Batu Chaping - Perhentian Islands
Batu Chaping is one of the Perhentian sites we often suggest for divers who’ve moved past their Open Water. The reef sits around 18 metres, a comfortable depth where you can still get a good bottom time. You’ll find a mix of hard and soft corals here, with plenty of resident parrotfish nibbling away and the occasional turtle gliding by. We’ve had some pleasant dives here, encountering schools of yellowtail snappers and, if you’re lucky, a passing reef shark in the blue. It’s generally a relaxed drift, making it a good choice for an intermediate diver looking for something a bit more interesting than the shallower spots without being too challenging.
- Location
- Perhentian Islands, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 5.893100, 102.773000
- Maximum Depth
- 18m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Tanjung Tukah Turtle Sanctuary
Best Time to Dive in Perhentian Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Perhentian Islands occur in June, averaging 31.2°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.3°C
- February: 28.4°C
- March: 29.1°C
- April: 30.6°C
- May: 31.1°C
- June: 31.2°C
- July: 31.1°C
- August: 30.9°C
- September: 30.8°C
- October: 30.4°C
- November: 29.8°C
- December: 28.7°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Perhentian Islands
- Angel Diver - 10-25m (reef)
- Anti Gravity Divers
- BATTY 3 - 52m (wreck)
- Batu Berendam - 22m
- Batu Bulan - 14m
- Batu Chipor
- Batu Kapal - 18m
- Batu Kuching - 19m
- Batu Layar - 10-25m (pinnacle)
- Batu Layar
- Batu Nisan
- Batu Nisan Laut - 14m
- Bidong Jetty - 15m (reef)
- Big Seamount (pinnacle)
- Black Coral Garden (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Batu Chaping
Marine Life in Perhentian Islands
Home to 169 recorded species including 105 reef fish, 39 hard corals, 11 sea cucumbers, 5 seagrass & algae, 3 sharks & rays, 2 other.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Common Ponyfish (Leiognathus equula) - Reef Fish
- Yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Citharid (Brachypleura novaezeelandiae) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Ponyfish (Eubleekeria splendens) - Reef Fish
- Lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taenioptera) - Reef Fish
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) - Reef Fish
- Flathead Sleeper (Ophiocara porocephala) - Reef Fish
- Silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus) - Reef Fish
- Three Banded Razorfish (Iniistius trivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Golden rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus) - Reef Fish
- Deep Body Silver Biddy (Gerres erythrourus) - Reef Fish
- Triggerfish (Aluterus monoceros) - Reef Fish
- Blue-banded wrasse (Xiphocheilus typus) - Reef Fish
- Grouper (Epinephelus areolatus) - Reef Fish
- Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) - Reef Fish
- Banded-Tail Glassy Perchlet (Ambassis urotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Estuary Cod (Epinephelus coioides) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Batu Chaping
Based on average water temperature of 30.0°C, currents 5 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories