Perhentian Islands diving and snorkelling: sites and prices

Dive sites and snorkelling spots

Wikivoyage lists Tokong Laut (the Pinnacle, or “Temple of the Sea”) among the popular dive sites. PADI gives it a maximum depth of 25 m⁵, and perhentian-island.com gives an average depth of 10 m⁶. The Sugar Wreck is a 3,500-ton³ sugar hauler that is easy to reach. Both sites cost extra at some centres. Seahorse Diver adds RM20 per dive¹ for either of them, and Perhentian Island Divers charges MYR180 per dive⁷ there.

The table compares the sites that have published depths, plus Shark Point, which lies near the large beach at Teluk Dalam.

Snorkelling spots

On Perhentian Besar, Wikivoyage points snorkellers to Teluk Pauh, to the left of the beach in front of Perhentian Island Resort. To find the beach that fits your trip, see the guide to the beaches by traveller type.

Snorkelling on your own or on a tour

Most resorts and a few restaurants rent a mask, snorkel and fins for about RM10 a day³, so you can swim out from the beach on your own. Resorts also arrange snorkelling tours around the islands, and dive centres sell their own:

• Perhentian Island Divers runs a day trip to 4–5 places⁸, from about 9am to 3pm⁸, for RM139⁸ per person.
• Perhentian Island Divers also sells an island-hopping trip to Perhentian, Rawa, and Redang or Lang Tengah for RM269⁸ per person.
• Sea Voice Divers’ eco snorkelling tour costs RM80⁹ per person.

Some resort deals already include a boat trip. Look at the snorkelling trips added to packages before you book a separate one.

Dive centres and their prices

Most centres are on Perhentian Kecil, at Long Beach and Coral Bay. On Perhentian Besar, the centres are at Teluk Dalam and Teluk Pauh. Accommodation on Kecil is cheaper, while Besar suits families and people who want to avoid the backpacker party scene. If you are still deciding, read which island to base a dive trip on.

Panorama Diver runs four dives a day¹⁰: at 9am, 12pm and 3pm¹⁰, plus a night dive at 7pm¹⁰. Matahari Divers puts its fun dive prices in a price-list image or PDF¹¹, so they are not in the table.

Price ladder: what diving and snorkelling cost

A single fun dive with rental gear costs RM110⁹ at Sea Voice Divers. At Anti Gravity Diving, it costs RM120 per dive for 1–2 dives¹⁴. A Discover Scuba Diving session costs RM250¹¹ at Matahari Divers and RM280¹⁴ at Antigravity Diving. The cheapest Open Water course in these listings is MYR1,320¹ at Seahorse Diver. The dearest is MYR1,800² at Perhentian Island Divers, which includes e-learning and gear rental.

Check what each price covers. Sea Voice Divers’ prices exclude accommodation, meals, boat transfer and marine park fees⁹. The marine park conservation charge is compulsory and paid at the jetty¹³. The Department of Fisheries sets it at RM30¹⁵ for adults without a MyKad and RM15¹⁵ for children aged 6 to 12¹⁵.

Safety

The marine park rules apply to everyone in the water. Visitors may not collect any part of a marine organism, alive or dead, including coral pieces and shells¹⁶. They also may not interfere with, chase, harass or capture marine life¹⁶. Tunabay Island Resort explains that stressed fish and turtles either die or leave. Fishing is banned within two miles of the shore⁴, and possessing fishing equipment is prohibited in the protected area¹⁷.

Wikivoyage advises checking the condition of dive equipment, for safety as well as price³. It also says ocean conservationists discourage wearing sunscreen in the sea because it damages coral. The midday sun is the most dangerous, so plan long snorkels for other times of day. The fishing village on Perhentian Kecil has a small medical reception, where a doctor and nurses give basic, low-cost care.

For diving injuries, Bernama reported that the hyperbaric medicine unit at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Hospital (HoSZA) in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, started operating on 15 March 2026¹⁸. Its chamber takes up to seven patients¹⁸ at a time and treats diving-related conditions. Wikivoyage’s older list of pressure chambers in Malaysia covers Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuantan, Lumut, Ipoh, Sabah and Labuan.