Islands of Johor
Johor
The southern state of Johor is blessed with beautiful islands and splendid diving opportunities not to be missed. The most popular sites for diving here are Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang, which are also the furthermost islands from the mainland.
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Pulau Aur will delight you with its pristine environment. This remote island is about two hours’ speedboat ride from Mersing, on the mainland. Surrounded by deep waters, Pulau Aur offers excellent opportunities to encounter pelagics.
Pulau Lang, a smaller island located nearby, usually offers excellent visibility and green turtle sightings. A chance sighting of the formidable bumphead parrotfish is also possible here.
The blue-spotted stingray, common in Malaysian waters, can normally be sighted at Captain’s Rock. Look out for the comical dogface pufferfish. It loves to swim solo and attracts plenty of attention for its elongated face and box-like body
At Raynor’s Rock, large boulders shelter a colourful variety of reef fish and sometimes, even larger pelagics. Night dives here, like the rest of Pulau Aur, yield interesting encounters with all kinds of cuttlefish, crustaceans and more dogface pufferfish. The elusive Spanish dancer nudibranch can also be sighted here
For added spice, you may also want to dive wrecks like the Zero Wreck, located south of Aur. This sunken Japanese fighter plane is home to teeming marine life and thickly encrusted corals.
Accommodation provided by the few chalet operators in Pulau Aur are basic, yet comfortable. The highlight on land is the food served. Like anywhere else in Malaysia, it is filled with sumptuous local dishes.
As an option, you may also choose to stay at the smaller but adjacent Pulau Dayang. It is similar to Aur, with fine beaches to boot.
