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Aur Island (Pulau
Aur) |
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Offshore, 65km east of Mersing, Pulau Aur, and the three
smaller islands of
Pulau
Dayang,
Pulau Lang,
Pulau Pinang,
Rayners Rock,
together with Pulau Pemanggil which is 15km northwest of
Pulau Aur, make up the rest of the Johor Marine Park. The
mere mention of Pulau Aur will strike a sudden portrayal of
white sandy beaches and prolific dive sites which are
frequented by the much-sought-after underwater species like
whale sharks, manta rays and even dolphins. Due to its
overwhelming distance from the mainland of Peninsula
Malaysia, Pulau Aur offers the clearest of waters and the
most exciting dive sites in this part of the country.
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Aur Island Sunset
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Most of the
rocky islands are well forested and have isolated
coconut plantations. With deep, clear water, healthy
corals and regular encounters with large pelagic
species, these islands have the potential to become
international diving locations. Several underwater
Pinnacles on the east side of Pulau Aur rise 30m from the sea floor to within 10m of the
surface with good hard coral growth including undamaged
table corals (Acropora Sp.).
The five kilometer long Island is blessed with larger,
pristine coral formations due to its greater distance
from the mainland. It is also often visited by some big
pelagics such as mantas and whale sharks. There are
several surrounding islands and the deep water channels
between them attract all manner of marine life. There
are no dive operators on the island, everything must be
pre-arranged.
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It is
surprising to see extraordinarily large numbers of
juvenile fish this far offshore, many are so different
in shape and markings from their adults that they can be
mistaken for different species. When fish are ready to
breed, many strategies have evolved to ensure that only
the strongest males and females mate. In some species,
the presence of Alpha (larger) females prevent smaller
fish becoming females.
With many
other species males fight to establish domination. With
so many fish of similar shapes living in close proximity
on crowded reefs it would be a waste of energy if adults
picked unnecessary fights with juveniles.
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Aur Island |
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One way to avoid this happening is for juveniles to be a
completely different colour, pattern or shape from
mature adults. |
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Island Tour
Resources |
