Redang Dive Sites
Dive site name : Pulau Ekor Tebu
Pulau Ekor Tebu is normally dived around the northern edge where boulders drop from the surface to 25 metres. There is an exquisite array of hard corals at this site, all jostling for that optimum light capturing position on the reef. This dive site is characterized by its fascinating underwater landscape. It offers good visibility and an excellent bottom topography.
The rocks are covered with had corals formations including staghorn, table, brain and pore corals. Reefs fish including parrotfish, porcupine fish and pufferfish. Black spiny urchins, sea cucumbers and sea stars cling to the rock. Stingrays can be seen in the send at the edge of the reef and eagle rays are sometimes spotted in this area.
Dive site name : Chek Isa ( Mini Mount )
Chek Isa is a submerged reef that starts from 8 metres in depth and The prettiest part of the dive site is the 2 enormous boulders carpeted with many different species of soft corals, sponges and stinging hydroids scattered around until it hits the sandy bottom at 20 metres. Sunlight shining on the top of the reef makes this a great spot for photographers.
Cowries, spider shells and colourful Christmas tree worms are often encountered, together with angelfish, wrasses, groupers and other reef dwellers. Look out for well-camouflaged devil scorpionfish buried in the sandy bottom.
Chek Isa is also a popular night dive location when crabs, shrimps and painted rock lobster and parrotfish can be seen sleeping in the reef.
Dive site name : Mak Cantik ( Maxi Mount )
Close to Chek Isa is Mak Cantik (which means 'beautiful mother' in Malay), an underwater seamount in waters 12-18 metres deep. Mak Cantik is a shallow dive site that has beautiful coral gardens full of reef fish and anemoneswith resident of clown fish.
There can be strong currents around the submerged boulders here. As we know this is good for bigger fish so barracuda, jacks and trevally are common at this dive site along side many other species of schooling fish that sweep around the coral formations in spectacular unison. The Titan triggerfish can be aggressive when protecting their territory. Visibility is 10 to 30 metres.
Dive site name : Pulau Lima
Pulau Lima is located 20 minutes boat ride east of Redang Island. The island has several areas worth diving. A research study in 1976 found Pulau Lima and its associated sea mounts as perhaps the most valuable entity within the Redang marine park as the reefs around this islet represented all environments found elsewhere in Redang, thereby providing a miniaturized view of the entire park's marine environment.
The most famous dive site is the "Big Mount" ( Pulau Lima North ) and lies 80 metres off the island's northern tip. Stronger currents can be present here hence the likelihood of seeing bigger pelagics. Starting at about 20 meters, the boulder terrain drops away to 30+ metres and is filled with many varieties of hard and soft corals, gorgonian fans, sea anemones and whip coral gardens.
To the south of Pulau Lima is another boulder dive site with caves and crevices that provide a habitat for a vast array of marine life. The eastern side comprises steep walls encrusted with corals dropping to about 13 meters before sloping away gradually to 30 meters. Sea fans and whips can be found at the deeper bottoms. Apart from the usual reef fishes, look out for black tip reef sharks, moray eels, lionfish and puffer fish.
Dive site name : Pulau Karengga
Pulau karengga Besar and Pulau karengga Kecil are two islands that offers good shallow diving.With a maximum depth of 18 metres and weak currents this is a good area for training dives and night dives. Between the two islands lies the best concentration of hard and soft corals and reef fish. Stingrays can be seen in sand patches.
A coral garden comprising both hard and soft coral lies between the two islands. Humphead parrots, snappers, tuna, jacks and trevallies may be encountered at the reef, while many species of shrimp and crab may be found especially during night dives.
Dive site name : Pulau Karengga & Batu Chipor
This small island is best known for two massive coral heads which are said to be the largest off the Malay Peninsular. The larger of the mammouth Porites measures around 25 meters across at its base circumference. These can be explored at relatively shallow depths of 10-20 metres. They are both over a hundred years old and the small caves around the bottom attract angel fish and moorish idols.
The coral head are home to masses of marine life including angelfish, butterfly fish, sweetlips, parrotfish and puffer fish. Just north of Pulau Ling is a small rocky outcrop that is covered in seafans, whips and sponges. It is barely exposed at low tides and currents can be strong here. it is more suitable for experienced divers. The rocky wall is covered with soft tree corals, leather corals and fans, while the sandy bottom is covered mainly with hard staghorn, lettuce and boulder corals.
Dive site name : Tanjung Tokong ( North Point )
Tanjung Tokong is situated very close to Turtle Bay at Chagar Hutang where SEATRU has its field station. As such, it offers opportunities to spot green and hawksbill turtles. In addition to the turtles there are many varieties of reef fish here around the submerged boulders.
The dive site is a collection of submerged boulders down to 30 metres deep which attracts bigger hunting fish such as trevallys and barracuda that comes in to feed on the bait fish here. The sea here can get rough at times but divers will be rewarded with the diversity of fishes and other reef life found here, including jacks, snappers, napolean wrasse, fusiliers, nudibranch, flatworms and the occasional shark.
A little further south is an array of boulders that create caves, swinthroughs and canyons. Close inspections is rewarded by sights of the shyer marine inhabitants lurking in the darkness.
Dive site name : Terumbu Kili ( South Point )
Terumbu Kili, a rocky outcrop that appears above water and slopes down to a sandy bottom at about 20 metres in depth, lies at the southern tip of Pulau Pinang and is one of the top dive sites at Redang.
Beware the strong surface currents in the channel separating this outcrop from Pulau Pinang. Due to the strong currents, this site is best left to more experienced divers. Those who take the plunge may be rewarded with sightings of occasional blacktip sharks, barracudas, jacks, snappers, fusiliers, jellyfish and schools of yellowtail. A coral garden of leather corals, soft coral, whips and fans occupy several ledges on the slope front. Hawksbill turtles are commonly encountered here.
There is an old wreck of a cargo vessel near the Marine Headquarters on the north of Pulau Pinang. It is now covered in coral and is home to many fish including a stonefish that takes some searching out.
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