The Pulau Payar Marine Park is situated in the northern part of the Straits of Melaka, 19 nautical miles south of Langkawi and encompasses the islands of Pulau Payar, Pulau Lembu, Pulau Segantang and Pulau Kaca which are surrounded by coral reefs. The marine park teems with a fascinating diversity of marine life and vegetation.
Many endangered species of fishes and marine organisms live within the sanctuary. Measuring 2km long and 1/4 km wide, Pulau Payar is the most popular of the islands as its sheltered waters are ideal are for snorkeling, diving and swimming. Among the enchanting dive spots is the “Coral Garden”, an area covered with bright, multi-hued soft corals.
Apart from swimming and sunbathing, the main highlight of Payar Beach is definitely the schools of different fish that throng to the area, mainly feeding on breads and crackers supplied by the snorkelers.
Also there is a colony of blacktip sharks at this beach which one can spot easily. What I noticed from my recent visit was that the sharks seemed to be getting bigger in size compared to my last visit 2 years ago. I wonder what will happen if the blacktip sharks keep on bludgeoning in size. Either they will move to other islands such as Lembu Rock or Kaca Island, or they will continue to thrive with the abundant food supply at Payar Beach.
Pulau Payar is a great place for novice divers and snorkellers alike. The island waters shelter a variety of fish and corals, enough to encapture one’s attention for hours on end! The dives reveal large groupers, fusiliers; groups of horse jacks, snappers; a variety of dacyllus, young black-tip sharks, spotter and brown moray eels, lionfish, black-spotted puffers, butterflyfish, angelfish, anemonefish, sea urchins, seastars, barrel sponges, sea cucumbers and lots more. There are the agropora corals, Tubastrea sp. and Antipathes among other species. (click coral reef and fishes if you would like to know more about Malaysia’s marine life).
As there is no facility for accommodation here, most visitors will plan to spend a day trip here and stay in the hotels in Langkawi Island or Penang Island. It takes approximately 50 minutes using catamaran or speed boat operated by Langkawi Coral from Kuah Jetty in Langkawi Island. If you are coming from Penang Island, the journey will take approximately 60minutes. Another option of coming here is using the boat from Kuala Kedah in Kedah.
Booking for a day’s trip usually include pickup from hotel, lunch, use of snorkelling and diving equipments. Two dives are arranged. Total time that you need to allocate for this trip is from 8am to 4:30pm. Click here for the reservation….
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