Marine Park Charges

The Fisheries Department levies a conservation charge on visitors to the marine park centre. RM5.00 for adults; and RM2.50 for children 12years and below, students and pensioners.

The Fisheries Department extends its area of protection 2 nautical miles from the low water mark of the group of islands under the Pulau Redang Marine Park jurisdiction. (Except for Pulau Kapas of only one nautical mile.) This Conservation charge contributes to the management, conservation, protection, monitoring, education and research programmes within the Marine Park.

Rules are made to be broken

Sure they are….. until one falls into trouble with parents or the headmaster or the police and the law. Beautiful places come at a cost, well most times anyway in Malaysia…and the islands are no exception. There are plenty of rules of DO NOTs and What Nots but if it makes a place worthwhile for a second visit…what’s keeping to a few rules going to cost us?!

Marine Parks are created with the aim to preserve the fast dwindling reef and island eco-systems. Therefore there are rules which every visitor to the islands must adhere to:

DO NOT COLLECT, remove, destroy or kill any marine resources such as shellfish, molluscs, corals and fishes! People have a habit of keeping pretty shells as souvenirs from islands… but seriously most times when you get home, these pretty things are thrown into the back of the bottom drawer or stuffed into the flowerpot sitting on the kitchen table or given to the little girl next door who would just as soon lose it. So why don’t just leave it where it is and let the next generation appreciate nature as you have… in its natural habitat. Makes sense. Doesn’t it?

No fishing is allowed within 3.2km radius of the island except for the island fishermen whose livelihood depends on. Anyone else caught illegally fishing within the confines will be fined a sum of RM5,000.

DO NOT STEP ON CORALS. Snorkelling is great fun! But how many times have you. (Yes you!) stepped on a big boulder to readjust or defog your mask? That boulder may just happen to be a large coral. OR whilst you lift your head up to talk to your snorkelling buddy and your feet automatically drop to the floor to stabilise, kicking a few staghorn corals off its hold is no big deal right? OR when you’re on a rocky outcrop and you need to rest on the little ledge you've found, not noticing that you’re standing on a sea anemone until the tiny clownfish or seaanemonefish starts aggressively nibbling at your ankles. If it has to, Clownfish attack predators or aggressors as large as us, to protect his home from being damaged. Many snorkellers and even divers have been guilty on all counts and I, too were guilty of such offences until education has taught me to respect the laws of the ocean. Respect her and she respects you in return.

DO NOT LITTER! Malaysians have a habit of littering. Perhaps it’s because there are usually no appropriate litterbins to be found and even if there are, they’re often filled to the brim already. Throwing plastic bags into the sea is detrimental to marine animals such as the turtles, which feed on jellyfish. Discarded plastic bags floating on the surface of the water look like food to these poor sighted creatures and once ingested, the bags get trapped in their intestines, killing them slowly. I’ve seen broken filament bulbs and leaky batteries strewn on beaches where little children were seen building sandcastles and frolicking in the wavebreakers - be responsible. If you see fishermen throwing such items out into the sea..advise them not to. The discarded items get washed ashore and can pose much danger to those who play on the beach. And besides, it’s really such an eyesore.

DO NOT ANCHOR boats directly onto the coral reefs. The weight and drag of the anchor causes considerable damage to the corals below. It’s not what you don’t see won’t hurt you. It’s what you don’t see won’t hurt you now, but….

For further information on park regulations, please can contact:

Terengganu Fisheries Office
Wisma Perikanan Negeri
Taman Perikanan
21080 Chendering, Kuala Terengganu
Terengganu.
Tel: (6)09- 617 3353 Fax: (6)09- 617 3351

Tips on snorkelling

The house reef is a great place to start for novices. It’s right at your doorstep. Just grab your mask, snorkel, fins and lifejackets and jump into the cool blue waters.

Lifejackets are very useful for beginners as they keep them off shards of rocks and corals and obviously keep snorkellers just above the watermark so that water doesn’t seep into the snorkel.

Masks tend to fog up after some snorkelling and many snorkellers do not know how to ‘clear’ the mask. So here’s a little tip: squeeze a bit of toothpaste, about as much as you would onto your toothbrush, and spread it on the inner glass of the mask. Wash it off with a bit of seawater. This should keep the mask clear. If it still fogs when you’re in the water, then let a little bit of seawater into the airtight mask and every time it fogs, swirl the water in the mask as you would -brandy in a glass. However for the ‘newpeople’ this method could be a little unnerving.

