The Perhentian Islands and neighbouring Pulau Redang lie off Terengganu on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, inside a protected marine park in the South China Sea. Warm, calm coral reefs, reliable green and hawksbill turtles, blacktip reef sharks and an easy shallow shipwreck make this one of Southeast Asia's most popular places to learn to dive — but the islands and their dive centres close entirely during the northeast monsoon, roughly November to February.
Destination info
Conditions, highlights, and the resident marine life.
Conditions
Water and air temperature across the year.
WaterAirDryShoulderWet
Description
The Perhentians (Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil) and Pulau Redang, about 40 km to the southeast, sit within Malaysia's Terengganu marine-park waters in the southern South China Sea. The diving is defined by warm water (a steady 27–32°C, averaging around 29°C), shallow fringing coral reefs, granite boulder formations and a small cluster of shipwrecks, with most sites under 25 m. Visibility is typically 10–20 m, opening to 25–30 m in the calmest peak-season weather and collapsing during the monsoon. These conditions, plus very low training costs, have made the islands a major hub for entry-level certification, though several deeper pinnacle and wreck sites reward experienced divers. The reefs hold green and hawksbill turtles, blacktip reef sharks, bamboo and nurse sharks, large schools of snapper, fusilier, barracuda and trevally, bumphead parrotfish and abundant macro life. Pulau Redang's Chagar Hutang beach is a gazetted turtle sanctuary and the largest green-turtle rookery in Peninsular Malaysia. The single biggest planning factor is the northeast monsoon: from roughly November to February the seas are too rough to cross, resorts and dive centres shut down, and the islands effectively close for the season, reopening around March.
Highlights
What makes this dive worth the trip.
Diving here is strictly seasonal: the northeast monsoon makes the seas too rough to cross from roughly November through February, so resorts, ferries and dive centres shut down and the islands effectively close, reopening around March. The recommended dive window is about March/April through October, with the calmest seas and best visibility in roughly April–September.
Pulau Redang's Chagar Hutang beach is a gazetted turtle sanctuary (protected by the Terengganu state government in 2005) and the largest green-turtle rookery in Peninsular Malaysia, recording roughly 700–1,700 nests annually. The Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu has run a conservation project there since 1993; of nests recorded 1993–2008, about 98% were green turtles and 2% hawksbill.
The signature wreck dive is the Sugar Wreck: the MV Union Star 17, a roughly 90 m sugar-cargo freighter that ran into trouble in a monsoon storm and sank on 16 December 2000 off Kuala Besut, west of Pulau Perhentian Kecil. It lies on its side in about 18 m of water with its highest point near 6 m, making it an unusually accessible and penetrable wreck.
Marine life
40 species you’re likely to encounter on a dive here.
Dive sites
7 signature sites at this destination.
Big Mount (Pulau Lima, Redang)
A pinnacle dive off the northern tip of Pulau Lima in the Redang marine park, and one of the deeper, more advanced sites in the area. The pinnacle's tip sits around 14 m, with boulder terrain and a wall draped in gorgonian fans, whip corals, hard and soft corals and anemones dropping to roughly 32–35 m before meeting sand. Stronger currents can run here, drawing in pelagics: schooling tuna, barracuda, groupers and blacktip sharks, with rare seasonal sightings of whale sharks and the occasional manta reported in the past. Its depth and current make it unsuitable for beginners.
14–35 madvancedDay boatModerateVisibility 10–25 m
Mini Mount (Chek Isa, Redang)
A gently sloping reef-and-boulder seamount in the Pasir Panjang area of Pulau Redang, popular for both day and night diving and accessible to newer divers. Depths run roughly 8–20 m over coral blocks carpeted in colourful Christmas-tree worms, with numerous cowries and spider shells prized by macro photographers, alongside angelfish, parrotfish, groupers and batfish. Currents are usually mild but can occasionally turn moderate. Its calm character and macro density make it a relaxed alternative to the deeper Redang pinnacles.
8–20 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 10–20 m
Tanjung Tokong (Redang North Point)
One of Redang's best-known northern sites, sitting close to Chagar Hutang turtle bay where SEATRU runs its field station, which makes it one of the more reliable places to encounter resting green and hawksbill turtles. Depths reach about 30 m over reef and boulders holding abundant fish life — jacks, snapper, fusilier and the occasional Napoleon wrasse — with nudibranchs and flatworms for macro hunters and rare shark sightings. Being an exposed northern point, the sea here can get rough, so conditions are best in calm, peak-season weather.
10–30 mintermediateDay boatModerateVisibility 10–25 m
Sugar Wreck (MV Union Star 17)
The most popular wreck dive in the Perhentians: a roughly 90 m sugar-cargo freighter, the MV Union Star 17, that sank in a monsoon storm on 16 December 2000 west of Pulau Perhentian Kecil. It rests on its side in about 18 m of water, with the highest point of the hull near 6 m and two cranes still attached to the deck, giving an easy gauge of visibility and current before entry. The cargo bays allow simple penetration for recreational divers, and experienced wreck divers can explore the engine room, wheelhouse and cabins; big schools of snapper, jacks and trevally circle the structure, with bamboo sharks, scorpionfish, lionfish, giant pufferfish and boxfish sheltering on and inside it.
6–18 mintermediateDay boatLightVisibility 10–20 m
Temple of the Sea (Tokong Laut)
A submerged granite pinnacle off the northwest of the Perhentian archipelago, widely regarded as the best dive site in the islands. The rock rises from a sandy base to within a few metres of the surface and drops to around 18–24 m, its boulders and crevices packed with marine life. Divers work around the pinnacle through dense schools of yellow snapper and fusilier, finding bamboo and nurse sharks resting under ledges, giant moray eels, giant pufferfish, scorpionfish, occasional blacktip reef sharks, resident turtles and nudibranchs. Currents here can be stronger than at the sheltered reefs, making it better suited to divers with some experience.
5–24 mintermediateDay boatModerateVisibility 10–25 m
Shark Point
A shallow reef at the southern end of the Perhentians named for the blacktip reef sharks that patrol its drop-off. It is the most reliable place in the islands to encounter blacktips, which are usually seen in the deeper water along the edge, and is also a strong site for green and hawksbill turtles. Divers typically start over the sand and work shallow above staghorn coral gardens, passing schools of barracuda, silver batfish, parrotfish, trevally and jacks. Its shallow depth and easy conditions make it a favourite for newer divers, though sightings of the sharks are never guaranteed.
5–18 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 8–20 m
Vietnamese Wreck (Pasir Tani Wreck)
A former transport vessel — reportedly used by Vietnamese asylum seekers in the 1970s — that sank in 1976 while under tow toward Kuala Besut for repairs, off the southwestern side of Pulau Perhentian Kecil. It lies on a sandy bottom with a maximum depth of about 24 m, making it one of the deeper and more challenging dives in the area; currents can be notable, so it is generally treated as an advanced site. Now a well-developed artificial reef, it draws schooling jacks, batfish, great barracuda and large groupers, with macro critters, scorpionfish, stonefish and camouflaged life across the structure.
18–24 madvancedDay boatModerateVisibility 8–18 m
Where to dive & stay
Local dive centers, resorts, and hotels.
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