Tioman's Treasures
There is an island in Malaysia where the waters are filled with riches, and divers see flashes of
gold and silver. But don't go fanning the sand for gold bars or silver coins, because these
treasures come from nature, and the flashes happen when sunlight shimmers off schools of
fish. Sitting some 20 miles off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, green-clad Tioman Island is a
nature reserve ringed by undeveloped beaches and coral reefs. Sparsely populated, with few roads,
and home to one of the oldest rainforests on earth, Tioman is a destination for nature lovers.
Its deserted beaches once lead TIME Magazine to name Tioman as one of the world s most beautiful
islands, and it was depicted as the fabled Bali Hai in the classic film South Pacific.
Though somewhat overshadowed in the past by the more famous dive destinations of eastern
Malaysia such as Sipadan and Mabul, Tioman and its surrounding smaller islands are now gaining
a reputation as one of the best destinations in the South China Sea for both its diversity of
marine life and the health of its coral reefs. Another reason for Tioman's growing popularity
is the range of diving experiences available, which are suitable for everyone from novices
to tech divers. There is a wealth of shallow to mid-depth sites where large boulder fields are
covered by a variety of hard and soft corals. And abundance of caverns and swim-throughs capture the
attention of explorers, while critter hunters can find all manner of macro life tucked into crevices
or hiding among rubble fields. Pinnacles attract large shoals of reef fish, which in turn draw the
attention of jacks, mackerel yellowfin barracuda and rainbow runners. Wreck enthusiasts have a
number of options, from collections of small fishing boats that hold grouper and snapper,
to larger wrecks at mid-range depths and a collection of WWII wrecks from battleships to
submarines, which are accessible to tech divers. The crown jewel of this ghost
fleet is the 745-foot HMS Prince of Wales. For more than three decades, B&J Diving Centre
has remained Tioman's largest and most popular dive operator. This PADI Five-Star facility
has two locations on the island, is the only dive centre in Malaysia that s Bauer Pure Air
Certified and the only dive centre on Tioman that provides nitrox, and also stocks oxygen,
helium and rebreather consumables for tech divers. Both shops have well-stocked retail sections,
repair facilities and an extensive stock of top-line rental equipment. The company operates
a fleet of three boats that includes two 40-foot speedboats and a 55-foot vessel, making daily
trips to a variety of sites. In response to the island's shortage of first-class accommodations,
B&J built the Tioman Dive Resort, which offers 11 modern rooms, and is located just a few yards from
the company's main dive center in Air Batang Bay. Dive packages with B&J Diving Centre and Tioman
Dive Resort include daily boat dives and unlimited shore diving. When exploring the shallows,
be on the lookout for small fragments of Ming Dynasty porcelain, which lucky divers
sometimes recover from the long-forgotten shipwrecks of Chinese and Arab seafarers.
Diving draws many to Tioman, but it's not the only attraction. Sea kayak tours give access
to beaches that can only be reached by water. The island's rainforests offer miles of hiking
trails and a unique collection of plants and animals, some of which are unique to the island.
Towering over the jungle is the 3,400-foot peak of Gunung Kajang, the highest off-shore mountain
in Malaysia at 1,038 meters. Adventurous trekkers can attempt to summit this peak,
but most hikers are content to follow trails to waterfall valleys or to search for the Rafflesia,
which is the largest known flower on earth. For more information head over to divetioman.com
to check out B&J Dive Resort and there ll be a link popping up in this corner for you to click
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