Asian Geographic - April 2018

(singke) #1
WHEN
March to October

WHERE
Johor’s east coast

HOW
From Mersing town,
take a speedboat for
about two hours

EXPERIENCE


THE ISLANDS
OF JOHOR

yield a chance encounter with these giant fish:


Bumpheads weave a transparent cocoon before


they sleep to keep their scent from predators,


and this nocturnal sight is as impressive as that


in the daytime.


Batfish, Moorish idols, hawkfish, groupers


and coral trout are other common inhabitants,


as are the resident whitetip reef sharks and


grey reef sharks. Leaffish and the odd-looking


crocodilefish might also be spotted. Corals


crowd the reef in a riot of colour: Large black


corals and barrel sponges vie for attention with


gigantic soft tree corals, as well as anemones


and their playful clownfish.


The Islands of Johor


The southern state of Johor is blessed


with beautiful islands located far from the


mainland. Pulau Aur boasts pristine deep


waters teeming with pelagic fish, while


Pulau Lang offers sightings of green turtles,


bumphead parrotfish and blue-spotted


stingrays, a common inhabitant of the


Malaysian coast. The corals in this area shelter


a colourful variety of reef fish, cephalopods


and crustaceans, as well as the beautiful but


elusive Spanish dancer nudibranch.


Adventurous visitors will want to seek


out the Zero wreck located south of Aur.


Thickly encrusted with corals, this sunken


above Corals off the
coast of Sipadan Island

below A diver has a
close encounter with a
sea turtle in the waters
of Pulau Aur

Japanese fighter plane is home to teeming
marine life like the comical dogface pufferfish,
which prefers to swim solo and attracts
plenty of attention for its elongated face
and box-like body.

PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK
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