Joanna James
Tioman Island has been known for the longest time as a spectacular diving destination in the region. Its crystal blue waters and bountiful marine life are absolute game-changers. Although you could well be spoilt for a choice of diving sites to try out, here are our best 5 recommendations.
Mentioned possibly in every guide book ever made about the Tioman Islands, Tiger is a true highlight and without a doubt, certainly tops the list of best places to dive in. This submerged slice of heaven is blessed with open ocean currents and is home to a silky carpet of corals, barrel sponges and gorgonian sea fans. White eyed moray eels, rainbow runners, guitar sharks and whale sharks are some of the occasional appearances you can expect to come across when visiting Tiger Reef. Look under those overhanging rocks for sure, you may find a white tip reef shark or better yet even nurse sharks chilling out in their day!
This is rather a coveted location and we cannot for the love of magic figure out why- because this is a literal show-stopper we tell you. It is abundant with sizeable pristine corals densely covering this vast area. Possibly considering the fact that only a few lucky one's dive on this site, rather regular sightings of black tip reef sharks and eagle rays have been proclaimed. Not to mention the swarms of colorful local reef fish that relish this place as their beautiful paradise home.
This spectacular dive site is located just north of Coral Island and is the absolute real deal! Divers of all levels of expertise swarm over here to enjoy the underwater topography and breathtaking granite rock formations that are indescribably beautiful. Schools of barracuda, bat fish and hunting trevallies are some of the most common views around here and with some luck, expect to see them as you glance into the blue over the seemingly endless reef. We can guarantee that you would definitely be floored when you see the pods of dolphins racing by playfully and almost invitingly. At about a depth of 19m, you will come across a fantastic boulder formation that forms a swim-through bustling with beautiful juvenile barracudas! Not every Tioman Beach Chalet may give you the best look-out for these amazing dive sites, hence make sure to choose wisely. For instance, Berjaya Tioman Resort guarantees a flawless stay and diving experience to all!
To call this the 'Swiss Cheese of Tioman' is a bit too cheesy you think? All we can think is how well deserving it is! The island is the perfect delicacy to savor to your heart's content- its numerous swim throughs and colorful underwater life including the turtles, bump head parrot fish as well as many sharks make it all the more flavorful.
Now, this dive site has a rather interesting backstory to it seeing as it is a sunken Royal Navy warship in the year 2012- purposefully, of course, to create an artificial reef. This rather sizable vessel lies in 30m of water alongside two other old Thai fishing boat ruins called the Sawadee wrecks. There is not a lack of schools of snapper, yellow tail barracuda and fusiliers swimming free around here- not to mention the numerous lionfish and stone fish inconspicuously taking shelter in these wrecks.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
