Trekking & Diving

A huge rock in the shape of a lion on Pulau Aur is known as Batu Berhala and according to
legend was formerly home to an 'orang bunian' or a good spirit. The 'orang bunian' was
believed to have stashed away a horde of cargo from a shipwrecked Chinese junk in a secret
cave within Batu Berhala. Those who believed in the good spirit and required help would
perform specific rituals to appease the sentient being and when satisfied with the offerings, a
door would spring open from the face of the rock. A tunnel led into the cave filled with
everything one would wish for. The only other condition was that everything borrowed from
the cave must be returned after their use had expired. However due to the second nature of
most human beings, many never returned the items taken. Disappointed with such behaviour
and disrespect, the orang bunian left Batu Berhala never to return.
From Kampung Berhala, the village facing Pulau Dayang, one can take short trek up a welltrodden path to the back of the rock until you come to the base of the monolith. Then be
careful for there will be a little extra work on climbing, squeezing between rocks and even
climbing up a chimney. The rock surface can be slippery so please take precaution. If you
wish to visit the other village to the back of the island, there is a coastal walk from Kampung
Berhala right across, with well maintained steps most of the way. The trek takes
approximately 1 hour each way and also takes you through some great views so bring along
some water and camera for a longer than expected trek!

Diving at Aur
1. House wreck, Pulau Dayang
(dive difficulty: openwater and above)
Time in : 0730 out: 0815
Decomp stop: - Depth: 10m(30') - 26m(80')
Current: none
Visibility: 5m(15')

On our last day at Aur, we decided that we shouldn't go too far for our first dive of the day so
we opted for the house wreck instead. The house wrecks are actually two Thai fishing boats,
confiscated by the Malaysian Marine Patrols for trespassing into Malaysian waters. The resort
owners bought over the boats, unplugged the holes and sank them to create artificial reefs.
We descended from the buoyline, which took us down about 80' (26m) to the first wreck. A
group of squirrelfish and some fusiliers hung round the hull. This hull is pretty much what's
left of the boat. Even after 2 years, coral growth has been extremely slow here, virtually nonexistent actually! Between the 1st wreck and the 2nd wreck was sandy bed with little
sproutings of hard coral. A pharaoh cuttlefish came along our way in search of an early
morning feed. A large brown moray made its home under a few large blocks of concrete.
From here, it is a short way to the jetty where a large school of fusiliers swarmed around
divers upon ascent.
2. Pulau Pinang
(dive difficulty: openwater and above)
Time in : 1430 out: 1510
Decomp stop: 15' 3min Depth: 20m(60')
Current: none
Visibility: 6(18')

Visibility was fairly poor on descent, so we kept to a depth of about 20m. A pleasant, easy
dive where encounters with 2 huge pharaoh cuttlefish just five minutes into the dive was a
real treat. Small patches of trunicates(sea squirts), soft hand corals, tennis ball sponges, sea
whips & a few harp corals litter the area as were stag horns, table corals and a rather
impressive bommie coral. Parrotfish, wrasse, titan triggerfish, fox face rabbitfish,
butterflyfish, angelfish, fusiliers, map puffer, a large batfish at a cleaner station and lots of
dacyllus, a shy barramundi, a large coral trout (grouper) resting under a table coral - all
almost oblivious of us and going about their own afternoon routines. Superb introduction to
the P.Aur dive sites.
3. Pinnacles 2, Aur

(dive difficulty: openwater and above)

Time in : 1610 out: 1645
Decomp stop: 15' 3min
Depth: 18+m (50+')
Current: mild
Visibility: 5m(15')

One of the more popular sites at Aur. Pinnacles 2 is about 1/2hour by boat from P.Dayang and
just a little distance from P.Pinang. Descending by buoyline to the bottom, we headed off on
an anticlockwise direction round the pinnacle, taking us through sea whip gardens & plots of
soft dendronepthya sp. This dive location is home to a large variety of juveniles - juvenile
barracudas, lots of young groupers, fusiliers etc. the chromydia nudibranchs are often spotted
on boulders and sometimes beautiful clusters of eggs are found close by. Just look out for
colourful looking ladies' garters.

4. Rayner's Rock, Aur

(dive difficulty: openwater and above)
Decomp stop: 15' 3min
Depth: 20m
Current: manageable
Visibility: 6m(18')
A 15min boat ride from Pulau Dayang Resort landed us at Rayner's Rock. We descended and
drifted with the current taking us through a landscape of boulders, hard corals with a myriad
of familiar denizens ie parrotfish, wrasse, seastars, dacyllus, damselfish, giant clams, puffers,
batfish, butterflyfish. The rest of the time as we headed back round the boulder we had to
swim against current and if there were any whale sharks, spinner dolphins, bottlenose

dolphins or even manta rays- well, the visibility surely cloaked them well from us! Rayner's
Rock, however, is reputed to be the best place to chance upon the beautiful creatures
mentioned.