PULAU PERHENTIAN
Terengganu
Endowed with breathtaking beauty and superb underwater attractions, Pulau Perhentian is a destination in Southeast Asia with few peers. This marine park is divided into two islands, Pulau Perhentian Kecil and Pulau Perhentian Besar.
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Dive sites here are at close proximity to one another with interesting sights at each. Tiger Reef offers the chance to spot green turtles. At Gua Kambing, be prepared for an underwater manicure as cleaner shrimp at some coral bommies excitedly interact with divers. Simply lay your hands down next to the coral and these shrimps will venture to you boldly. Pretty soon, they’ll be nibbling away gently as they attempt to get rid of so-called ‘parasites’ from your nails.
To the north of Perhentian Kecil, at D’Lagoon, you will drift dive past a rich bed of soft and hard corals, shared by large angelfish, parrotfish and black-spotted snappers. Green turtles and manta rays make occasional visits here. Sail Rock is a naturalists’ dream. This little pinnacle offers multi-level diving as you encircle it, checking out the diversity of life. Common are blue-spotted stingrays, boxfish, angelfish and parrotfish. However, you’ll have plenty of time to marvel at the huge staghorn gardens, lettuce corals and table corals.
Just off the west end of Perhentian Besar is another dive site for coral enthusiasts. Known as Tanjung Besi or Iron Cape, it is home to large tracts of staghorn corals
Making your way around this cape often yields encounters with oddball inhabitants of the reef. Giant groupers make their home here. Humphead parrotfish make many a meal-stop here in the evenings. Those with a keen eye should also study the crevices between corals: several large moray eels inhabit these.
For the ultimate, relaxing dive, a night-time shore dive from the north end of Perhentian Kecil’s Long Beach is recommended. You will encounter blue-spotted stingrays, cuttlefish and plenty of reef fish. As you surface for shore, fin gently on your back and gaze into the starry night. The sound of faint music beckoning from the seaside cafés is a magical welcome back to land. Suffice to say, the relatively shallow depths here allow you to maximise your diving time.
Perhentian Besar has ample accommodation and several dive centres. It has a more sedate lifestyle, with chalets only a few metres away from the shore.
Perhentian Kecil offers wider beaches and an even wider range of accommodation. Its vibrant nightlife is renowned. Along the famous Long Beach, visitors can enjoy their evernings at the many rustic cafés and bars that open till early hours.
