Tioman Island, lies about 36 nautical miles west off Malaysia's east coast and is the largest of a group of 64 volcanic islands. With a size of about 36km long and 19 km at its greatest island width, Tioman is a great island in the sun with good reefs for snorkelers and divers.
According to local legend, the mystical Tioman Island is the resting ground of a magical dragon princess who whilst flying from China to her beloved prince in Singapore, sought solace in the crystal clear water of South China Seas. So pleased was she with the surrounding charm, that she discontinued her journey, and search for happiness in order to give pleasure and comfort to weary passing seafarers as well as providing shelter and refreshment to fisherman by turning herself into this beautiful island.
The following are the dive sites around Pulau Tioman:- Magician Rock, Fan Canyon, Kador Bay, One Tree Bay, Batu Malang, Chebeh island, Labas island, Tiger Reef, Golden Reef, Soyah island, Renggis island, Marine Park, Tokong Bahara and Tokong Burong. Canyons, swim-throughs and impressive rock formations make each of these dive sites an experience in itself. An abundant growth of hard and soft corals can be found everywhere.There are also swim through around Pulau Tioman which is very interesting.
Turtles, reef sharks, large moray eels, shoals of jacks and barracudas, angel fishes and much more are at home here. Marine Park and Soyah island have smaller wrecks (wooden fishing boats), which attract lots of fishes.
Pulau Chebeh (Northeast Corner), Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 82ft (25m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- Located on the northeat corner of Pulau Chebeh, northwest of the northern end of Pulau Pulau Tioman and north of Pulau Tulai. Soft Corals, Gargonian Sea Fans, Smaller Yellow and Blue Gargonian Sea Fan. Large Puffer fish, angelfish, Butterfly fish and wrasse, Maray eels, spotted Sweetlips, gobies and lizardfish.
Pulau Chebeh (Southeast Side), Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 65ft (20m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- Located on the northwest corner of Pulau Chebeh, northwest of the northern end of Pulau Tioman and north of Pulau Tulai. A huge vulcanic rock boulders decends to sandy bottom where you do not get many fishes. On the sandy bottom you might get yourself some snappers, lone triggerfish, turtles, Napoleon Wrasse, and batfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and Christmas Tree Worm on boulder coral as well as moray eels and Stingray.
Magicienne Rock, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 50ft (15m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- Nort north west of the northern end of Pulau Tioman. This is a pinnacle that rises to 26ft (8m) below the surface. Here you get pelagic fish such as occasionally Manta Ray, Whale Sharks, Leopard Sharks, Angelfish, Butterfly fish and school of jacks, Golden Striped Trevallies, Fusiliers, Snappers and Groupers.
Pulau Tulai, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 57ft (18m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- North-north west of the northern end of Pulau Tioman. Here you will see a jumble of boulders that you can swim around and through, soft corals, gargonian fans in white, beige, and blue, black corals, sea stars, cushion on the sand, angelfish, buterfly fish and wrasse. On the rocks and corals are blue spotter rays, crown of thorns, lots of feather stars, soldierfish, lizardfish and gobies.
Malang Rocks, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 26ft (8m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- West of the northern end of Pulau Tioman. Shallow dive where you can swim in and out around the volcanic boulders. Large lettuce corals,sponges and huge 3.5ft(1m)Dendronephthya soft coral in the caves. Stinging hydroids, fire coral,nudibranchs, large cuttlefish, hundreds of anemones, shoals of barracuda, trevallies, yellowtail snappers, six-band and blue-ringed angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, blue-spotted ribbontail rays,slingjaw and moon wrasse, sae urchins, gobies, lizardfish and the occasional Leopard Shark.
Golden Reef, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 50ft (15m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- Located between Tiger Reef and Pulau Sepoi, west of the northern end of Pulau Tioman. A plateau, with blue, beige and white gorgonian sea fans, feather stars, sponges and soft coral. Stingrays, scorpionfish, lionfish, stonefish, batfish, murex shells and sea stars, including the crown-of-thorns.
Tiger Rocks, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 82ft (25m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- Midway between Pulau Labas and Pulau Sepoi, west of the northern end of Pulau Tioman. Volcanic boulders with swimthroughs rising to within 33ft of the surface and teeming with shoals of fish. Between the gaps, you can find sponges, gorgonian sea fans, many species of pufferfish, lots of nudibranches and fan worms. Barracuda, Rainbow Runners, Tuna, Batfish, Trevallies, Snappers, Yellowtail Jacks, fusiliers and wrasse are found in open water while the corals have angelfish, butterflyfish, slingjaw wrasse, parrotfish, damselfish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, stonefish, bream, cuttlefish, moray eels, groupers, blue-spotted ribbontail rays and the occasional turtle.
Pulau Labas, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 50ft (15m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- West of the northern end of Pulau Tioman. Another large jumble of volcanis boulders which you can swim around, among and through. Gorgonian sea fans, sea urchins, sea stars, cuttlefish, angelfish, butterflyfish,scorpionfish and stonefish. A small skeleton of a steel shipwreck can be found on the northwest side.
Pulau Renggis, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 30ft (9m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- A few hundred metres off west of the Berjaya Imperial Beach Resort, southwest of the busy jetty which spoils the visibility somewhat. Good for training and night dives, you get to see angelfish, butterflyfish, batfish, barracuda, triggerfish, blue-spotted lagoon rays, moray eels and small blacktip sharks.
Bahara Rock, Pulau Tioman
- Depth : 50 feet (15m)
- Level : Open Water and above
- Southwest of the southwest corner of Pulau Tioman, it is a mini drop-off where you will find pelagic fish and reef species.
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