels, Whale Sharks, Clownfish and Pufferfish · 177+ species recorded

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Forget the crowded main attractions; Koh Yang South is where we head when we want a bit of peace and a proper fish fix. This site, often overlooked, just delivers. You drop onto a gently sloping reef, shallow enough to let the sunlight really punch through, making the corals glow. We’ve had some cracking dives here, drifting past impressive stands of hard corals, a real contrast to some of the more battered sites around. The real draw for us is the sheer number of small, colourful reef fish. You'll swim through schools of slender groupers and watch iridescent pinstriped wrasse darting between the coral heads. Keep an eye out for the speckled-fin rockcod lurking in the shadows, and the bold argus groupers often hang out in plain sight. It’s a photographer's dream if you're into macro and super-macro, with plenty of boring clams and small giant clams tucked into the reef. We always schedule this one for a late morning dive, when the light is perfect and the boats are usually elsewhere. It’s a relaxing dive, well-suited for divers who appreciate the subtler beauty of a thriving reef and aren't chasing the big pelagics.