Matahari Divers - Perhentian Islands
Matahari Divers, on Perhentian Besar, offers a relaxed shore dive, perfect for warming up or a gentle afternoon. We find it’s mostly sandy with some scattered coral heads, though the seagrass beds are where the real action happens. Keep an eye out for green turtles munching away, and if you’re lucky, a whale shark might cruise by in season. It’s a pretty easy dive, suitable for newer divers or those who just want to unwind underwater without battling currents. You’ll spot plenty of pinkfish and blackfish flitting about, plus interesting nudibranchs if you go slow.
- Location
- Perhentian Islands, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 5.918206, 102.721540
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 10-25m
Marine Protected Area: Pulau Perhentian Kecil Marine Park
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 Chaping - 18m
- 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)
Nearest Dive Centres to Matahari Divers
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 Matahari Divers
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