A small archipelago of six tropical islands, the largest of which is often referred to as Little Saigon, and which once sheltered tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees, Pulau Bidong and the surrounding isles are lovely little islands surrounded by deep blue water that offers outstanding visibility and which is filled with a wonderfully abundant array of marine life. Remote, barely inhabited, and requiring hours of travel to get to, Bidong is an excellent place to relax away from crowded resorts. Let’s take a look at just a few of the fantastic dive sites the area has to offer.
Batu Tengkorak
Superbly scenic, and ideal for intermediate divers and up, Batu Tengkorak is washed by a light, steady current that allows for a drift among brilliantly colored tropical fish and other creatures. You’ll find fusiliers and damsels, parrotfish and glassy sweepers, huge tarpon, and even schooling yellowtail barracuda. With depths between 10 and 27 meters, the reef’s rocky structure is covered in stands of staghorn coral and other hard corals. Large table corals shelter smaller fish and if you are lucky, you may even see juvenile reef sharks. Whale sharks, including juveniles, have been seen in the area, although sightings are fairly infrequent.
Midway Reef
An enormous and beautifully vibrant site, Midway Reef is also known as Karang Seler or Karang Selat. Covered in gorgeous soft coral and sponge growth, the reef is exposed to strong tidal currents, and is an excellent place to encounter large pelagic fish, including jacks and trevally. Composed primarily of huge boulders rising up from sturdy bedrock, with the occasional hard coral formation, the reef is teeming with tropical fish and a wealth of other creatures. Look for nudibranchs and keep an eye out for blue spotted rays and docile Jenkins rays, with their distinctive white tail barbs. Maximum depth is 20 meters, and the site is ideal for photography.
Macha Rock
Beginning in the shallows, and eventually reaching its maximum depth of twenty meters, Macha Rock is home to schooling jacks and trevally, along with thousands of colorful reef fish. Look for angelfish and butterflyfish, bigeye snappers, and countless others. With nudibranchs, Zanzibar shrimp and Xeno crabs, as well as other invertebrates and crustaceans among the colorful sponges and corals, the site offers exceptional macro photo opps and is also known for its turtle encounters.
Heritage Row
Ideal for all divers, Heritage Row features a maximum depth at sixteen meters. Besides a truck and a bus located at a depth of twelve meters, you can also see submerged stones bearing inscriptions, as well as a variety of cultural artifacts which comprise an underwater museum of sorts. The site is an important coral nursery, and local environmental groups are spearheading an effort to make this intriguing artificial reef even better. Usually done as a second dive or as a fun beginner’s dive, the site is home to a variety of tropical fish and other creatures, including a few rays and small sharks.
Vietnamese Wreck
Lying eighteen meters beneath the surface, the Vietnamese Wreck is actually a group of old refugee boats which are connected to one another with ropes. All of the wrecks are fairly small and are in various states of decay; penetration is not advised. Covered in healthy hard and soft coral growth, and home to white eyed moray eels and groupers, yellowtail barracuda, fusiliers and damsels, the boats have some sharp edges you’ll need to be cautious of, and there are sometimes old fishing lines clinging to the wreck. Watch for small sharks and turtles, pufferfish and porcupine fish, squirrelfish, and parrotfish as you explore.
The Jetty
Once in a grave state of disrepair, The Jetty was finally refurbished in 2009 and is a great place for diving, day or night. You can find all kinds of small creatures here, including nudibranchs and starfish, colorful clouds of anthias and plenty of reef fish. Watch for yellowtail and pickhandle barracuda, as well as parrotfish. At night, crabs and shrimp put on a show, and occasionally, you’ll see iridescent cuttlefish taking shelter here. Maximum depth is just 12 meters, and there is very little current. Boat traffic is also minimal, but SMB’s do need to be deployed prior to ascending.
The Barge
Offering maximum depth at twenty meters, the barge is also known as Tongkang. Sunk during a strong storm in the 1990’s it was carrying a load of building materials, and is lying upside down. With schooling bigeye snappers, trevally and jacks, it is a good place to encounter large Jenkin’s rays. A colony of lionfish often hover near the bow, and there are plenty of colorful tropical species swimming to and fro. Fun for intermediate divers and better, the site is subject to a light current.
There is no airport at Bidong, but you can take a charter from Kuala Terengganu or Merang, or visit via a liveaboard. In addition, you can rent boats at Merang, but if you land on the islands and decide to explore before or after diving, be careful as there are abandoned wells and other hazards present. Be sure to plan in advance, and you will certainly enjoy a memorably fantastic vacation.