Tioman · Malaysia · Reef · Wall · Drift
Berlabuh
Towering rock formations and walls to 30 metres, often drifted
Area photo: TMbux · CC BY-SA 3.0
A sloping coral reef with rocky formations between 10 and 18 metres, ten minutes south of Juara Bay, running out into towering rock formations and walls that reach around 30 metres. Current can run strong along it, and when it does the site is dived as a one-way drift along the rock rather than as an out-and-back.
Where it is and how deep
2.7688° N, 104.2235° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Ten minutes south of Juara Bay the reef starts as a coral slope broken by rocky formations, running between ten and eighteen metres. That band is where most of the dive happens, following the slope with rock on one side and open water on the other, and the structure grows taller the further along you go.
Deeper and further on, the rock stands up into towering formations and walls that reach around thirty metres, and when the current runs the dive goes in one direction past them: the group drops in up-current and lets the flow carry them along the wall. Ascend off the shallower end of the slope with a marker deployed, since the boat picks up wherever the drift finishes.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Tioman: Northeast monsoon brings rough seas and closed resorts November-January; calmest conditions and best visibility run May-September.
Know before you go
- Current can be strong enough to turn this into a drift; agree the direction before you drop and stay with the group so the boat has one set of bubbles to follow.
Sources
- Berlabuh - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Tioman
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Coral-covered pinnacle with walls falling to 40 metres
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Easy shallow reef with blacktip sharks and green turtles
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Boulder-flanked sand trench dropping to about 60 metres
Similar dives elsewhere
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