The Pulau Perhentian (Perhentian Island) group of islands are the northernmost islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are two main islands -- Pulau Perhentian Besar (Perhentian Besar Island) and Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Perhentian Kecil Island) -- plus several large rocky outcrops to the northeast namely Pulau Tokong Kemudi Barat (Tokong Kemudi Barat Island), Pulau Dara Kecil (Dara Kecil Island), Pulau Tokong Kemudi (Tokong Kemudi Island), Pulau Rawa (Rawa Island), Pulau Burung (Burong Island) and Pulau Serenggeh (Serenggeh Island).

Typical of most tropical islands, the two main islands are heavily forested and ringed with white sandy beaches. Being far away from the mainland, Pulau Perhentian, which literally means 'Stopover Island', is rich in coral and marine life which includes stingrays, nudibranchs, black corals, moray eels and colourful fishes. Turtles come up to lay eggs between April and September.

The main village is situated on the southeast coast of Pulau Perhentian Kecil and the locals are a friendly and hospitable lot. Accommodation is mainly aimed at budget travellers and is available on both the main islands as well as some of the smaller islands. New resorts with better facilities are currently being constructed.

Perhentian is one of the best Diving spots in Malaysia, and is also excellent for snorkelling and jungle trekking. Its laid-back atmosphere makes it the perfect getaway.

Dive Site

Perhentian Dive Site

1. Tokong Laut

Common Sightings
Parrotfish, Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Rabbitfish, Putterfish, Lionfish, Surgeonfish, Unicornfich, Damselfish, Cardinalfish, Lizardfish, Hawkfish, Snapper, Razorfish, Fusiliers and Stingray

Dive Site Briefing
At Tokong Laut there’s a jumble of large boulders going down to the sand at the bottom. Excellent marine life exists here where you are able to find small eels, schools of jacks, butterflyfish, angelfish, trevallies, razorfish and nurse sharks underneath the rocks as well. The corals here include soft tree coral, black corals, sea fans, stinging hydroids and harp corals. The average depth is 10metres (30 ft) and maximum depth is about 24metres (80 ft).

2. Terumbu Tiga

Common Sightings
Barracuda, Batfish, Surgeonfish, Lionfish, Scorpionfish, Filefish,  Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Parrotfish, Coral Trout, Moray Eels, Snappers, Sweetlips, Whitecheek Monocle Bream, Threadfin Bream, Razorfish, Hawkfish, Bumphead Parrotfish, Jacks, Parrotfish and Fusiliers?

Dive Site Briefing
This site is known as one of the best dive sites in terms of corals and marine life. With an average depth of 10metres (33 ft) and a maximum depth of about 20metres (65 ft) this site boasts some of the biggest soft corals where shallow rocks are carpeted with leathery soft purple tree corals. Barrel sponges covered with sea cucumbers are also in abundance. Marine life includes barracudas, Bumphead, jacks and feather stars. There is also a small cavern where white tip sharks can be spotted.


3. Sugar Wreck

Common Sightings
Schools of yellowtail snapper, porcupine and also nurse sharks.

Dive Site Briefing
This is a new wreck, which sank in Dec 2000 with an average depth is 12metres and a maximum depth of 20 metres. A great experience without having to worry about depth since it is quite shallow. Schools of Yellow-tail snapper, porcupine and nurse sharks can be found here.


4. Secret Reef

Common Sightings
Schools of yellowtail snapper, lionfish, lobster, porcupine and also nurse shark.?

Dive Site Briefing
This site boasts a submerged reef with plenty of marine life teeming with schools of Yellow-tail snapper, lionfish, lobster, porcupine and also nurse shark. With an average depth of 26 metres and a maximum depth of about 29 metres, the water is usually strong with mid-water currents before reaching the bottom. Nurse shark and lobsters usually rest under the rocks and boulders. There are some soft and black corals and small gorgonian fans covering the boulders. School of jacks and tuna usually swim past these areas. A fairly good dive site for intermediate divers.


5. Tanjung Panglima Abu

Dive Site Briefing
The boulders provide an interesting backdrop for novice divers. The Napoleon wrasse may be seen swimming around towards the deeper end. Tanjung Panglima Abu is a site that enables one to make shallow dives and proves to be a fairly good site for avid snorkellers as well. The average depth here is 12metres (40 ft) and the maximum depth is about 18metres (60 ft)

6. Shipwreck – Pasir Tani

Common Sightings
Barracudas, batfish, snapper, wrasse, jacks, groupers and stingray.

