The Perhentian Islands stand as a beacon for diving enthusiasts seeking both tranquility and adventure beneath the waves. Renowned for their accessibility and diverse marine ecosystems, the dive sites surrounding the Perhentian Islands offer calm conditions for training and exploration. Whether you’re embarking on your first dive or seeking to expand your skills amidst vibrant coral reefs and colourful marine life, the Perhentian Islands provide an immersive and unforgettable diving experience for divers of all levels.
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Tanjung Basi locates at the Northernmost Tip of Perhentian Besar. The reef sits at 12m-18m depth, and current can be strong at times. This is the primary site in Perhentian for deep diving activities, with beautiful shallow reef, massive boulders and overhangs, offers an interesting opportunity for divers to explore.
Max Depth: 18m-30m
Possible Sightings: Triggerfish, Napoleon Wrasse, Humphead Parrotfish, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Hawksbill Turtle, Green Turtle, Nudibranch, Giant Moray Eel, Unicorn Fish, Bannerfish, Golden Trevallies, and many more.
Sunk in 2000 due to the monsoon, Sugar Wreck (MV Unionstar 17), is a cargo vessel that was carrying sugar from South Africa. It is the largest wreck we have around Perhentian - spanning up to 90m long.
Max Depth: 18m
Possible Sightings: Cuttlefish, Squid, Giant Pufferfish, Barraccudas, Nudibranch, Bamboo Sharks, Butterflyfish, Bannerfish, Golden Trevallies, and many more.
The Three Brothers" or "T3" is a huge site made up of three massive building sized boulders and many smaller ones. Many pelagic fish visit here and it is a good spot to find blacktips, barracuda and turtles. There are numerous caverns and swim-throughs and the soft corals on the top of the boulders make for awesome wide-angle photo opportunities. T3 is also a great place to find nudibranch and pipefish.
Max Depth: 25m
Possible Sightings: Humphead Parrotfish, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Hawksbill Turtle, Green Turtle, Nudibranch, Giant Moray Eel, Unicorn Fish, Bannerfish, Barracudas, Golden Trevallies, and if you're really lucky, Whale sharks come around T3 during August to October.
Tokong Laut (Temple of the Sea) is arguably one of the most popular dive sites around Perhentian. It is a submerged pinnacle that goes down all the way to 25m. Enjoy the diverse marine life around the pinnacle and don't forget to look out into the blue where Whale Sharks were known to be spotted.
Max Depth: 25m
Possible Sightings: Blacktip Reef Sharks, Bamboo Sharks, White-eyed Moray Eel, Porcupine Fish, Giant Pufferfish, Cuttlefish, Squid, Hawksbill Turtle, Green Turtle, Nudibranch, Unicorn Fish, Bannerfish, Barracudas, Golden Trevallies, and if you're really lucky, Whale sharks come around Tokong Laut during August to October.
These THREE (3) fishing vessels were sunk in 2018 to create an artificial wreck sitting at just 18m. San Choi, which sounds like "3-Boats" in Chinese, has become one of the hottest dive sites around Perhentian the past few years. It is now home to thousands of marine life. You could get lost in the school of fish surrounding the wreck!
Max Depth: 18m
Possible Sightings: Bamboo Sharks, Jenkins Whipray, Bluespotted Stingray, Porcupine Fish, Giant Pufferfish, Cuttlefish, Squid, Barracudas, Golden Trevallies, and so so many more!
Serenggeh Island is a small, rocky islet off the coast of Perhentian Kecil, known for its vibrant marine biodiversity and unique underwater topography. This site is popular among both beginner and experienced divers due to its moderate depth, good visibility, and the variety of marine life it offers. There is also a beautiful "canyon" at the end of the dive site - if you have sufficient air left, you won't want to miss this.
Max Depth: 18m
Possible Sightings: Bamboo Sharks, Bluespotted Stingray, Boxfish, Porcupine Fish, Giant Pufferfish, Cuttlefish, Squid, Barracudas, Golden Trevallies, Angelfish, Lionfish, Humphead Parrotfish, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Moray Eels, and so so many more!
Whip Garden or also known as Tokong Burung Deep is off the rocky islet of Tokong Burung, close to Tokong Laut. This unique dive site offers diverse marine life as well as corals (soft & hard). Tons of whip corals can be found here, as the name suggests, and also tree-size Black Corals is also spotted here. Venture into the forest of the sea and be amazed of this one-of-a-kind dive site. Pretty much like entering a magical place here.
Max Depth: 25m
Possible Sightings: Hawksbill Turtle, Green Turtle, Jenkins Whipray, Short Tail Ray, Marble Ray, Trevallies, Snappers, Nudibranch, Angelfish, Humphead Parrotfish, Eagle Ray, Barracudas, Pufferfish, and many more.