Tenggol Island · Malaysia · Pinnacle

Tokong Burung

Soft corals and sea fans on the boulders, barracuda and jacks overhead

Tokong Burung is the middle of the three Tokongs, the offshore rocks near Tenggol Island in the Terengganu Marine Park, and a deep pinnacle-and-boulder dive run from the boat. The typical dive sits at 24 to 30 m, with the rock carrying on to about 35 m, among boulders hung with soft corals and sea fans. Schools of barracuda, jacks, fusiliers, snappers and tuna work the open water around it.

Where it is and how deep

Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

4.8606° N, 103.6590° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The boat drops the group beside the rock and the descent follows the pinnacle down onto its boulder slope. The working depth is 24 to 30 m (80 to 100 ft), with sloping rocky coral at around 26 m (85 ft) and the rock continuing to about 35 m, so the plan is to reach the deepest point early and then climb back up over the boulders. The big boulders carry soft corals and sea fans, and nudibranchs are common enough on the rock to make a slow pass worthwhile.

The open water around the pinnacle is where the fish are: schools of barracuda, jacks, fusiliers, snappers and tuna. Like the other Tokong pinnacles, Tokong Burung draws bigger pelagics at times, giant trevally and bonito among them, and whale sharks are among the visitors to the Tenggol pinnacles. Conditions are generally calm, but currents run both at the surface and at depth, and on the right day the dive is run as a drift at around 24 m from Tokong Kemudi across to Tokong Burung.

The dive ends back up on the pinnacle, working the shallower rock before surfacing beside it for the pickup. The surface can turn choppy after bad weather, which makes the pickup the part of the dive worth briefing. The site is at its best from April to the end of the season; Tenggol shuts for the northeast monsoon from the end of October or early November until the end of February.

Marine life and season

Barracuda
Trevally & jacks
Tuna
Reef fish swarms
Nudibranchs

Month-by-month season rating for Tokong Burung
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Off-season	Off-season	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Prime	Prime	Fair	Off-season	Off-season

Season follows Tenggol Island: August and September bring calm water and the whale shark run together; the island is closed to visitors through the monsoon.

Know before you go

The rock drops to about 35 m, past the usual 24 to 30 m working depth: set a maximum on the boat and turn at it rather than following the boulders down.
Currents run at the surface and at depth even on calm days; if the guide calls a drift from Tokong Kemudi, stay together across the open water between the rocks.
The surface can turn choppy after bad weather, so carry a surface marker buoy and stay grouped for the pickup.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Tokong Burung?+

The dive runs at 24 to 30 m (80 to 100 ft), with sloping rocky coral at around 26 m and the rock reaching about 35 m at its deepest. It is a dive for Advanced Open Water divers and above.

What can you see at Tokong Burung?+

Schools of barracuda, jacks, fusiliers, snappers and tuna in the open water, soft corals and sea fans on the boulders, and plenty of nudibranchs on the rock. Bigger pelagics, including giant trevally, bonito and whale sharks, visit the Tenggol pinnacles.

When can you dive Tokong Burung?+

The site is at its best from April onwards. Tenggol Island closes for the northeast monsoon from the end of October or early November to the end of February, so diving here runs from March to October.