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Divesites in Malaysia
 
East Coast Wrecks: The seas around West Malaysia are the busiest waterways in the world, and a number of world class wrecks are accessible for diving. However the wrecks are deep between 40-70 m and there can be strong current and big waves, so these are dives for the experienced. The fish life is plenty and out here in the open ocean the fish are bigger. Expect to see big groupers, snappers, sweetlips, moray eels, jackfish and on the decompression stops the ever present batfish.
HMS Repulse (*****): This 240 m long English battleship was sunk in 1942 by Japanese bombers. Lying on the side at 57 m. the damage from bombs and torpedoes are apparent but mostly the ship is in good condition. The two forward gun turrets and the bridge are impressive sights. Big fish such as marble rays and cobias live around the wreck. The ship is so big it takes several dives to explore. This is definitely the best wreck dive I have had in Asia.
Banka (***): A Dutch minelayer sunk during WW2. Standing upright at 60m on the sandy bottom the wreck is quite damaged. There are allot of ammunition and dept charges on board. You can easily swim around the wreck in one dive, but it will require at least two dives to fully explore the ship.

Pulau Redang: Redang is the premier divespot on the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. The trip from Kuala Terengganu takes about 1-2 hours, but Terengganu province is fairly secluded and is best reached by plane from Kuala Lumpur. Redang comprises nine islands. While Redang itself is covered by jungle and has beautiful white sandy beaches, the smaller islands are mostly rocks.
Black Coral, Pulau Lima (***): The hard corals here are nice and varied and plenty of smaller fish. Expect to see snappers, some of the larger species of angelfish and batfish. However there are no big fish or pelagics here.
Mini Mount (****): A small mount extending from the sandy bottom at 30 meter to around 10 meter. You can swim around the mount in one dive. The hard corals are nice and there are plenty of fish. Schools of snappers and fusiliers circle the pinnacle. Expect to see lionfish, angelfish and stingrays on the sandy bottom. I was lucky to see two courting cuttlefishes and a big hermit crab
Redang Bay House Reef (***): This site is good for a nightdive and probably snorkeling. On a nightdive I saw crabs, hermit crabs, shrimps, moray eels and cowrie shells. Parrotfishes sleep among the corals inside secreted mocus cocoons.
Tanjung Tokong (***/****): A lot of big fishes can be seen at this site, but the current can be very strong. Big groupers, jackfish and snappers hang around in the current. Some spots have nice hard corals, but the site is mostly dominated by huge boulders. 
Mak Can Tik (****): The current can be fierce, but that is what attracts the big fish. Schools of bigeye trevally, bigeye barracuda, bigeye snappers and fusiliers hang around this site. A number of pinnacles with nice hard corals extends around 10 meters over the sandy bottom (at 20 meters). The pinnacles can be circled in one dive. Goatfishes and gobies rests on the sandy bottom. I saw two spiny devilfishes crawling on the sand. When I had circled the pinnacle one of devilfishes was on top of the other, maybe they were mating.
Sharon Stone (***/****): This site is a number of rocks spread over the sandy bottom. A lot of stingrays of several different species and flatheads are hiding in the sand and under the rocks. Several moray eels of different species are living among the rocks. Schools of star pufferfish was swimming a few meters above the bottom. These are probably mating formations and only to be seen at certain times of  the year.

Perhentian Islands: The two Perhentian islands (Besar & Kecil) are situated 50 km. north of Redang. The islands arecovered by jungle and has beautiful white sandy beaches. The small island is a popular destination for backpackers.
Sugar Wreck (***/****): This small freighter (~60m) is lying on the side on the sandy bottom in 18-20m of water. The wreck is in good condition. On the sandy bottom lives pipefish, big murex shells and helmet shells are everywhere. Expect to see barracudas, boxfish, jackfish, lionfish and batfish.
Vietnamese Wreck (**/***): A small freighter (~40m) lying upside down on the sandy bottom at 23m. You can swim under the deck, but not inside the wreck . The top of the wreck is covered in nice soft corals. The wreck is inhabited by a school of barracuda as well as jackfish and batfish.

Tiger Rock (**): Three small pinnacles and some boulders has some interest. The corals and fish life is nothing special.
Seabell Rock (**/***): Nice corals in the shallow. The corals gradually give way to a sandy bottom at 10 meters. Blue-spotted stingrays, flounders and gobies live in the sand, while the corals are home to allot of smaller fish

Batu Layar (**/***): Similar to Seabell Rock but marginally deeper and a few larger fish like jackfish and batfish.
Tokong Laut (****): The best divesite in Perhentian Islands. Nice hard- and soft corals and many species of nudibranches. All the small reeffish as well as some of the bigger ones like jackfish, snappers, sweetlips, batfish, big moray eels and groupers. Titan triggerfish are abundant.

Teluk Pauh (***): An easy beach dive on Perhentian Besar. This area has many blacktip reefsharks, but you are just as likely to see them while snorkeling. Some nice hard corals in the shallow giving way to a sandy bottom at 5 meters. Big solitary barracudas, bluespotted stingrays and groupers live here.

