heIslands of Johor
he southern state of Johor is blessed
with beautiful islands located far from the
mainland. Pulau Aur boasts pristine deep
waters teeming with pelagic ish, while
Pulau Langofers sightings of green turtles,
bumphead parrotish and blue-spoted
stingrays, a common inhabitant of the
Malaysian coast.
he corals in this area shelter a
colourful variety of reef ish, 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. hickly
encrusted with corals, this sunken Japaneseighter plane is home to teeming marine
life, including the comical dogface
puferish, which usually swims solo
and atracts plenty of atention for its
elongated face and box-like body.Turtle Islands Park
Lying in the Sulu Sea of the northern
coast of Borneo, Turtle Islands Park
is a cluster of three islands – Selingan,
Bakungan Kecil, and Gulisan – home
to green and hawksbill turtles. Only the
largest island, Selingan, is open to visitors,
who have the opportunity to catch sight
of the endangered turtles when they come
ashore to lay eggs.Diving Paradise
Mala ysia boasts some of the planet’sinest dive sites,
with pristine waters that are rich in marine lifeWHEN
August–September
WHERE
Northern Borneo
HOW
TakeaflightfromKota
Kinabalu to Sandakan,
thenhopontheonlyferry
from Sabah Park JettyEXPERIENCE
DIVINGTurtle Islands ParkMALAYSIARightPulau Perhentian
Besar, Terengganu,
Malaysia
Top RightNeon
triplein, Pulau Aur,
Malaysia
WHEN
March–October
WHERE
Johor’seastcoast
HOW
From Mersing town,
take a speedboat (about
two hours)EXPERIENCE
DIVINGAur
IslandMALAYSIATe r e n g g a n u
Hailed as “Gem of the East Coast”,
Terengganu boasts a long coastline of
aquamarine waters fringed by white powdery
sand. Of Pulau Perhentian Besar are clear
blue waters ideal for diving and snorkelling,
while the secluded Pulau Lang Tengah ofers a
peaceful experience and 15 stunning dive sites
within a 10-minute boat ride from each other.
he farthest island from the mainland, Pulau
Tenggol, is where you’ll ind mature coral
gardens, thanks to the nutrient-rich waters of
the well-sheltered bay, while Pulau Kapas is
home to a variety of both hard and sot corals
rich in marine life. he island is also known for
squid ishing at certain times of the year.Te x t Tourism MalaysiaMALAYSIAPHOTOS © SHUTTERSTOCK