Whale Shark Ridge

A submerged ridge on Redang's north-eastern tip funnels seasonal whale shark movements between March and August as the animals follow zooplankton blooms pushed northward by the South China Sea's inter-monsoon circulation. Juvenile whale sharks of five to eight metres are most commonly encountered, often feeding passively at the surface above the ridge crest before descending to follow the thermocline. The ridge itself is an outstanding reef in its own right: massive Porites heads up to three metres in diameter, extensive staghorn thickets, and dense schools of humpback batfish that assemble here reliably each afternoon.