Diving in Southeast Asia. David Espinosa
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of 40 hammerheads swam by. Although not sighted as often in this area, they were here! White tip sharks, tuna and clouds of reef fishes populate the wall to make a great dive site.
At the end of D-Wall is a site aptly named Shark Cave, for at 20–25 meters there is a deep cave extending under the reef where a group of white tips can often be found sleeping. Here we found 10 sharks piled up like logs on the left side of the cave and a school of about 50 snappers hanging around the entrance on the right side of the cave. Down current, the reef is flatter with rolling terrain. This area is generally swept by currents, and consequently is often favored by large fishes.
Yellow snappers in Layang-Layang.
Despite their formidable teeth, pufferfish are docile.
TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PARK
If sharks are not your idea of fun diving, Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah, has an alternative. Twenty minutes by boat from the center of KK lie five islands that make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, offering secluded beaches and reefs just offshore, which are perfect for snorkeling and diving.
Mid Reef near Manukan Island is a good site. The reef is generally round and slopes off on all sides from 5 to 20 meters. The top of the reef has good hard corals. Dropping down to 15–29 meters, you encounter a garden of black coral trees. A small school of yellow fin barracuda are frequently present on most dives and juvenile leopard sharks can often be seen here on night dives.
Clement Reef, closer to Sapi Island, is also a sloping reef that ranges from 12 to 18 meters, with the exception of a small finger that juts out from the reef and reaches 25 meters in depth. This finger is covered with sea fans, sponges and soft coral, attracting schools of snappers and abundant reef fish. In February and March, whale sharks migrate through the area and are sometimes seen.
Mamutik Island is home to the Borneo Divers dive center, which offers dive trips and PADI courses from introductory to instructor levels.
—Bob Bowdey/Sarah Ann Wormald
Terengganu
The Best Diving in Peninsular Malaysia
Access By bumboat from coastal towns and from island resorts
Current Fair, 8–20 meters
Reef type Usually negligible to light
Highlights Good condition, fine variety in most places
Visibility Usually coral gardens
Coral Schools, reef fish, pelagics
Fish Occasional whale shark and manta ray sightings; wall at Tenggol
From its northern borders near the small coastal town of Kuala Besut to the sandy shores of Kemaman in the south, the Malaysian east coast state of Terengganu boasts 225 km of nearly uninterrupted coastline and a score or so offshore islands, many offering excellent coral reefs that form part of a marine park.
The state of Terengganu is a traditional Muslim one with a pretty capital town, Kuala Terengganu, at the mouth of the river. Fishing, palm oil and agriculture were traditionally the mainstay of the economy. When oil was discovered offshore, the fortunes of this state changed radically, and it became one of the wealthiest in the federation. Today, tourism now plays a major role in the state’s economy for its beaches and offshore islands have been discovered by sun lovers and divers. Divers flock to the Perhentian Islands (Besar and Kecil) for the beaches and reefs. Redang Island also offers good diving opportunities and some more upmarket accommodation.
Kuala Terengganu airport (Sultan Mahmud) has a few daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and from there it is around a 2–3 hour drive to Kuala Besut, the main entry point to the Perhentian Islands. However, transit through Kota Bharu in Kelantan offers better connections to Kuala Besut by both train and air. If you are planning to stay on Redang Island, then Merang is the main ferry point.
Nemanthus annamensis, more commonly known as the gorgonian wrapper or whip coral anemone, on a gorgonian host.
PERHENTIAN ISLANDS
The two islands of Perhentian lie some 23 km offshore from Terengganu and are accessible by ferry from Kuala Besut. Perhentian Kecil (the smaller island) has a range of accommodation and dive centers for every budget and is a popular choice with young backpackers. Perhentian Besar, with its beautiful white sandy beaches, also has numerous places to stay and dive operators but is generally a little more upmarket.
Perhentian Island is accessible by ferry and has accommodation and dive centers for every budget.
In the dry season (May to September), diving from Perhentian can be excellent, and the waters on the South China Sea side of the island are quite clear. The reefs are generally fairly shallow, although they extend deeper on the northern sides of the islands. There are some hard corals, though not that many, plenty of beautiful soft corals and some impressive gorgonians on the outer reefs.
On a good dive you can expect to come across schools of trevallies, jacks, glass-eyes and rainbow runners. There are some black tip reef sharks in the area as well as a good population of green turtles. Visibility here averages 12 meters, though it can fall. Among the pelagics often encountered around the Susu Dara group of isles just northwest of Perhentian—probably the best dive location—are several species of sharks, but barracudas and large groupers are also common.
LANG TENGAH
Some 15 km south of Perhentian lies the 120 ha island of Pulau Lang Tengah, another good spot for diving. Whilst accommodation is available on the island, it is not yet as developed as the neighboring Perhentian Islands.
Because of the surrounding deep waters and its isolation, Lang Tengah has good corals, both hard and soft, hosting a proliferation of marine life. There are a number of good dive sites in the area, including one with prolific Dendronephthya and another of table corals. On a regular 15-meter dive, you should find schools of jacks and trevallies, yellowtails and rainbow runners. Late afternoon is a particularly good time for diving and turtles. Shovelnose rays and bamboo sharks have been known to frequent the area on occasions. For macro photographers, there are some great nudibranchs and the night diving around the island offers a range of crustaceans and critters. The best time to dive here is in the dry season, from May to October.
REDANG
The premier dive spot on the east coast, Redang comprises nine islands. It is accessible from all the coastal towns mentioned earlier, with Merang Jetty being the most popular departure point. Check with your operator if transfers are included and where they depart from. Once home to a few fishing families, Redang is now one of the country’s best known tourist destinations. Its powdery white sandy beaches and excellent coral reefs are a powerful magnet, and divers who want to explore the nearby reefs and islands further afield should book for at least five days to do the area justice.
The reefs around Redang have suffered the least amount of damage over the years because of their relative distance from the mainland. Thus, the reefs offer a fine variety of both hard and soft corals that host a wealth of marine life.
Around the southeastern end of the main island there are some small offshore isles, Kerengga Kecil and Kerengga Besar, Pulau Ekor Tebu and the large rock known as Ling. The reefs here are shallow in depth and you’ll encounter a veritable forest of mushroom corals on the southwestern tip of Kerengga Besar. A huge area of finger coral, rising over 5 meters from the seabed, is a favorite dive site around