The Location of Pulau Payar Marine Park
The Pulau Payar Marine Park lies 35 km southwest of Langkawi. It consists of four islands: Pulau Payar, Pulau Kaca, Pulau Lembu, and Pulau Segantang. The only diving and snorkelling site on the western coast of Malaysia. The park is an hour away from the Kuah Jetty, and tourists can only reach it by taking a tour boat.
The Underwater Observation Deck
You can easily see marine life by visiting the undersea observation deck at the main platform area. The water here is shallow, and just below the surface, you will see a vibrant city of corals and endangered fish.
The coral in Pulau Payar Marine Sanctuary come in types and give homes to many kinds of fish. The waters of the marine park are rich with plankton that sustain fish of all sizes. You can easily spot large schools of eye jacks, inflated puffers, and black-tipped reef sharks from the platform.
Snorkelling With the Fish
To get up close with the fish, snorkel out to sea and swim with butterfly fish, damselfish, groupers, parrotfish, and angelfish. A shark feeding session in the afternoon is also a good opportunity to get close to shark pups.
Head to Pulau Kaca to escape the crowd and swim near artificial reefs made of sunken trawlers. A diversified array of fish, including the mangrove snappers, live here.
Another popular site for shipwreck diving is Pulau Segantang, about 13 kilometres from Pulau Payar. Here, you can see moray eels, scorpion fish and lionfish.
Underwater Visibility and Coral Bleaching
You can see about 30-40 feet underwater on a clear day. But the water can get murky during monsoon season, making it harder to see. Coral bleaching has been an issue in recent years because of the increase in tourism and the rising temperature of the seawater. Therefore, when you are here, please respect the vulnerable marine life and avoid throwing trash or food into the water.
