Spice Divers - Perhentian Islands

Spice Divers in the Perhentians can be a pretty relaxed dive, a good spot if you’re looking for a chill afternoon or a morning warm-up. We often find the visibility here to be decent, giving you time to really scour the coral patches for smaller stuff. Keep an eye out for brown sandfish nestled in the substrate and those distinct bicolor nudibranchs crawling along the coral. It’s also one of the sites where we’ve occasionally spotted a narrow-barred Spanish mackerel cruising past, though that’s more of a lucky bonus than a guarantee. This site is pretty forgiving, making it a good choice for newer divers or anyone just wanting a laid-back dive.

Location: Perhentian Islands, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
Coordinates: 5.916220, 102.722690

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

Nearest Dive Centres to Spice 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 Spice 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