Snorkeling in Pulau Kerengga Besar @ Redang Island (Episode Three)

That morning snorkeling in Marine Park proved to be so exhausting; i was considering seriously if we should continue with the afternoon session in another location.

Despite the risk of being stung by jellyfish, we decided to go ahead since the trip was included in our package and it would be such a waste in the mind of a person who controls finance in the Department.

And i am damn glad we went for it.

Pulau Kerengga Besar - an island with a head-shaped rock as its marker and the destination for my last off-island snorkeling trip in Redang.

Instead of the open sea, the significantly smaller group was brought to a shallow section that borders the rocky shoreline of the small island. The lack of massive human activity on the isle means that you can find a comparatively intact marine ecosystem .

Time to jump!

The depth was a comfortable two meters and it was great to be so close to the corals and marine fish.

In terms of number, i didn't see that many fish. However, i personally thought that this area offered the most variety (among the three areas i visited in Redang).

It could be a matter of distance; things appear clearer when they are nearer. A whole school comprising of hundreds of fishes could mean that it is harder to segregate them in a few seconds, especially when they are almost the same size.

Alex attempting to release as much bread as possible in order to attract the fishes.

They were not sold on Alex's exaggerated movements and preferred to nibble the algae off the rocks!

Disappointment was written on the asshole's face as he had the impression that bread was the favourite food for all fish! For a short period of time, i think he took the fishes' snub personally! haha.

All the pictures you have seen so far from my snorkeling expeditions in Redang came from the Olympus underwater camera that i purchased for a mere S$198.

Quality wise, it was alright although i realised, when i am back in Singapore, that there were red, purplish flares in quite a number of pictures.

Thankfully, most of them turned out alright. Blur maybe but generally usable.

Anyway, back to the topic! I paddled to the rocky shoreline where i can practically touch anything i want!

It's quite fun to look in between the corals and rocks even though i am only an amateur who could hardly identify any species or genera.

A true professional would be able to point out any slight movement and identify any sea creature that could be lurking around.

Could you spot the alien-looking fish that was so well camouflaged? I almost missed it.

There was a video on this! I am still trying out the video editing programme as certain portions would likely result in giddiness and would be best cut out.

At this point, the water was around knee high and my itchy hands could not resist (gently) picking up a few seashells. It was purely an act of curiousity and the shells were not harmed in any way.

Sea cucumbers - unlike a typical Chinese, i don't eat them even though they have supposedly medicinal properties in relieving tendinitis, arthritis and enhancing male sexual health (which i don't need at the moment)!

Velvety-red sea cucumber! Mom loves sea cucumbers and always asked me why i didn't bring a couple back. I reiterated, a couple of times in fact, that it is illegal and his beloved son could be jailed in a foreign country!

As you can see from the above, the inconsiderate touch of human was still very much in play. Please, it doesn't take much effort to bring the rubbish back to your hotel for disposal!

While i was basking in the beauty of the underwater world, something at the corner of my eye caught my immediate attention.

Jellyfish!!

Everyone knows jellyfish can give a pretty nasty sting but many of us also agree that jellyfish has a captivating grace in its movements.

And for those who have never been stung before, it's a hard to beat urge not to touch it. There is a technique to touch it though; avoid the tentacles!

The sight of a jellyfish usually means that the trip would be cut short. 

And i was right; all snorkelers were soon recalled back to the boats and i bade goodbye to Pulau Kerengga Besar with a heavy heart.

You think this is the last post on snorkeling? 

Fret not, we found another area within redang to indulge in possibly my favourite activity while overseas. Maybe i would also include some videos in that final post.