Mask squeeze can give you a bit of a headache. So if you feel a headache coming along and you’re not prone to headaches, it’s probably the suction of the airtight mask giving you the problem. Just blow through your nose and that will release the vacuum created in the mask.

Sunburns are very common symptoms from snorkelling. Wear a T-shirt if you intend to be out in the sun for a long while. That will reduce most exposure to UV-rays, it helps. Be sure to splash lots of sunblock on the back of your legs, your ankles, the ridge of your ears, the back of your neck and other little spots where you think hasn’t seen the day of light in aeons. It’s going to be a painful week if you don’t!

Don’t touch anything in the water. There are dangers that you may not be aware of such as fire corals, scorpionfish, sea urchins, crown-of-thorns, jellyfish, some fish like surgeonfish have sharp spurs that could hurt you and stingrays. If you do come into contact with any of these, please get medical attention straight away…preferably talk to the resort’s manager or dive instructor.

Underwater photography may not be an expensive hobby. If all you want is a few photos to send home, you can pick up a disposable underwater camera with or without flash at a Kodak or Fuji shop in town.

Snorkelling is great fun! But how many times have you. (Yes you!) stepped on a big boulder to readjust or defog your mask? that boulder may just happen to be a large coral. OR whilst you lift your head up to talk to your snorkelling buddy and your feet automatically drop to the floor to stabilise, in turn kicking a few staghorn corals off its hold? OR when you’re on a rocky outcrop and you need to rest on the little ledge you found, not noticing that you’re standing on a sea anemone until the tiny clownfish or seaanemonefish starts aggressively nibbling at your ankles. if it has to, Clownfish attack predators or aggressors as large as us, to protect his home from being damaged. Many snorkellers and even divers have been guilty on all counts and I, too was guilty of such offences until education has taught me to respect the laws of the ocean. Respect her and she respects you in return.

Coral Reef and Fishes

The Indo-Pacific coral reefs are home to the most prolific congregation of lifeform under the sea. The ecosystem is so intricately interwoven; many researchers claim that this system is rivaled only by tropical rainforests the likes of the Amazon, the Congo and the Malaysian Rainforests.

Journeymalaysia has come up with a list of the more common fishes found in our waters, exploring the fishes’ behaviour and their contribution to the environment. However, there are so many species we simply cannot accommodate each and every one. There are a number of good references that can be purchased at bookstores such as Times and Kinokuniya at Suria KLCC in KL.

A good reference on understanding reef fish behaviour , titled :- Pisces Guide to Watching Fishes: Understanding Coral Reef Fish Behaviour by Roberta Wilson and James Q. Wilson.
For a list and explanation on a variety of corals and fish, please click to:coral reef and fishes

IN THE JUNGLE

a few trekking and camping tips

Clip your toenails before going on a jungle trek. Friction due to trekking up and down jungle terrain can cause chapped toenails and blisters.

Light clothing, raincoat or poncho, prescribed medication, antihistamines, rehydration salts, water purifying tablets, a pair of light trekking shoes not the heavy trekking boots, a pair of slippers or Teva sandals, blanket, insect repellent, multipurpose tool kit include knives

If you’re going to stay in the jungle bring minimum sets of clothing. Long sleeved shirts and long trousers can protect you from scratches and snags and insect bites. For nights, bring along a set of t-shirt, long pants and pullover. Wear a cap or hat to prevent the odd insect from falling directly onto your head.

The jungle is steamy, hot and humid and fogging is a constant problem for bespectacled beings. Be sure to bring anti-fog solution. Or if you don’t mind carrying along with you, contact lens is the best solution.

accordingly e.g. Clothes, food, medicine etc and pack them in separate plastic bags to keep condensation out or prevent any problems with a leaky rucksack. Remember! In the rainforest, it takes ages for anything to dry.

Bury part of the food supply (the allocated amount for the return trip) if you are planning a long trek and if there is only one route up and down then this is to lighten the load. Mix some sulphur powder with the freshly dug earth to deter animals from looting your supplies. Place the supplies in a bag, seal it, place in the freshly dug hole and replace the mixed earth and sulphur powder. Pack down the earth.

Try not to carry cans, glass or any other heavy containers. And please return with the empty ones - DO NOT LEAVE RUBBISH BEHIND.

Soapsuds pollute the waters in the streams and rivers. Preserve our heritage, try not to use shampoos when bathing in the streams and rivers. When washing utensils, one age-old method as effective as Jif is to ‘wash’ with sand wherever available.

If you are into photography, bring along a sealbag to house your camera whilst not in use. Little light can penetrate through the thick forest canopy. On the forest floor, it is usually dim and dank. Use high speed films like ISO400 or 800.