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One grey sea cucumber with pinkish-brown ridged stripes lying on coral rubble beside a small brown coral head — Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands

Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands · Singapore · Reef

Pempang Tengah

The middle of three submerged reefs west of Pulau Hantu

Area photo: Ria Tan from singapore · CC BY-SA 2.0

Pempang Tengah is the middle one of three submerged reef patches just west of Pulau Hantu. The reef stretches down to a sandy floor within recreational depths, and its southern side is the part divers aim for, timed for the hours when the current is weakest.

Also known as Pempang Tengah South, Terembu Pempang Tengah.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Pempang Tengah: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

1.2246° N, 103.7299° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The southern part of the reef is the best dive, when the current flow is at its minimum. From the reef top the coral stretches down to a sandy bottom at 12 to 15 m, which marks the deep edge of the dive. The flat sea bed holds several nudibranch species, gobies and other small reef fish, and the reef slope carries more life. Visibility is generally 3 to 5 m.

Marine life and season

  • Nudibranchs
Month-by-month season rating for Pempang Tengah
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

Season follows Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands: Boats go to Hantu every weekend all year and no month stands out; Pulau Jong's strong currents call for a weather check in the monsoon season.

Know before you go

  • Current runs over the reef; the southern side is dived when the flow is at its minimum.

Sources

  1. Pempang Tengah South — ScubaGo

More dive sites in Pulau Hantu & Singapore's Southern Islands

Wreck

Larger Wooden Wreck

A wooden hull Hantu boats visit only in perfect conditions

14–22 mintermediate

Reef

North Jetty

Tiger tail seahorses and nudibranchs around the island's jetty

to 20 mintermediate

Reef

West Reef

Flat sandy bottom around the corner from the North Jetty

to 20 mbeginner

Similar dives elsewhere

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Aow Suthep

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Scattered boulders on sand, with overhangs holding the fish life

to 15 mbeginner

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Hòn Dăm Ngoài

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Two shallow coral sites: nudibranchs at 12 m, macro to 18 m

to 18 mbeginner

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Hon Tai

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Close-in reef of nudibranchs, batfish and giant pufferfish

to 15 mintermediate

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Karon Rock

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Boulders and coral off Karon Beach, dived from the shore in mild current

6–19 mbeginner