Turtles and Marine Life in Perhentian Islands
Part of the Perhentian Islands travel guide — see every topic in All Perhentian Islands Guides.
The Perhentians are one of the more reliable places in South-East Asia to see sea turtles without a boat, a permit or luck. Green turtles and, less commonly, hawksbills feed on the seagrass and reef around both islands and are regularly encountered by snorkellers in shallow water, sometimes within a few metres of the beach. Both species also nest on the islands' quieter beaches between roughly March and September, and there are conservation projects working on hatchery protection and beach monitoring.
Seeing turtles
Turtle Point off Perhentian Besar and the seagrass beds off several beaches are the reliable spots, and most snorkel boat trips include at least one. Sightings are common enough that many people see turtles simply swimming from their own beach. The etiquette matters: keep at least three to four metres away, never touch, never chase, do not swim directly above one — a turtle that cannot surface will panic — and give a resting animal a wide berth. Boat crews that encourage close approach are worth avoiding.
Nesting and conservation
Females come ashore at night between roughly March and September to lay, on the quieter beaches away from the strips. Light and disturbance are the enemies: a nesting turtle that is startled returns to the sea without laying, and hatchlings orient towards the brightest horizon, which artificial light disrupts fatally. Volunteer and conservation projects operate on the islands doing nest relocation, hatchery work and monitoring. If you encounter a nesting turtle or hatchlings, keep back, keep quiet and use no light.
The rest of the life
Blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallows and are harmless — a metre-long blacktip in knee-deep water is a common and entirely benign sight. Bamboo sharks rest under coral. Bumphead parrotfish, batfish, snapper, triggerfish, moray eels, cuttlefish and nudibranchs fill in. Occasional whale sharks pass through in season. The reefs also hold a good range of hard and soft coral, though the condition varies site by site and several areas have suffered bleaching.
Doing no harm
Reef-safe sunscreen or, better, a rash vest — conventional sunscreen chemicals are implicated in coral damage and the volume of snorkellers here is substantial. Never touch or stand on coral. Decline fish feeding, which is still offered on some trips and measurably changes reef behaviour. Take all rubbish off the islands; there is no waste infrastructure. Choose operators that brief on turtle distance rather than promising close encounters. And pay the marine park conservation fee without arguing about it, because that is what funds the enforcement.
Turtles and Marine Life at a glance
| Species | Green turtles mainly; hawksbills less commonly |
|---|---|
| Where | Turtle Point off Besar; seagrass beds off several beaches |
| Distance | Keep 3–4 m; never above a turtle, never touch |
| Nesting | Roughly March–September, at night on quiet beaches |
| Also common | Blacktip reef sharks in the shallows — harmless |
| Never | Feed fish, touch coral, or use light near nesting beaches |