Pulau Tioman: A popular holiday destination for Malaysians and Singaporeans. In season a direct catamaran ferry links Tioman with Singapore. The island has mist shrouded jungle claid mountains, white sandy beaches and beautiful coral reefs. Tioman is fairly developed, but more pleasant and organised than similar plases in Thailand.
Tulai Bay (**/***): The hard corals in the shallow are nice, but nothing special. These could just as well be seen while snorkeling. Nudibranches, filefish and titan triggerfishes live among the corals. Below 7 meters the sandy bottom only has sporadic coral cower. I was lucky to see a conch shell and a top shell in the sand and a green turtle and some orange spotted trevally passing by.
Tulai Rock (****): Good site for a nightdive, but could be disappointing during the day. The corals are nothing special and below 10 meters they gradually give way to a sandy bottom. In one nightdive I saw hunting barracudas, a big squid, a small octopus, shrimps, crabs, stingrays, batfish and a bamboo shark.
Marang (***): This site also has nice hard corals in the shallow which just as well could be seen while snorkeling or decompressing. Some orangespotted trevally and batfish pass by, but otherwise not much fish life. I saw two mating seatiger nudibranches.
Soyak Wreck (**/***): The wreck of a wooden malay fishing boat standing upright on the sandy bottom at a dept of 23 meters. The wreck is totally encrusted in soft coral and a few winged oysters. The wreck is inhabited by a few larger angelfishes and jackfish cruise by. You can swim inside the wreck, but its not really worth it.
Soyak (**): This site is nothing special, only worth visiting in combination with Soyak Wreck. Expect to see a few nudibranches filefish and smaller fish. The corals in the shallow could just as well be seen while snorkeling.
Renggis (***/****): I have done a few nightdives here, which was excellent, but the day dives here are nothing special. I saw a big sleeping green turtle twice, squids, batfish, stingrays, moray eels, up to 120 cm hunting great barracudas, pufferfishes, crabs, shrimps, hermit crabs and flatworms. What more could you expect from a nightdive? The hard corals on the north side are nice but apart from the odd turtle and occational chevron barracudas and usual batfishes, the site havent much to offer during the day. However this place is very good for snorkeling as its quite shallow.
Chebeh (***/****): This site is dominated by big boulders and seafans. Schools of bigeye snappers and fusiliers cruise by while moray eels and nudibranches can be seen among the rocks. Larger species of angelfish, coral groupers and baramundis are common. Its fun to swim around the boulders in the shallow, but be aware of the swell.
Labas (***): Another site dominated by boulders and seafans. Schools of bigeye snappers and fusiliers are common while moray eels and scorpionfishes hide among the rocks.
Larger species of angelfish and coral groupers and the occational green turtle swim around but otherwise not many big fish.
Malang Rock (***): The shallower part of this site is dotted with big rocks and boulders. Its fun to swimm trough the crevices, but be aware of the swell. Below 15 meters its mostly sandy bottom with sporadic coral cover. A lot of bluespotted stingrays are found hiding under the staghorn coral and shrimp gobies in their holes.  Goatfishes are stirring up the sand with their barbels in search for food.
Bahara (***): The top 7 meters of corals have been fairly damaged. However below 20 some nice soft corals can be found. Around 25-27 meters the corals give way to a sandy bottom where bluespotted stingrays can be found.
Jahat (**): Nothing special. Apart from the usual batfish and nudibranches this site havent much to offer.
Malini wreck (***): This is an old Thai wreck probably a freighter at a dept of 43 meters. The wreck is about 90 meters long but very broken up. A lot of big snappers, groupers, sweetlips, barracudas and batfish live around the wreck. Be aware of the lionscorpion and stonefish.
Sawadee wrecks (***): Another site with two traditional Malaysian fishing boats at around 30 meters. These wrecks only have sporadic coral cover, but scorpionfish and moray eels make their home here. Snappers, groupers and schools of fusiliers cruise by.
Paya Beach (*): Very shallow dive, better for snorkeling. A few nice corals on a sandy bottom. The usual bluespotted stingrays, batfish, and nudibranches. I was lucky to see a flathead hiding in the sand.
Tiger Reef (****): One of the best divesites around Tioman. Many fan corals and nice hard- and soft corals. Moray eels, stingrays and nudibranches hides among the rocks and corals. Expect to see batfish, groupers, sweetlips, angelfish, schools of snappers and fusiliers.
The Marine Park (***/****): This site has 21
traditional Malaysian fishing boats at around 25 meters. The wrecks have sporadic coral cover and a few winged oysters have attached to some of the wrecks. Scorpionfish and moray eels hide in the wrecks while snappers, groupers, angelfish and schools of fusiliers cruise by. Fish feeding around the jetty attracts schools of jackfish, rabbitfish, batfish and occational barracudas.

Pulau Aur: Aur and Dayang are similar to Pulau Tioman, but much smaller and far less developed. The primitive resorts here only charters to divers. Its more difficult to get to Aur as you will have to book the trip in Mersing or trough a diveshop in Singapore. Expect 4 hours Singapore-Mersing and 4-5 hours Mersing-Aur.

Pulau Lang (***/****): The corals here are nothing special, but its the big fish that makes this a good divesite. Several bumphead parrotfishes, batfishes, angelfishes, lobsters and a few turtles lives here. The bottom gently slopes down below 40 meter. Below 10 meters its sandy bottom. If you go deep expect to see barracuda and jackfish cruising by. 
Dayang Tip (***): Similar to Pulau Lang, but with fewer big fish. However the corals are nicer.
Sebukang Bay (**): Nothing special. Expect to see e few batfish and some nudibranches.
Housereef (**/***): Nothing special, but OK for a nightdive. Expect to see crabs, shrimps, moray eels and parrotfishes sleeping among the corals inside secreted mocus cocoons. I have been lucky to see a seahorse and hunting great barracudas here. There is a lot of coral eating crown of thorns starfish.
Telok Kador (**): The corals here are nothing special, and neither is the fish life. I have seen a few pufferfishes, titan triggerfish and some larger species of angelfish, but no other big fish. Apart from a few nudibranches the macrolife is disapointing too.
Rainers Rock (***/****): This site is dominated by big boulders and in places the soft corals are prolific. There could be strong current, but this brings inn the big fish. Expect to see schools of bigeye trevally, bigeye barracuda, fusiliers, solitary blackfin barracuda. Moray eels, lionfish and scorpionfish hide among the rocks.



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