Tioman

Maybe because Tioman Island is so tiny on the flat map, that I didn't expect the grandeur of it's tall profile. The entire length was made up of overlapping mountains that suceedingly became fainter, the further they were. The tops of the peaks disappeared behind huge white puffy clouds that reflected into the smooth, blue, wavy sea.

I had the best snorkling yet! A tiny Rengis Island is really just a pile of a few rocks with some trees growing on top. But underneath the water was a carpet of the most colourful coral I've ever seen. I couldn't believe my eyes at how much there was and how far I could see in the clear water. If anyone else had been around, they would have heard my muffled snorkle saying "oh, it's so beautiful, oh my god, wow...". Actually, maybe that's why the barracudas were eyeing me so strangely! And they were big, their thin, white bodies almost 3 feet in length. They came so close I could see dozen's of teeth pointing out of their long mouths. There were so many of them circling around me, and a couple were not so far away on either side as they followed me swim around the island. I think they wanted to be my guide! Thousands in schools flickered from the sun in blues and yellows. Ooo, and there was a jelly fish which glided over my shoulder like a small plastic bag. That made me decide to get out of the water. I sat on the dock waiting for my boat and watching the skinny "tom" fish fly out of the water.

Closer to my end of the beach was a pier, with no coral, but amazing big fish. The parrots were bright green, pink and blue. Brilliant orange spotted guys, a white sting ray, and these small shark-like fish, that were the thickness of an eel. They were black and white with a flat circled head and slithered around my legs which made me shrieeeeeek! The water was so deep, I could only see the fish swimming metres up from the dark hole below. Wow. P