Tioman · Malaysia · Reef · Wall
Temengkuh
Sheltered cove reef with a freshwater boulder area
Area photo: TMbux · CC BY-SA 3.0
A coral-covered bay in a sheltered cove seven minutes south of Juara, ringed by rocky structures and rock walls that lead on to a second shallow reef and an area of freshwater boulders. It runs to 24 metres, and there is no mooring line, so entries and exits are made off a live boat.
Where it is and how deep
2.7757° N, 104.2197° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Seven minutes south of Juara Bay the boat pulls into a sheltered cove. There is no mooring line here, so the entry is off a live boat and the descent goes straight down into the bay, which is covered in coral and ringed by rocky structures and the rock walls that hold the sides of the cove.
The route follows those walls round on to a second, shallower coral reef and then to an area of freshwater boulders, the odd feature of the site. Twenty-four metres is as deep as the bay goes, so there is no rush about any of it. Surge from the waves outside works through the shallow parts, so leave room between yourself and the coral there, and surface as a group for the boat to collect.
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
- Wave surge pushes through the shallow parts of the bay; keep a margin off the coral and time your moves through the shallows with it.
- There is no mooring line, so the boat runs live — surface together and signal before ascending the last few metres.
Sources
- Temengkuh - Scubago — Scubago
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
Volcanic boulders stacked into tunnels, with a cave at 21 m
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
Similar dives elsewhere
Table corals and barrel sponges straight off the beach
An easy reef slope and mini wall, also dived from Krabi
Coral plateau that breaks the surface, and a ridge out at 30 m
A 40 m drop-off on the west side, with 20 to 30 m of visibility