DIVE HAPPY

Malaysia's Perhentian Islands are an accessible and affordable dive destination, combining a tropical paradise above water with a string of surprises underwater

A while ago I wrote Perhentian Islands: A Quick Guide after my scuba diving trip to the Perhentians last August. Now the article I wrote for Asian Diver magazine has been published, and I'm pleased to say it's available to read in full on the Asian Diver site. If you can find a copy of the mag, take a look, as it does far better justice to Jez Tryner's awesome photos.

Here's the article's intro:

"What makes a dive trip really special is when you see something underwater for the very first time. And Perhentian Islands wont disappoint on that score.

On my last trip, I got to witness the arrival of a school of humphead parrotfish during a dive at DLagoon, one of the simplest, shallowest coral reef dives possible off the Perhentians. More than 25 turned up at the end of our dive, like a gang of Hells Angels taking over the reef, stunning us with their sheer size. Each measuring at least half a metre in length, the humpheads clustered together and repeatedly attacked the surrounding coral, chomping and chipping with their powerful beaks and sending out clouds of debris.

I'd never seen humpheads in real life before and couldnt stop gawking at their size and the slightly comic appearance their beaks gave them, which seemed fixed in a perpetual mischievous grin. Back on board the boat, there were similar broad smiles from the divers, too. It may not be Malaysias most superlative dive destination, but diving in the Perhentians is always full of surprises."

Read the full article at Asian Diver