The Blue Gardens of Anambas Nestled midway between the Malaysian Peninsula and Borneo, deep in the heart of the South China Sea, lies an archipelago that has remained quietly unnoticed. At first glance, this group of islands seems like any other in the tropics; dense, lush rainforest circled by white powdery beaches sitting on top of clear waters. Delve beneath its shimmering blue waters and a startlingly pristine underwater scene greets you. From the small indistinct rock outcrops of Tekong Malangbiru, and Repong, to the larger distinctive islands of Jemaja and Durai, what truly startles is the sheer clarity of the waters in Anambas. From the moment you descend, visibility in the sapphire blue waters reaches as far as your eyes can see. And what a sight it is. Carpeting the entire seabed, hard and soft corals fight for every inch of available space. Where intricate mazes of staghorns end, huge mounds of table corals, gorgonias and anemones spring up. Blooming with colour and abundance, pristine reefs line the bottom of almost all the islands in Anambas. In 2002, scientists from Asia embarked on Expedition Anambas to record and discover the number of species of fish in Anambas and Natuna. After the ten-day expedition, they found 432 species. Of which, 7 were recorded for the first time in the South China Sea. The recorded figure makes up only 12% of over 3365 fish species found in the whole of the South China Sea. Researchers on Expedition Anambas admit their findings are in no way exhaustive, since the islands are remote and unexplored, there could be many more types of marine life waiting to be discovered. What doesn't satisfy researchers, would definitely please divers. Besides the already overwhelming 432 species you might encounter, it's the prospect of swimming into rare and unrecorded ones that makes a remote and unknown destination like Anambas so exhilarating. You will certainly find all the ubiquitous denizens of the reef here; clownfish, jacks, groupers, parrotfishes, nudibranchs are sure to be sighted on every dive. But it is their sheer numbers that truly dazzles. So take the leap, beyond the more popular sites of the Seven Skies and Udang Oil Rig sites, deep into the eastern reaches of the Anambas archipelago and you’ll be deeply rewarded.     Anambas dive sites (click map to view enlarged)           For any feedbacks or comments on our website, pls send to dive@absolute-scuba.com. Copyright © 2004 Absolute Scuba + All Rights Reserved + Sitemap + Terms & Conditions + Powered by: MooVoHost