Perhentian Islands
The Nature Interpreters Programme is currently run at Bubbles Resort & Dive Center situated at Tanjung Tukas (Turtle Beach Creek) on Perhentian Besar Island, Malaysia. The isolated bay of Tanjung Tukas, more fondly known as Turtle Beach Creek, will be your home and teacher during your Nature Interpreters experience. The bay is home to the primary rainforest and endangered creatures such as Flying Lemurs and Dusky Langurs. Pythons and monitor lizards can also be found here. The excitement continues on land while being watched by the resident patrolling White-Bellied Sea Eagles and terns.
The main attraction of the Perhentian Islands is below the water’s surface where a huge variety of life including the occasional whale shark, manta ray, huge lagoon rays, leopard sharks, lion fish and numerous reef fish in addition to Green and Hawksbill turtles can be spotted whilst snorkelling and diving. The other attraction of Turtle Beach Creek, as its name suggests, are the nesting turtles. During most evenings between May and July, you can watch mother green turtles struggle up the beach and deposit her eggs in the sand before leaving 3 hours later to go back to the coolness of the sea.
As a Nature Interpreter you may ask how did the animals and plants get to the islands. Well the Perhentian Archipelago as we know them was created around 10,000 years ago when the sea-level rose 100m at the end of the last ice age. The islands as well as the others along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia have since become a refuge for many species of animals and birds that were trying to get away from human development. The islands boast virgin primary rainforest which cannot be found on most of mainland Peninsular Malaysia.
Bubbles Dive Resort
Bubbles, as it is more affectionately known among locals and regular travel makers, is hidden behind a barrier of rich green tropical island foliage, which greets you upon arrival. Bubbles is an environmentally conscious tourist resort which has recently been rated as a PADI National Geographic Dive centre. The resort was started by Ronnie, Pei See and Eric Ng who still run the resort along with two Aussies Libby and Shrimpy (Eric).
Overhead view of Bubbles, Perhentian Island
The beauty and the isolation from the outside world of the bay attracted them, which is undoubtedly the most beautiful bay in the Perhentian Islands. Another attraction was the nesting Green Turtles which can be seen nesting on the beach most nights throughout the height of their breeding season May to July with turtle hatchlings June to October.
The resort has gone from strength to strength with environmental concerns very much at its core. The resort is proving with proper management turtles and tourists can live together as the proportion of nesting turtles on this beach has increased compared to other beaches in the Perhentians. When you first arrive you will not even see the resort, but just a tree lined beach, and this is the key to Bubbles turtle success.
