Tioman, Malaysia
2nd - 19th October 2006

Tioman is an island just off peninsular Malaysia’s east coast, an island that we have explored many times in the last ten years with beautiful dive sites surrounding it and a reef, Pulau Renggis, that we studied intensively in 2001.  Returning here after the intensity of Singapore was like entering a decompression chamber – time to breathe deeply and absorb our new life on board Infinity and time to return to the tasks of seamanship and science with a consecutive study on the reef at Pulau Renggis.

Taking our minds away from the endless list of ship’s work tasks that were still to be done, and putting our attention back into the daily operations of sea-life from driving small boats to making good bread to studying coral species was a dramatic shift.  It took us a while to get back in the swing and there were, of course, hiccups in the process…. the compressor in particular, demanding full time attention from Carol who daily struggled with fittings and hoses and pumps and pistons with an unceasing desire to get it to work.  Meanwhile, Laser was back in Los Angeles communicating with Mr. Bauer himself on the telephone, trying to troubleshoot the situation.  But alas, the Bauer antique would not capitulate and so we endured the drone of a small deck compressor for the duration of our science study! 

Tioman is rightly, in our opinion, known as one of the ten most beautiful islands on the planet. Steel colored cliffs tower above virgin rainforest that cascades down to golden beaches scattered with wave-rounded boulders. We were anchored in Tekek Bay, familiar territory for several of us who spent many weeks here in 2001 and we all took time to roam the island and inhale clean air, a welcome change from the rainforest smoke hanging over Singapore last month.

Like us, Tioman too is in a state of flux. Cranes, diggers and pile drivers plough up the beachfront, carving out a new marina space for 30 yachts, despite the fact that there are usually less than 30 yachts a year visiting here! Their noise, echoed by the unmovable mountains behind them, drowns out the call of the muezzin which in silence can be heard across the bay. We watched as the north east monsoon brought runoff from the construction site way past Infinity's anchorage. Chainsaws stand by to clear forest for an airport large enough to carry 737s.  

But the jewels here are the reefs and the people. Renggis, our study site, was dynamited for fishing before being incorporated into the Malaysian Marine Park plan. We saw it in a state of recovery in 2001 but this time round it is positively blooming with hard corals competing fiercely for space on the small reef and fields of thriving Acropora, Echinopora, Montipora and Hydnophora spp. creating spectacular reef scenes. 

Hillary and Riley had never dived in the sea before and they were enthralled with the life on the reef, Hillary especially with the sergeant major damsels who terrified her every time they swam right up to her mask!  For full results of our study which show the distinct improvement in health and vitality of this reef in the last five years, click here.

In the midst of all the ship work and science studies, Jen found a moment to work with Rikki Powers, a local batik artist on the island, to create a beautiful batik of whales.

Jen making a batik!