In the last week of my 3-month trip in 2014, I went to the island of Langkawi, the beautiful island of Malaysia. I wanted to end my amazing trip with some relaxation at the beach. Langkawi is the perfect island for that, it’s called The Jewel of Kedah for good reason!
I booked a room at resort The Lanai (now closed) with a wonderful pool. From there I could walk straight onto the beach and dive into the Andaman Sea. After a few days of lounging, I decided to book a snorkeling trip to Pulau Payar. Doing nothing all day just isn’t for me 🙂 Especially not in such a beautiful location!
Snorkeling Pulau Payar: My Experience with Mass Tourism
That morning I was picked up by a large tourist bus that was already packed. Oops, I didn’t expect that…
At the harbor I received a wristband showing what I had booked. That’s when I heard that diving was also possible – I could have added that to my booking of course. It was clear: this was real mass tourism. They had organized everything well, but I just wasn’t used to this. In the previous months I had booked everything with small local businesses. This time I had reserved through the resort, and that turned out to be quite a different story.
Snorkeling with the blacktip reef shark – Pulau Payar
After an hour on the ferry, we disembarked. Like a trail of ants, we walked over the long wooden boardwalk to Pulau Payar Marine Park.
First Impression: 300 Snorkelers in One Small Bay
Once I arrived at the island, my jaw dropped. The bay where we would go snorkeling was quite small. I looked around and counted at least 300 tourists all getting ready to enter the water.
At that moment, I was quite disappointed. This was definitely not my idea of a snorkelling trip. I had little confidence that there would still be any fish to be seen after half an hour…
Snorkeling with the blacktip reef shark – Pulau Payar – Malaysia
💡 Tip: Are you also in Langkawi? Then definitely walk the spectacular Skybridge! And will you also take the cable car?
Still Surprised by the Underwater World
I decided to make the best of it. With my snorkel and fins, I jumped into the water as one of the first. By the way, there wasn’t much to do on the island itself – just a restaurant and a small shop where you could buy something to drink.
And then came the surprise: immediately I saw all kinds of different fish swimming around me! Really, I was amazed. They were swimming less than 15 meters from the beach and I saw multiple fish species. Okay, this was actually quite nice!
An Attacking Fish
And then something weird happened. OMG… There was a small white fish that started attacking me! It bit me and even came after me! Probably it had to defend its territory or something, but I didn’t like it. The salt water stung the little wound – a wound I couldn’t even see with the naked eye yet 🙂
Honestly, I’ve always been a bit afraid to swim among fish. That fear stems from my childhood, when I got a jellyfish between my knees in the North Sea. I can tell you: that really hurts! Since then I’ve always been a bit tense around fish…
A group under the jetty is watching a school of angelfish
After half an hour, the bay was completely filled with 300+ snorkelers. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo showing how crowded it was, but it was really massive. Yet the fish just kept swimming, I didn’t expect that!
Snorkeling with the Blacktip Reef Shark – Pulau Payar – Malaysia
Simple Lunch and Rumors about Sharks
At noon we were served a simple lunch: a spicy broth, chicken, egg and a sausage. Plus an apple and a piece of cake for dessert. Simple but sufficient to continue snorkeling with fresh energy!
All morning I had heard people talking about sharks that would come. Because I didn’t really believe it, I hadn’t paid much attention to it. But then I saw people throwing rice in the water to feed the fish…
Suddenly the Blacktip Reef Sharks Appear!
You can imagine my surprise when I suddenly saw blacktip reef sharks swimming around! I stood on the jetty and looked down. And sure enough, there swam a shark. You recognize that immediately of course! They were small specimens, about 50 to 75 centimeters long.
The fish are being fed with rice
I started taking photos from the jetty. And then… I also dove into the water! How bizarre is that?! Seeing these sharks swim so close was really strange. A kind of tension went through my body, but I stayed in the water. Although I also realized: if something happens, you’re there without any protection…
At one point, a staff member from the organization approached me. He asked if I had seen the large grouper yet. Well, I hadn’t noticed that because of that attacking fish that morning 🙂 He took me along to deeper water.
There I saw much more: sea urchins, schools of angelfish and of course that large grouper. Quite an ugly fish with its big mouth!
Increasingly Larger Sharks Appear
Then it really happened. Increasingly larger blacktip reef sharks came swimming. One, two, three… They kept getting bigger. Some were 1 to 1.5 meters long! It was quite impressive. And then the realization sank in: I’m snorkeling at Pulau Payar with blacktip reef sharks!
Blacktip reef shark at Pulau Payar
⚠️ Why I don’t recommend this: People kept throwing food at the sharks. That’s exactly why these sharks come to this spot during the day – and that’s absolutely not natural. The feeding completely changes their natural behavior. For that reason I wouldn’t book this trip again and I don’t recommend it either.
When Safety Becomes a Problem
The sharks started fighting over the food. This brought them dangerously close. The man who was guiding me said we had to move to shallower water. He also didn’t think it was safe anymore. You never know if a shark accidentally bites you and it then gets out of hand. You should never take such a risk of course!
If you just swim calmly there’s normally nothing wrong, but the feeding made the situation unpredictable.
My Honest Opinion
In the weeks before, I had taken diving lessons and dived in Thailand and the Philippines. Yet I must say that I saw more marine life during this snorkeling adventure at Pulau Payar than during many dives.
It was a special day, but it was really too touristy for me. Especially feeding the wild animals didn’t sit right with me. I love seeing animals in their natural behavior, without human interference. That’s why I wouldn’t book this trip again.
The sunset that evening on the beach at the Lanai!
Where will you stay Langkawi?
Check out the beautiful Attitude Resort which has a lovely private beach or the nice Tropical Langkawi with a great swimmingpool. Both are located in the cozy center of Pantai Cenang.
Practical Information Snorkeling Pulau Payar
- Costs: €30-50 per person (including lunch, snorkeling equipment and boat transport)
- Duration: Full day (approx. 9:00-17:00)
- Departure from: Kuah Jetty, Langkawi
- Best period: March to October (dry season, clear water)
What to bring:
- Swimwear and towel
- Ocean-friendly sunscreen
- Underwater camera
- Extra money for drinks
💡 My tip: Book with a small local company instead of through your resort for a more authentic experience with less crowds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Snorkeling at Pulau Payar
- Is snorkeling at Pulau Payar safe? Yes, blacktip reef sharks are generally not dangerous to humans. They are curious but not aggressive. However, I found feeding the sharks unsafe because it makes their behavior unpredictable.
- When is the best time to snorkel at Pulau Payar? March to October during the dry season. That’s when the water is clearest and you see the most. Avoid the wet season (November-February).
- How much does snorkeling at Pulau Payar cost? Between €30-50 per person for a day trip including lunch and equipment. Prices vary by provider.
- Do you always see sharks at Pulau Payar? Due to the feeding, the blacktip reef sharks come almost daily. But this is not natural behavior – they have been trained to come at that time for food.
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Do you want to read more about my Malaysia Adventures?
- 3 Days in the Jungle of Kota Kinabatangan
- Cookingclass at Pickles and Spices – Penang
- Volunteering at Juara Turtle Project – Tioman Island
- Hiking in the National Park on Pulau Penang
- Or check my Malaysia Page