Dive Site Briefing
At this site one is able to witness the remains of half of a steel landing craft bearing Vietnamese boat which sank while being towed to Kuala Besut for repairs in 1976. Now, it is home to barracudas, batfish, snapper, wrasse, jacks, groupers and stingray and also richly endowed with soft tree corals and black corals covered in the wing oysters and feather stars.


7. Surprise Rock

Common Sightings
Jacks, trevallies, giant stingray, red pipefish, white pipefish, cleaner shrimp, and nudibranch.

Dive Site Briefing
At this site, you’ll find a jumble of rocks going down to the sand. With an average depth of 15metres (50 ft) and a maximum depth of 21 m (70 ft) one can easily find schools of jacks, trevallies, giant stingray, red pipefish, white pipefish, cleaner shrimp and nudibranch.


8. Teluk Kerma

Dive Site Briefing
Teluk Kerma is home to some stony corals and various species of pufferfish. Here, you might be able to spot Bumphead parrotfish, snappers and stingrays as well. The average depth here is 13 metres (43 ft) while the maximum depth is 18metres (60 ft).


9. Teluk Pauh

Common Sightings
Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Parrotfish, Bumphead parrotfish, batfish, Putterfish, Stingrays, Moray Eels, Whitetip and Blacktip Reef  Shark

Dive Site Briefing
Teluk Pauh consists of a gentle slope, ideal for check out dives. With an average depth of 4metres (13 ft) and a maximum depth of 12 metres (40 ft), you’re able to find a lot of small parrotfish, stingrays, varieties of sea cucumber, as well as White-tip reef sharks.


10. Sea Bell Rock

Common Sightings
Yellow tail snapper, nudibranchs and gobies

Dive Site Briefing
With an average depth of 12 metres (40 ft) and a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 ft), The Rock consists of three distinctive rocks with plenty of Yellow-tail snapper, nudibranch and gobies for you to feast your eyes upon.


11. Pulau Serenggi

Common Sightings
King fish, nudibranch and bamboo sharks

Dive Site Briefing
Pulau Serenggi is a jumble of rocks descending to the sand with small soft corals. With an average depth of 12 metres (40 ft) and a maximum depth of 21 metres (70 ft), this site is abundant with good fish life where kingfish, nudibranchs and bamboo sharks. The site is previously known as Barracuda Point because of the regular barracuda sightings often seen here.


12. Tanjung Basi

Common Sightings
Grey Reef and Whitetip Reef Sharks, Snappers, Jacks, Fusiliers, Sweetlips and Damselfish

Dive Site Briefing
The site offers caves and overhangs amidst a jumble of boulders going down to the sand. As it is open sea to the north, pelagic species are present. With an average depth of 12 metres (40 ft) and a maximum depth of 24 metres (80 ft), it is also home to schools of snappers, jacks, fusiliers, giant groupers, wrasse and sweetlips. Small and soft corals are in abundance here such as the aptly named Christmas-tree worm.

13. Tiga Ruang

Common Sightings
Yellowtail Jacks, Parrotfish, Fusiliers, Putterfish, Boxfish, and Lionfish

Dive Site Briefing
At Tiga Ruang, the boulders line the site by going straight down to the corals and sand; where occasional coral heads are also present. With an average depth of 8metres (26 ft) and a maximum depth of 12metres (40 ft), this site is home to schools of yellowtail, small parrotfish, boxfish and pufferfish too.

14. Laluan Naga

Common Sightings
Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Filefish, Putterfish, Fusiliers, Jacks, Snappers, Batfish, Parrotfis, Barracuda, Groupers and Surgeonfish.

Dive Site Briefing
Here there are jumbles of big boulders descending to the sand. With an average depth of 12 metres (40 ft) and a maximum depth of 18metres (60 ft), here you’re able to find some good soft corals, patches of boulder corals and local species of angelfish, butterflyfish, filefish and pufferfish.

15. Batu Butuh

Dive Site Briefing
At Batu Butuh, there are jumbles of big boulders descending to the sand with good stony and soft corals. At an average depth of 12 metres (40 ft) and a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 ft), sighting of shovelnose ray shark can be seen here occasionally as well.
             

