Tioman · Malaysia · Reef · Cave & cavern
Chebeh Island
Volcanic boulders stacked into tunnels, with a cave at 21 m
Area photo: TMbux · CC BY-SA 3.0
Chebeh is a rock island off the north-west tip of Tioman where the reef is built from enormous volcanic boulders piled into swim-throughs and tunnels. Normal diving depth is 10 to 25 metres, and there is a cave at 21 metres full of fish. The island has separate north and south sites, and which one you dive depends mainly on the current.
Where it is and how deep
2.9324° N, 104.1025° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Underwater, Chebeh is a pile of enormous volcanic rocks rather than a continuous reef. The boulders lean into each other to create many swim-throughs and tunnels, and much of the dive is a matter of threading between them and along the gaps at their bases. At 21 metres there is a cave full of fish; normal diving depth over the rest of the site is 10 to 25 metres.
The island has north and south sites, and the choice between them depends mainly on the current. Blacktip and whitetip sharks are seen here, bumphead parrotfish work the coral, and the rock is good nudibranch ground: the nudibranch Hypselodoris katherinae was described from Pulau Chebeh. In April and October, manta rays and, more rarely, whale sharks are reported. Visibility runs to 20 metres and more.
Background
Chebeh has a small place in taxonomy. The nudibranch Hypselodoris katherinae was described from Pulau Chebeh, off the north-west tip of Tioman Island in eastern Malaysia, with the type locality given as 2.932983 degrees north, 104.098690 degrees east. Divers picking over the coral-covered boulders and the shaded gaps between them are working the same ground the original description came from.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Nudibranchs
| 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.
Dive videos
Whale Shark spotted in Chebeh Island · Edric Oon on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the dive at Chebeh Island?+
Normal diving depth is 10 to 25 metres. The cave, which is full of fish, sits at 21 metres, well inside that range.
Can you see manta rays at Chebeh?+
Manta rays and, more rarely, whale sharks are reported around the island in April and October. Neither is a reliable sighting; the everyday animals here are blacktip and whitetip sharks, bumphead parrotfish and nudibranchs.
Sources
- Chebeh Island Dive Site - Map & Review — Divezone
- Hypselodoris katherinae — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Tioman
Reef
Sloping reef and island-side pinnacles, dived off a mooring
Pinnacle
Twin rock islets over boulder coral, overhangs and small walls
Reef
Towering rock formations and walls to 30 metres, often drifted
Reef
Boulders and overhangs sloping to a 30-metre sand bottom
Pinnacle
Coral-covered pinnacle with walls falling to 40 metres
Pinnacle
Untouched hard and soft coral on a rock topping out at 8 m
Easy shallow reef with blacktip sharks and green turtles
Reef
Sand shallows, coral garden and a sheer wall to 18 metres
Similar dives elsewhere
Granite boulder maze of swim-throughs, caverns and morays
Swimthroughs between three offshore rocks in 30 m visibility
Stonefish, lionfish and octopus tucked into the rock
Stacked boulders and swim-throughs on Besar's east face