Pulau Tenggol was where it all got started back in 2004, I got my PADI Open Water & Advance Open Water diving license together with Terence and Saint.

When my colleague Richard (he was at xmas eve party 2009) told me about this diving trip, the memory from 6 years back found it’s way from my secondary storage and told me I had to go back there, and Terence agreed too. This despite having just came back from Sipadan less than 2 months ago.

Dungun, on the way to Tenggol island
breakfast at some Malay restaurant at Dungun

Together with Richard, San San, Jonathan, Joe, and Terence, we packed our gears and drove up to Dungun last Friday. Spent a night at some cheap hotel, and headed to the Jetty after the excellent breakfast with nasi minyak, roti canai, and nasi lemak at some Malay restaurant by a junction (there aren’t many junctions at Dungun).


Tenggol Island Resort, precisely where we were back in 2004!

Some 45 minutes on pretty choppy water later, we arrived at Tenggol island, and as fate had it, we checked into precisely where we did some 6 years back.

The island still looked exactly like it did when we first got here. It was still relatively untouched, with virgin jungle embracing the sandy bay that has 4 very small resorts housing not more than a few dozen divers at any one time. It is nice to see that the place doesn’t turn to another over commercialized island.

Charlie Lee, the dive master/instructor
this is Charlie, our resort operator & dive leader

We got our room keys, unpacked, and immediately suit up for the first dive. Our resort operator and dive leader, Charlie Lee, and I share a similar talent in drawing. While I draw maps to food, he excel in underwater topography, and drew maps of every dive sites before we visit them.

The maps come with depth, underwater geological features, path, and so on. Very impressive!

diving at tenggol, turtle point
Ahh, being underwater, I miss it already

Our first dive was at Turtle Point, located at the Southern end of the bay, it is protected from the sometimes vicious current at Tenggol. With a maximum depth of 18 meter, the site is usually chosen for check-out dives.

My log book told me that it is also the place where I had my very first dive, though at that time we only went to the relatively safe depth of 9 meter.

Joe and Terence diving, mini barracudas
Joe busy working, baby barracudas, Terence, blue coral fish

  • dive #1: Turtle Point
  • date/time: 27/3/2010 11:26 am
  • depth: 17.6 meter
  • duration: 43 mins
  • visibility: 10-20 meters
  • temp: 29c

Four out of six of us brought cameras with casing fit for underwater usage, which makes for plenty of photos. You can check out the photos I took at this FB album

sea cucumber, tang fish, crown of thorns star fish
giant sea cucumber, tang fish, evil crown of thorns star fish

It was nice to get underwater again, Turtle Point was very stress free. We saw a school of baby barracudas, and unlike their grown up counter parts, they looked so cute when they’re at only 1-2 feet in size.

Sea cucumber, tang fish, and various other coral dwelling fishes were spotted too. There’s also the crown of thorns star fish that actually eats coral.

Phyllidia varicosa, dive computer, moray eel
Phyllidia varicosa (scrambled egg nudi), Suunto D6, moray eel

We went on shore and had a very good lunch of curry chicken, vegetable, and rice. Usually lousy food is expected at dive resorts, but the meals we had with Charlie were all rather good, way beyond expectation.

Shortly after that it was our second dive of the day. We were pumped!

  • dive #2: Tangjung Gemuk
  • date/time: 27/3/2010 2:20 pm
  • depth: 26.9 meter
  • duration: 44 mins
  • visibility: 10-15 meters
  • temp: 29c

nemo and friends, puffer fish
Nemo and cousins, skinny puffer fish

Tanjung Gemuk is located a bit further away and had a bit of current going on. We took advantage of the current and did a very enjoyable and relaxing drift dive for the most part. Spotted puffer fish, two different types of clown fish, the “scrambled egg” nudi branch (sea slug), and more.

We probably covered 4-500 meters in 44 minutes. It was another excellent dive on just the first day.

There are 6 more dives on this trip, and I shall continue on the coming posts. For now, time to sleep!

Tenggol Island dive trip – redux
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28 thoughts on “Tenggol Island dive trip – redux

  • April 2, 2010 at 2:59 am
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    I want diving license now!!! *cry in frustration*

    Reply
  • April 2, 2010 at 3:27 am
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    Awesome, now I want to go diving as well.

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  • April 2, 2010 at 8:41 am
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    ahhhh…Dungun. I need pass by this place everytime I drive back to Kuala Terengganu!!! I miss Keropok Lekor so much!!!

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  • April 2, 2010 at 8:59 am
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    I miss Tenggol & the diving! I did my OWD there too. Beautiful almost-untouched island – hope it stays that way!

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  • April 2, 2010 at 9:11 am
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    Joey,
    oOo, and lemang too I presume? 😛

    Pureglutton,
    Yes, hope Tenggol will stay exactly like that 😉

    Reply
  • April 2, 2010 at 9:58 am
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    I’m so jeles!! still haven’t got my padi.

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  • April 2, 2010 at 11:04 am
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    eiling,
    ya u also haven’t activated ur blackberry, noob! 😛

    cumidanciki,
    Got more to come!

    Reply
  • April 2, 2010 at 12:47 pm
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    Nice! It’s not very far away eh, pretty good for a weekend dive trip. 🙂

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  • April 2, 2010 at 12:50 pm
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    super nais !!!! i want to go diving again !!! i want my own REG, i want to go diving x 900 !!! i wanna my own log book with pretty icons and i need to write my dives from nao !! i want a DIVE COMP !! i want so many things, especially a G11 or S90 cam with Ikelite casing and 2 large strobe with a micro lense. I WANT I WANT ! is all bout me isn’t it

    Reply
  • April 2, 2010 at 1:04 pm
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    Huai Bin,
    yah, very nice, probably heading back there again very soon.

    God,
    GET IT, MONEY ONLY! small problem, right? get a loan 😛

    Reply
  • April 3, 2010 at 7:25 pm
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    please try nasi dagang and nasi minyak at kuala terengganu..u’ll like it.

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  • April 4, 2010 at 1:20 am
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    justin,
    I tried the cheap nasi minyak at dungun and it was good! but we didn’t go to KT though

    Reply
  • April 4, 2010 at 3:30 am
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    hmmm. . .not into diving but damn nice to hear u all love it so much. . .

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  • April 4, 2010 at 11:48 am
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    foodcrazee,
    try it! 😛

    Reply
  • April 4, 2010 at 2:27 pm
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    Wah your S90 water casing is already so expensive, I wondered how much is one for DSLR. Must cost a bomb!

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  • April 4, 2010 at 3:12 pm
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    yo ky,

    been a while MIA from visiting here…like ur diving pics…enjoy watch ur previous dive videos….got video for this round? do share…ciao

    Reply
  • April 4, 2010 at 7:56 pm
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    JD,
    haha yah they are at least 4-5k i think!

    vialentino,
    Got! haven’t process them yet tho. 😉

    Reply
  • Pingback:Pulau Tenggol dive trip March 2010 part 2 – KYspeaks

  • April 6, 2010 at 11:31 pm
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    KY forced me to comment here to rub in the fact i couldn’t make it for this trip. *glares*

    Reply
  • April 6, 2010 at 11:47 pm
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    Irene,
    Not this post, new one lol

    Reply
  • Pingback:Pulau Tenggol Dive Trip March 2010 Part 3 with Video – KYspeaks

    • July 18, 2010 at 6:30 pm
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      can’t exactly remember if they are the same, but we deal with Charlie

      Reply

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