Incorporating the Andaman Sea, Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia… and more
28 miles from Sutera Harbour
30 miles south towards Labuan is Pulau Tiga, where Richard Hatch won the now-famous first ‘Survivor’ reality TV series. Two small resorts with jetties and snorkelling beaches can be found on the southeastern side. Anchor off the southern National Park Headquarters jetty in 5-8 metres on sand at 5°42.896N, 115°38.926E.
Tracks ashore take you to the famed Cold Mud Volcanoes that splatter gloop every few hours over the surrounding vegetation. Many tourists make the 1 km trek uphill to sit in the pools, cover themselves in mud and wait for the next gas explosion.
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Take care when cruising back southeast from here past Tanjung Nosong on the mainland. There is an unusually long underwater peninsula of hazardous reef and rocks awash. Keep an eye for the north point of the reef that is well marked with a green buoy topped with a green flashing light.
Two miles to the north is Pulau Kalampunian, a large sandy cay surrounded by reef. On the northeastern side of the cay, at our anchorage GPS position, is a small bay with good holding on sand in 10 metres. Take care to avoid the fringing reef and rocks lurking just below the surface at low tides.
The bay offers good snorkelling accessible from the sand spit beach. Further north from here is Pulau Borong, known locally as ‘Snake Island’. This is where scores of sea serpents (banded krait) migrate ashore to copulate. Signs warn of entry onto the island, but a guided tour is available from the National Park Headquarters or resort on Tiga.
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