Scuba Diving in Singapore - Hantu Island

There are not many places where you can scuba dive or snorkel in comfort in Singapore, but one place stands out because of its clear waters, rich reefs and coral life and its proximity to Singapore. It is also not affected by the north-eastern monsoons in November to February, which makes it an excellent diving site. Hantu Island, or Pulau Hantu (which means ‘island of ghosts’ in Malay) as we call it, is just a 40-minute ride by boat from Singapore.

And if you intend to stay on the island for a while, there are two pieces of land there – Hantu Besar (Big Ghost) and Hantu Kecil (Little Ghost). You can actually walk between the two islands during low tide, but be very careful and seek advice whenever you can. There are swimming lagoons, shelters and picnic areas, and toilets for you to wash up and change. However, it might be a bit tricky if you intend to stay over because there are no huts or resorts but if you really intend to do so, you still need to seek permission from Sentosa Leisure Group.

The islands are richly blessed with a wide variety of corals, especially mushroom corals and huge soft corals. There are also many clown anemone fishes, shrimps, clams and other sea species in the shallow waters of both islands. I also love the mangroves there.

As the islands are still pretty undeveloped, you can’t just hop onto a ferry and go to Pulau Hantu for diving and fishing activities. There is a fast boat from West Coast Pier, but the timings and rates are not fixed. You can negotiate with them but these boats are not meant to ferry people for leisure so they could be a little uncomfortable. Otherwise, you can charter a boat or yacht from Singapore to bring you there. Singapore Diving King also provides this service. Just drop us a mail at sgdivingking@gmail.com.