16. Teluk Dalam

Dive Site Briefing
At Teluk Dalam there are jumbles of rocks going down to the sand where the deeper rocks support the black coral species. With an average depth of 9 metres (30 ft) and a maximum depth of 12 metres (40 ft), you’ll encounter sea anemones; sea stars, shells and nudibranchs here.

17. Gua Kambing

Common Sightings
Putterfish, Filefish, Surgeonfish, Unicornfish, Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Stingrays and Parrotfish

Dive Site Briefing
At Gua Kambing, you’ll see jumbles of rocks going down to the sand. With an average depth of 9 metres (30 ft) and a maximum depth of 15metres (50 ft), you’ll encounter pufferfish, filefish, parrotfish, and butterflyfish at the site. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to see lobsters around the coral as well.


18. Pasir Kerangi

Dive Site Briefing
This site is actually an artificial reef made of open latticework of polyvinyl chloride pipes anchored down on sand in 1991. It is quite amazing, the growth on the pipes in such a short time. With an average depth of 17 metres (60 ft) and a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 ft), you will also spot sponges, black coral, and soft tree corals up to 80 cm in height.
 

19. Tanjung Butung

Common Sightings
variety of fish life including trevallies, filefish, snapper and jacks.

Dive Site Briefing
At Tanjung Butung, one is able to see jumbles of rock descending to the sand at 25 m (80 ft). With an average depth of 18 metres (60 ft) and a maximum depth of 25 metres (82 ft), you’ll be able to see a good variety of fish life including trevallies, filefish, snapper and jacks.


20. Pulau Susu Dara Besar

Common Sightings
Parrotfish, Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Rabbitfish, Putterfish, Lionfish, Surgeonfish, Unicornfich, Damselfish, Cardinalfish, Lizardfish, Hawkfish, Snapper, Razorfish, Fusiliers and Stingray

Dive Site Briefing
Average depth is 10 m (33 ft) and max depth is 18 m (60 ft). Marine life is similar to Tokong Laut however, there are less coral here.


21. Pulau Susu Dara Kecil

Common Sightings
Parrotfish, Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Rabbitfish, Putterfish, Lionfish, Surgeonfish, Unicornfich, Damselfish, Cardinalfish, Lizardfish, Hawkfish, Snapper, Razorfish, Fusiliers and Stingray

Dive Site Briefing
Marine life is similar to Tokong Laut such as small eels, schools of jacks, butterflyfish, angelfish, trevallies, razorfish and nurse sharks underneath the rocks as well, however there are less corals here for one to enjoy.


22. Tokong Burung Kecil

Dive Site Briefing
At this particular site where there are jumbles of boulders descending to the sand, it is quite a good site for corals but marine life here is not as appealing as the other sites in Perhentian.


23. Pulau Rawa

Common Sightings
Variety of reef fishes and nudibranchs

Dive Site Briefing

The site comprises of big boulders that form caves and tunnels; furthermore, you can swim through these tunnels too. With an average depth of 15 metres (50 ft) and a maximum depth of 27 metres (90 ft), here you’ll find some soft and black corals as well as sea fans.
 

24. Tokong Bopeng

Common Sightings
Parrotfish, Putterfish, Surgeonfish, Snappers and Bumphead Parrotfish.

Dive Site Briefing
With an average depth of 10 metres (33 ft) and a maximum depth of 21 metres (70 ft), the marine life is good and plentiful here, but the coral population are not in abundance at this site.


25. Batu Nisan

Common Sightings
Putterfish, Boxfish, Surgeonfish, Unicornfish, parrotfish, Snappers, Sweetlips and Fusiliers

Dive Site Briefing      
There are jumbles of rock and hard corals that descend from the coast to the sandy bottom. You are guaranteed to see stingrays, fan worms, sea star and various species of sea cucumber including Crown of Thorns. Many species of large and small pufferfish, unicornfish, triggerfish, Sweetlips and fusilier can be spotted here as well. A good site for beginners and snorkellers.


26. Tanjung Tukas

Dive Site Briefing
There are jumbles of boulder descending to the sand with good stony corals and soft corals. With an average depth of 12 metres (40 ft) and maximum depth of 18 metres (60 ft), occasionally one is able to see shovelnose ray sharks here.