Scuba diving locations in Malaysia:

• Mainly off the east coast, in the South China Sea, except for the Langkawi island chain (off the north west coast), where there is a marine park in the clear waters north of Malacca Strait.
• At the Pulau Redang archipelago, Leatherback Turtles can be seen, although serious environmental problems have reduced the population.
• The Tioman Island & Pahang Marine Park is getting a reputation for technical diving due to some deep Second World War wreck sites.
• Palau Sipadan Marine Reserve, off Borneo, is completely encircled by sheer drop-offs and walls, and has a great diversity of marine life,
• Pulau Lankayang and Layang Layang are good places for shark-watching in season.

When to scuba dive in Malaysia:

The best time for diving on Peninsular Malaysia is the dry season, running from April to October. Palau Sipadan Marine Reserve's diving season is year round but the rainy season, from June to September, can cause rougher seas and lower visibility. * At Palau Sipadan Marine Reserve, Green Turtles nest in July or August then hatch between September and November. * Pulau Lankayang has migrating whale sharks in April or May and hammerhead sharks in March.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Malaysia:

• The HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales have been designated as a Protected Place and divers are asked to respect the site and not penetrate the hulls.
• Tiger Rocks, Tioman Island & Pahang Marine Park have larger pelagics and the reef fish can be seen sheltering in the crevices on the reef.
• Terumbu Tiga, Perhentian Islands , is a drift dive dominated by granite boulders.

The best spots to snorkel in Malaysia:

Manukan Beach has a variety of fish and coral, especially the large Spinecheek anemonefish and orange anemonefish.

Fun scuba facts:

• Tioman Island was the setting for the 1950's movie, "South Pacific".

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: ringgit (MYR)
• Population: is about 27,500,000 (2010)
• Time Zone: MST (GMT+8)
• Main languages spoken: Bahasa Malaysia, English ## Diveable overseas territories:

Malaysian diving federations:

MALAYAN SUB AQUA CLUB (MSAC) is a member of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS)

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):

Diving in Palau Sipadan Marine Reserve is by permit only. Applications for permits are subject to government approval.