Rajawali Reef - Redang Island
Rajawali Reef is one of those spots on Redang that’s always a bit of a gamble, but sometimes the dice roll in your favour. We’ve had dives here where it’s just a nice drift over healthy hard corals, nothing spectacular but a pleasant enough way to spend an hour. Then, out of the blue, a whale shark can cruise by, turning an ordinary dive into something truly special. It’s not an everyday occurrence, of course, but it’s that tantalising possibility that keeps divers coming back, alongside the colourful nudibranchs like *Hypselodoris decorata* we often spot tucked away in the coral crevices. If you’re a macro enthusiast with a bit of patience, or just someone hoping for a big animal surprise, Rajawali is worth putting on your itinerary.
- Location
- Redang Island, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 4.816413, 103.678700
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Pulau Tenggol Marine Park
Best Time to Dive in Redang Island
The warmest water temperatures in Redang Island occur in May, averaging 30.5°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 28.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.0°C
- February: 28.0°C
- March: 28.8°C
- April: 30.2°C
- May: 30.5°C
- June: 29.9°C
- July: 29.5°C
- August: 29.4°C
- September: 29.5°C
- October: 29.9°C
- November: 29.6°C
- December: 28.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Redang Island
- Amazing Grace
- ARISTAIOS - 9m (wreck)
- Batu Tokong Kamudi
- Bina Marine 32 - 25m (wreck)
- Coral Garden (reef)
- Five Sisters - 10-25m (pinnacle)
- Gua Rajawali (cave)
- HATSUTAKA (POSSIBLY) - 27m (wreck)
- HOCK HAI LEE - 15m (wreck)
- KETAMA - 7m (wreck)
- LAT DA - 50m (wreck)
- Maju Laut - 9m (wreck)
- MEISUN G7 - 11m (wreck)
- Moonraker
- NANSHIN MARU - 30m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Rajawali Reef
Marine Life in Redang Island
Home to 153 recorded species including 101 reef fish, 34 hard corals, 7 sea cucumbers, 3 other, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Common Ponyfish (Leiognathus equula) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Citharid (Brachypleura novaezeelandiae) - Reef Fish
- Lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taenioptera) - Reef Fish
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Ponyfish (Eubleekeria splendens) - Reef Fish
- Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) - Reef Fish
- Yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis) - 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
- Blue-banded wrasse (Xiphocheilus typus) - Reef Fish
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Banded-Tail Glassy Perchlet (Ambassis urotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Estuary Cod (Epinephelus coioides) - Reef Fish
- Green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) - Reef Fish
- Butterfish (Scatophagus argus) - Reef Fish
- Flagfin Mojarra (Gerres filamentosus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Rajawali Reef
Based on average water temperature of 29.3°C, currents 53 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins (stiff blade recommended for strong currents)
- 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