Pulau Tenggot is located in the tropical Malaysian island paradise of Pulau Tenggol. This beautiful
resort is only 45 minutes from the coastal quiet fishing town of Kuala Dungun,Terengganu
Pulau Tenggol, a small island with less than 3 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide is one of the most beautiful and serene islands flanking the famous East Coast of Malaysia, known for its pristine waters warmed by South China Sea.
The island is easily accessible by an exhilarating 45-minute speed boat ride from Kuala Dungun, which is served by the airstrips in both Kuala Terengganu and Kerteh.
Kerteh is only 50-minutes by flight from the capital city airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport(KLIA) in Sepang, the capital of Malaysia or 50-minutes by flight from either KLIA or Sultan Abdul Asis Shah Airport in Subang.
The islands around East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia, in particular the islands of Terengganu are reckoned for their tropical climate, beautiful white sandy beaches, clear azure blue waters and some of the best diving in the world. The best time to dive is during the yearly dry season from March to October where the visibility can be up to 20m(60ft).
Pulau Tenggol's deep hilly forested interior interior also makes it a paradise for adventurous hikers and trekkers.
In fact, there are three abrupt hills rising over 800 feet inland and the only flat areas are in the west by the shoreline. Telok Ayer Tawar is the largest and most secluded sandy bay on the west coast with facilities and amenities for sailing,diving, boating, windsurfing and many other sports and recreational activities are also available.
There are a few resort located on this paradise island of Pulau Tenggol. One of the resort is the natural timber chalet of Tenggol Aqua Resort blend harmoniously into the environment, nestled comfortable amongst the lust green fringing beach. This cosy family-run operation is the only fully-equipped dive outfit on the island, boasting of a lounge with a full-facilities such as diver's classroom, DAN oxygen kits for emergency, dive shop, 4 speed boats and 2 wooden dive boats, quality Scubapro equipments and an impressively spacious and well-designed divers' kit-up area.
Tokong Talang
- Depth : 90 - 110 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- On Tokong Talang you will find quite strong surface current. If you like drift dives - this is your dive spot.
As for the the fish life we find here black stingrays, big schools of jacks, cave dwellers and nudibranchs.
Tokong Burung
- Depth : 80 - 100 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- It is possible to do a drift-dive at 80 feet from Tokong Kamudi to Tokong Burong. The condition is generally calm, with surface and deep water currents. The surface can get choppy after bad weather. Schools of barracudas, jacks, fusiliers, snappers and tunas have been sighted here. This site is also a nudibranch haven.
Slope rocky corals will be found at 85 feet.
Excellent dive site for the months April to November.
Tokong Kamudi
- Depth : 50 - 100 feet
- Level : Open Water and above
- A wall extends down to 100 feet. There is a good covering of soft, encrusting and stony corals, sponges and christmas tree worms. In deeper waters, you will find soft tree corals, sea anemones and nudibranchs. Fish here include angelfish, butterfly fish, surgeon fish, wrasses, snappers etc. Most of the fish sighted are mainly small corals fish but it happened to be a feeding area for sharks too.
This appears to be a nudibranch haven.
On the south side you can dive into several caves.
The Highway, Pulau Nyireh
- Depth : 70 - 100 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- A favourite site of many repeat divers, it's also known as "The Highway" as schools of pelagic
fish are ply along this "highway". Divers may experience strong currents in this area. The terrain
is generally rocky with huge boulders forming walls, tunnels and swim throughs. A photographers
haven as there are interesting coral formations to be found on the walls of these boulders and
there are also a few interesting variety of the smaller creatures too.
Fishbowl, Pulau Nyireh
- Depth : 120 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- You will find at this dive site beautiful corals covering a nice pinnacle. Nudibranchs in different colors and various shapes will be a highlight for divers who enjoy the smaller fish life.
Amazing Graze, Pulau Nyireh
- Depth : 90 - 120 feet
- Level : This dive site offers a excellent visibility. Divers as well as snorkelers will enjoy the variety of fish life here. At 2 m depth the snorkelers will see baby sharks, where as the divers will find nice coral formations at 15 - 17 m intercepted by sandy areas. Literally "tons" of gubies and blue spotted stingrays have made their home here.
Gua Rajawali, Pulau Tengool
- Depth : 20 - 60 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- The best time in the year to dive here is in March and April. Lots of small colorful fish can be found here cruising between soft corals.
Rajawali Reef, Pulau Tenggol
- Depth : 90 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- This dive site offers a "easy Sunday afternoon dive". With no current at all novices will easily pass their check-out dive. 3 pinnacles, 2 holes to dive in and lots and lots of fish, what more can a diver expect?.
Coral Garden, Pulau Tenggol
- Depth : 20 - 60 feet
- Level : Open Water and above
- The gradients of the bays are gentle with sandy bottoms, rock outcrops and many coral heads. A favourite spot for coral lovers. At an average dept of 40 feet, the area has soft and hard corals, Christmas tree worms, sponges, sea anemones etc. A one-foot length Christmas tree worm can be found in this site.
Teluk Air Tawar
- Depth : 20 - 90 feet
- Level : Open Water and above
- This is a well sheltered bay and the waters is generally calm. Considered the house reef of the resorts which is about 200 meters from shore, its slopes from 10 to 40 feet with sand bottom covers with hard and soft corals. Other marine life includes garden eels, our resident turtle, moray eel, box fist and even lion fish. There are three wrecks located in this bay. Two at 60 feet and the other is at 90 feet. Doing a dawn dive here is like visiting Raffles Place MRT station during the morning peak hours. Jump into our house reef right in front of your chalet and enjoy a close encounter with one of the resident turtles and a chance upon a herd of grazing hump head parrot fish as shallow as a few feet of the bay water. Night dive here are gratifying with exquisite black and white spotted baby barramundi cod and our favorite little resident baby torpedo ray, a mere 15 cm long.
Tanjung Gemok
- Depth : 148 ft. Highest point Bridge Wing at 120 Ft.
- Level : Open Water and above
- The Cement Wreck (Name: Unknown)
- Nationality: Indonesian
- Type: Cargo (Cement)
- The ship lies on its starboard with its bow facing NE (Note: UK hydrographic survey states that it is lying on the port side). The wrech is known locally as the "Indonesian Cement Wreck". It is about 235 ft. in length and was built in 1955 by the Japanese. The exact date of its sinking is unknown. But it was suspected before 1965 (most likely between 1963 and 1965). The Malaysian flag taken from the wreck showed 14 strips. It was the flag used when Singapore was still part of the Federation.
- Article from The Decom Stop by Paul Tan
.
Tanjung Sarong Lang, Pulau Tenggol
- Depth : 90 - 125 feet
- Level : Advance Open Water and above
- This dive site consists actually of two dive spots. The "wall" and the "edge" or "rock". Both places can be dived in one go. In the morning you will find sharks feeding here. On the rest of the day you will see barracudas, yellow tale fish and schools of fish.
Ratu Chachang, Pulau Tenggol
- Depth : 60 - 100 feet
- Level : Open Water and above
- A high concentration of fish life - jacks, trevilies, fusiliers, barracudas, tunas, hump heads and eagle rays. The bottom of this area houses an interesting collection of rock outcrops covered with soft and hard corals, sea anemonies and sponges. One diver voted as his favourite site. Why? "Lots of fish, good coral life, and all at only 40 feet!".
Notes were taken from Tenggol Aqua Resort edited by Loen Chow
