Tokong Laut

Tokong Laut — meaning 'ocean temple' in Malay — is an exposed offshore pinnacle system 4 kilometres east of Tioman's main coast, rising from 40 metres to 12 metres at its summit and representing one of the most pristine outer reef formations in the South China Sea. The pinnacles are blanketed in undamaged table and branching corals, carpets of sea anemones hosting multiple clownfish species, and dense aggregations of schooling fish including rainbow runners, fusiliers in three species, and batfish. Leopard sharks rest on the sandy saddles between pinnacles, and the vertical walls carry sea fans as large as two metres in diameter. Accessible only in calm inter-monsoon conditions, the site sees few divers and retains exceptional ecological integrity.