Explore Perhentian Kecil
Perhentian Kecil is a tropical paradise island which lies in Terengganu, Malaysia, in the South China Sea. Perhentian Kecil is one of two islands, the other is Perhentian Besar, and Kecil is the island which is more visited by the backpacker tourists who also enjoy the nightlife of this island. It is still the definition of tropical with white sandy beaches, turquoise sparkling waters, an abundance of palm trees and a variety of flourishing life to see underwater. These islands are known to be one of the best diving locations in Malaysia due to the different types of diving; there are wrecks, there are boulder rock formations, there are thriving reefs and there are many different marine species to admire. There is always something revel over with dive buddies when surfacing after a dive here.
Dive Activity
Diving in Perhentian Kecil
Perhentian Kecil, due to its ideal conditions and pristine waters, this is a top diving destination for divers of all levels, especially for novice divers as the conditions here are perfect for courses. For the divers wanting to just do fun dives and explore the area, there are multiple wrecks to explore, there are multiple rock formations, including canyons, swim-throughs and boulders, and there are many flourishing reefs to enjoy. Some dive sites are located just offshore for shore dives, and others are done from boats. Luckily the dive sites are all close to shore so the longest boat ride is 20 minutes.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Perhentian Kecil
One of the highlights of diving in Perhentian Kecil is the high abundance of marine species, meaning something exciting to see on every dive. The coral reefs here are also a spectacle on their own; made up of soft corals, hard corals, Sea Fans, Barrel Sponges, Giant Clams, Anemones, and large Table Corals. The reefs inhabit numerous species including Nudibranchs, Coral Banded Shrimp, Scorpion Fish, Lion Fish and Squid. Some dive sites have large schools of fish including Trevally, Snapper, Great Barracuda, Wrasse, Parrot Fish and Clown Fish. The larger species which make an appearance here include Giant Pufferfish, Giant Moray Eels, Green Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles Blue Spotted Stingray and the really unique and beautiful Bamboo Sharks. On the luckiest days, divers could spot Blacktip Reef Sharks and Whale Sharks.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
790 Sightings
J
0
F
22
M
32
A
103
M
95
J
82
J
173
A
123
S
127
O
33
N
0
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
623 Sightings
J
1
F
1
M
15
A
86
M
62
J
72
J
111
A
130
S
119
O
25
N
0
D
1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
281 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
2
A
15
M
27
J
43
J
87
A
53
S
47
O
4
N
0
D
0
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
109 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
11
J
25
J
32
A
12
S
27
O
1
N
1
D
0
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
102 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
0
A
8
M
10
J
13
J
23
A
18
S
15
O
12
N
0
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 80
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
2k Sightings
J
5
F
24
M
81
A
268
M
267
J
214
J
389
A
375
S
296
O
87
N
1
D
1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 28
Udo Kefrig
Clownfish
2k Sightings
J
4
F
13
M
82
A
241
M
230
J
249
J
406
A
327
S
342
O
87
N
0
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
1.5k Sightings
J
3
F
4
M
66
A
167
M
159
J
197
J
337
A
252
S
244
O
75
N
0
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
1.3k Sightings
J
4
F
9
M
59
A
163
M
135
J
157
J
329
A
215
S
208
O
66
N
0
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish
1.1k Sightings
J
4
F
24
M
50
A
150
M
130
J
128
J
216
A
187
S
141
O
55
N
0
D
0
The best Months to Dive in Perhentian Kecil
There are two seasons in Malaysia; the rainy season and the dry season. The good thing is that the rainy season is significantly shorter than the dry season, the rainy season only lasts from December to February, and then the rest of the year has ideal diving conditions. The water temperature here is pleasantly warm throughout the year, with the coldest being 27°C and it reaches up to 32°C in the midst of the dry season. The visibility ranges between 10 metres in the rainy season up to 35 plus metres in the dry season.
