Pulau Aur & Pulau Dayang · Malaysia · Pinnacle · Pelagic & blue water
Rayners Rock
Schools of jacks and barracuda just off a lone boulder in open water
Rayners Rock is a lone boulder off the northeast tip of Pulau Dayang, standing in open water swept by current. Rock and boulder formations fall away to 30 m around it, and divers come for the schooling jacks and barracuda off its seaward side, with the chance of a manta or whale shark early and late in the season.
Also known as Rayner's Rock, Raynor's Rock.
Where it is and how deep
2.4760° N, 104.5042° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The rock stands exposed in open water, with rock and boulder formations dropping to 30 m around it. Big humphead wrasse and barracuda work the boulders. Swimming between the rocks brings surge and current, so divers stay alert in the gaps.
The usual plan is to move out toward the open sea while keeping the rock in sight, where schools of jacks and barracudas gather off its seaward face. Mantas and whale sharks turn up now and then around the start and end of the season, and they usually come close to the rock at about 17 to 18 m.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Napoleon wrasse
- Manta rays
- Whale sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Pulau Aur & Pulau Dayang: Boats run from about March to October and the northeast monsoon from November to March ends the season; October brings the best odds of mantas and whale sharks.
Know before you go
- Surge and currents run between the rocks; swimming through the gaps needs care.
Dive videos
4th Dive Rayners Rock Aur/Dayang Island TLSI mac 15 · my divelogstatus (mydivelogstatus) on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Rayners Rock suitable for newly certified divers?+
No. The rock sits in open, current-swept water with boulders falling to 30 m, and it is a dive for intermediate to advanced divers only.
Sources
- Asia Dive Site: Aur — Asia Dive Site
- Pulau Aur & Pemanggil Diving Guide — Scuba Malaysia
- Pulau Aur — GS-Diving
- Pulau Aur — Titan Dive Team
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Three rocks topping out just under the surface, ringed by batfish and jacks
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Hammerhead schools around a surge-washed rock in the open sea
Big pelagics turn up on the pinnacles when the current runs.
Offshore granite tower where barracuda and jacks school in the blue