Tokong Burung - Perhentian Islands
Tokong Burung, or 'Bird Rock,' is a nice, straightforward dive off Perhentian Besar, perfect if you’re new to the area or just looking for an easy afternoon. We often drop here for a relaxed second dive, working our way around the large rock formations that make up the site. You'll usually spot a good number of reef fish - parrotfish crunching on coral, maybe a turtle gliding past, and often some yellowtail snappers schooling around the deeper sections. It’s a comfortable 21-meter maximum, making it a solid choice for beginners to get comfortable in the water.
- Location
- Perhentian Islands, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 5.962900, 102.675500
- Maximum Depth
- 21m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Pulau Susu Dara 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 Tokong Burung
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 Tokong Burung
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