Coral Gardens

Aur Island lies off the coast of Mersing, in the South China Sea within Malaysia's Johor state, part of a small archipelago northeast of Tioman. Coral Gardens is one of several dive sites around the island, reached by boat from Mersing or on liveaboard trips through the area. It sits over a reef bottom to a maximum depth of around 18 metres, rated a beginner dive with good visibility and generally no current, though strong or unpredictable currents and a thermocline have also been reported at times. Nudibranchs are a regular find on the reef, and divers have also reported seahorses and even ocean sunfish passing through.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Blue DragonPteraeolidia semperiReported here · unconfirmed
• Pillow Cushion StarCulcita novaeguineaeReported here · unconfirmed
• Redbreast Maori WrasseCheilinus fasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Varicose Wart SlugPhyllidia varicosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Eightband ButterflyfishChaetodon octofasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Moon WrasseThalassoma lunareReported here · unconfirmed
• Graeffe's Sea CucumberPearsonothuria graeffeiReported here · unconfirmed
• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Reported here · unconfirmed
• SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed