Diving and Snorkeling in Perhentian Islands

Part of the Perhentian Islands travel guide — see every topic in All Perhentian Islands Guides.

The Perhentians sit inside a marine park and the water is what people come for: warm, clear and shallow, with reef close enough to shore that snorkelling from the beach is worthwhile at half a dozen spots. Green and hawksbill turtles are common and frequently seen in a metre of water; blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows and are harmless; and the diving is easy, warm and inexpensive enough that the islands are one of the cheapest places on earth to get certified.

Snorkelling

Coral Bay on Kecil, the reef off Besar's western beaches and Turtle Point are all snorkelable straight from the sand. Beyond that, half-day and full-day snorkel boat trips run from every beach at 40–80 ringgit including gear, visiting four or five sites: a turtle point, a shark point where blacktips patrol a shallow reef, the fish-feeding spot at the Perhentian village, Romantic Beach and Rawa island. It is genuinely good and the sightings are reliable rather than lucky.

Diving

Around twenty sites, mostly between five and twenty-five metres, with warm water at twenty-eight to thirty degrees and visibility from ten to thirty metres depending on conditions. The Sugar Wreck, a cargo ship that sank in 2000 in around eighteen metres, is the signature dive. Temple of the Sea and Tokong Laut are rock pinnacles with good fish life and occasional larger visitors. Terumbu Tiga and Batu Layar are the reef sites. Two-tank dives run 180–260 ringgit including equipment.

Learning

The Perhentians are one of the cheapest certification destinations anywhere: an open-water course runs 1,000–1,400 ringgit over three or four days, in warm shallow calm water with no current at the training sites. There is a very high density of dive schools, which is the catch — standards vary. Ask about student-to-instructor ratios, equipment age and servicing, how many confined-water sessions are included, and whether certification fees are extra. The long-established schools with their own compressors and boats are the safer choice.

The reef and its condition

The Perhentian reefs have been under real pressure: bleaching events, anchor damage, sunscreen chemicals and heavy snorkel-boat traffic on a small number of sites. Malaysia has periodically closed specific reefs to allow recovery. Do not touch or stand on coral, use a rash vest or reef-safe sunscreen, do not chase turtles, and decline any operator that offers fish feeding — it is still offered and it alters reef behaviour measurably. The marine park conservation fee is collected on arrival and is not optional.

Diving and Snorkeling at a glance

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All 12 Perhentian Islands guides·Malaysia tourist maps

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