Redang Island Marine Park

Redang Island Marine Park

Redang Island Marine Park is located on one of the smaller islands called Pulau Pinang (not Penang Island) and is gazetted as an entire marine park under the Establishment of Marine Parks in Malaysia. 

This marine park system has nine other islands managed by Taman Laut Pulau Redang under the state of Terengganu.

Redang Island Marine Park

Redang Islands Marine ParkClear waters and blue skies

A beautiful island with no resorts, chalets or villages, this place caters to mostly tourists or holidaymakers to enjoy the island's natural beauty and snorkelling activities.

The skies were amazingly blue with puffy white clouds when I came here. On looking at the waters, I was in awe when I saw how clear the waters here were.

Taman Laut Redang GambarMain jetty of the marine park

When you sign up for any tours with your resort in Redang Island, this would be one of the places they will bring you to. Well, for me, I just hired a boat all to myself to explore the islands around Pulau Redang.

The boat rental cost me RM250.00 per day (US$70.00), and my friendly boatman took me anywhere I wanted. Of course, most of the time, I asked him for his professional advice since he was the local one there.

Beach Photo Redang Marine ParkSnorkelling with the coral fishes

Just 15 feet from the beach, coral fishes swam freely with snorkelers, and everywhere I looked in the waters, there were schools of colourful fishes swimming happily.

Just look at the picture above, and you can see a lone tourist snorkelling about in the waters of the marine park. A good tip when visiting here would be to bring fish food or a loaf of bread.

You can simply feed the coral fishes here, and they will swarm towards any food you throw in. Remember to keep the area clean when you finish feeding the fish.

Map of Redang Island Marine ParkThe main map of the marine park at Redang

Shipwreck Redang Marine ParkA noticeable shipwreck is seen here.

For the advanced snorkelers, there is a shipwreck near the Marine Park, and you can swim to it. The depth there are about 5-10 feet. Sadly, I did not have my snorkel gear, so I missed this one.

There is also a visitor centre managed by the government, which houses additional info about the marine park and some sea life exhibits. A map of the entire island is available there too.

Redang Island Marine Park mapRedang Marine Park map

A ticket charge to enter the Redang Marine Park is RM5.00 (US$1.45) for adults and 50% for students, senior citizens and children under 12 years of age.

The ticket validity will last you a full 5 days upon purchase. The tour operators that bring you here will usually give you a time of 2-3 hours.

Remember to get your goggles, snorkel and fins from the tour company or hotel sports centre.

Beach at Redang Marine ParkBeautiful beach here

Some hotels and resorts offer picnic packages to the marine park, so if you plan for one, do check with your hotel. The beach here was absolutely peaceful when I visited as it was a weekday, and there were about 3 people when I was at the visitor centre.

The Redang Marine Park offers tourist and guest camping sites on the beach with barbecue pits, benches and chairs. Toilets are available inside the visitor centre, and there is an open-air showering area. 

Walking around the visitor centre at the Redang Marine Park, you can access the back portion, which also has a beach. Not white sand, but it is also beautiful as you can see the other nearby islands in the distance.

Photo of Redang Marine ParkBehind the marine park

Naga Dragon Fish Photo MalaysiaNaga Dragonfish

One of the exhibits that caught my attention was the legendary Oar Fish, or Dragon Fish as some call it. Thinking it was just a myth, I could not believe my eyes when I saw one being kept here. Not alive but the actual remains of a baby Dragon Fish or Ikan Naga.

Oar Fish Photo MalaysiaOar Fish (Ikan Naga) at Pulau Redang

Being a baby, it was an estimated 5 feet long and kept in an aquarium. I have seen pictures of this Oar Fish in magazines and on the internet.

There was one famous picture of US Marines holding one of these Oar Fishes somewhere at the Mekong River in Thailand back in the 70s; that Oar Fish measured over 50 feet in length.

OarFish informationOar Fish information

Also, in the Marine Park visitor centre, a few containers with baby turtles were being kept. They were absolutely adorable and cute.

Swimming happily and waiting to be let back into the sea. These little turtles are rescued by locals and brought to the marine park for safety reasons, as the park authorities would look after them.

Gambar Pulau RedangBeautiful turquoise waters

After visiting the Redang Marine Park, I was satisfied as I saw the Oar Fish, beautiful skies and clear waters, happy coral fishes, a quiet ambience, and live baby turtles.

What would this place be like during the holidays or weekends? Then again, let's keep my imagination intact.

Getting here is a quick and easy boat ride from most resorts at Pulau Redang, and for most snorkelling trips, one of the locations is around here.

Things to bring when visiting the Redang Marine Park;
  • Snorkel equipment
  • Fish Food
  • Suntan lotion
  • Drinks and snacks
  • Change of clothes

Main Office:
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
11th Floor, Natural Resources Building
No 24, Persiaran Perdana, 62574 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Tel: +603 8886 1111
Fax: +603 8888 0489
E-mail: tamanlaut@nre.gov.my
More Information Taman Laut Terengganu

Conclusion

Please note that Pulau Redang Island observes the monsoon season, which takes place from October to February. The best time to go to Redang Island is in March and April.

If you have the chance to visit the East Coast Islands of Terengganu, you should also consider visiting Pulau Redang and the beautiful Redang Island Marine Park.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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