Diving Sites at Rubiah Tirta

Gapang Beach (1,2)

Gapang Beach also has some lovely shallow soft corals, hard corals over a rocky drop off, 3-4 resident turtles and attracts manta rays (often out of season) all of which provide a good option for a relaxing Beach dive or endless snorkeling.

SeaGarden (4)

More sheltered spots that provide excellent snorkeling as well as diving include Ibioh and Gapang beaches, Rubiah Sea garden and Selako Island and most of the East Coast beaches. All these locations have their own unique character, differing arrays of corals, conditions and marine life.

Iboih Beach (5)

Ibioh Beach makes an excellent option for a beach dive with plenty of corals and marine life in every direction. Ibioh and Rubiah Island (a 400m swim from Ibioh Beach) supplies a wide range off snorkeling locations, each with their own kinds of corals, fish and marine life resulting in an almost inexhaustible supply of snorkeling options.

Wreck Diving

For the real explorers there are two excellent and very different wreck dives. Both boats are upright, intact and in good condition and are close to the coast in very calm waters.

Bu Hila - Fragrant Rice (18)

Encrusted with corals and algae, surrounded by reef fish the Bu Hila, an old tug boat provides a very pleasant and easy wreck dive in shallow (14m) quiet conditions. This wreck is filled with gold and glass fish, different crabs and shrimps are literally crawling all over it, lobsters and scorpion fish live under the stern whilst the rare twin spot

lion fish and ghost pipe fish often hang around the bow. The “Bu Hila” makes a brilliant night dive, or for a day dive we stop at underwater hot springs on the way home for a super-heated natural jaccuzi.

Pria Laot Wreck - The Sophia Richmond (20)

A true challenge from the other end of the wreck diving spectrum, the Sophia Richmond is strictly for experienced divers only. A massive (90m) cargo vessel lies upright on a sloping bottom between 55-65m with the wheel house at 38m. We dive it using very conservative Canadian Navy Decompression tables and personal computers combined.

Safety in our utmost priority; we accept only very experience or highly trained divers and provide detailed safety procedures, extended in depth briefings and insist on a strict conduct during the dive. We also use a fool-proof system lines and hang-tanks for the decompression stops as a typical 20 minute 54m profile requires 45-60 minutes of decompression stops.

For those who take up the challenge, this wreck provides an often unique and unforgettable experience, huge cargo holds and the wheel house are easily and safely visited plenty of corals, clams and fish now inhabit this cargo freighter along with occasional seahorses and eagle rays. The location is also a prime feeding ground (during the annual plankton bloom) for whale sharks and manta rays which have been seen several times during the deco stops. Being circled by a mother and baby whale sharks throughout the deco stop last year was a truely magical and awesome experience!

Nice Dive Spots!

Batee Tokong - Rock Centre (9)

Batee Tokong means central rock and is located about 10 munites boat ride from the dive shop. The underwater market place is Battee Tokong every fish turns up to feed, hangout and see what’s going on etc. the main wall drops from above the surface to 22m and leads into the shark plateau a large sloping plane, blanketed with a stunning array of gorgonian sea fans

and green tree corals. The resident black tips, masses of morays and lion fish, endless varieties and quantities of reef fish are often complimented with turtles, Napoleon wrasse, eagle, mantas and devil rays all making Tokong the one for fish lovers.
 

Pantee Aneuk Seukee - The Canyon (12)

Swimming between the coral lined walls of the Canyon amongst schools of reef fish for the first time always proves to be a truly memorable occasion and is not only lined with many different coral and lost to several other cracks, channels, swim throughs and a magnificent wall make it a serious fish magnet.

The Canyon is the large pinnacle (which as its name suggests is spilt into two halves by the Canyon itself. A prime site for big fish resident napoleon wrasse and giant sweetlips, and groups of schooling barracuda are often joined by manta and eagle rays, sharks, families of bumphead parrotfish, plus giant morays and turtles.

Getting to the Canyon takes about 25 minutes by boat, the sites’ real name is ‘Pantee Aneuk Seuke’ which means reef of the young trees.
 

Pantee Peunateung - Padi field reef (13)

Another favorite with a series of huge walls and vertical drop offs into deep-water landscapes all covered with enormous gorgonian sea fans mixed with green tree corals creating an incredible spectacle. This area proves to be a prime location for shark spotting black and white tip sharks are regularly seen effortlessly cruising around the walls,

Hammerhead, Silver tip, Grey reef and Sand sharks have all also been seen here, albeit less frequently. Otherwise giant sting rays, eagle rays, bumphead parrots and Manta Rays (in season) make common appearances. Then the intermediate depths are covered with lava rocks and volcanic formations, channels, fish bowls, swim through, “Pyramids” etc, supporting a dense reef comprising hard corals, reef fish, turtles, morays etc. During the plankton bloom we can often guarantee manta rays in the shallows. Pantee Peunateung means padi- field reef, and takes about 35 minutes to reach by boat.
 

Day Trip

Relaxing on the sun deck of the dive boat, taking in the impressive views of Pulau Weh and surrounding islands from the sea, all you can eat lunches, tea, coffee, home-made doughnuts and fresh fruits, sun bathing, snorkeling, dolphins, pilot whales, marlin, sailfish and sea eagles in the skies, the day trips have it all!

This year we’ve been running day trips to the outer islands at least once or twice a week (in the busy season) and have seen either dolphins or pilot whales almost every single time!

Batee Meuduro - Spliky Rock (16)

Arguably the best corals in Pulau Weh are found in the shallows of Batee Meduron. Large areas blanketed by table and finger corals, full of reef fish often cause reef divers to extend their safety stops for over ½ hour. This pinnicle drops off into deep water with often spectacular 50m visibility is another prime site for BIG FISH, 3m thesher sharks

are often sighted, eagle, manta and devil rays, monster barracuda, napoleon, giant trevallys, reef sharks all contribute to some truly spectacular diving.

Pulau Rondo - Rondo Island

A wondrous array of limestone pinnacles rise mysteriously and majestically out of the waters south of Pulau Rondo and provide excellent choices of dive sites. An unparalleled intensity of colour is created by whole landscapes of blue, white, green and yellow soft corals, spiraling walls of slinky surgeon fish, plenty of rainbow runners

colourful fusilers plus reef sharks, residential bumpheads and turtles, a regular feeding ground for dolphins, with brilliant snorkeling for the surface interval, Pulau Rondo is the jewel of the day trips.

Pulau Beras - Rice Island

Massive deserted sand beaches, jungle covered volcanic mountains, smaller islands and pinnacles also surround this virtually uninhabited sister island of Pulau Weh. Whilst diving here we witness a colourful myrid of sponges and ascidians which bring the rocky formations alive and host a wide variety of reef fish, many of which cannot be found on

Pulau Weh. Finally the boat trip around the island during sunset is a truly memorable experience.