reef

Log This Dive

Redang - Black Coral

We’ve done Black Coral more times than we can count, and it’s consistently one of our favourite dives in the Perhentians. Forget the name for a minute; the black coral is just a small, albeit pretty, part of the story here. What we really love is the sheer density of fish. Drop in and you’re immediately enveloped by schools of fusiliers, just thick grey walls that part as you swim through. Keep an eye out for the yellowstripe scads darting in and out, and the scissortail sergeants zipping around the staghorn corals. It’s a relatively shallow reef, maybe 15-18 metres at its deepest, which means plenty of light filters through, illuminating the intricate leaf and montipora corals. We’ve had some fantastic encounters with stonefish here, perfectly camouflaged, so move slowly and really scan the reef. Look for the little whipfin ponyfish too, shimmering over the sandy patches. You’ll often find them alongside deep flounders. The site suits almost everyone, from newer divers to those of us who just appreciate a vibrant, healthy reef without the need for extreme depths or strong currents. It’s a proper fish soup, and it always puts a smile on our faces.