Pulau Hantu

Pulau Hantu is two islets, Hantu Besar and Hantu Kecil, joined at low tide by a sand bar and sitting in the middle of Singapore's southwestern industrial waters with refineries visible in every direction. Despite that the reef around them survives and holds hard and soft coral, nudibranchs and octopus, and it is the standard local dive site. The name means ghost island, and one explanation is the way the low middle of the island disappears under the rising tide, leaving two separate islets.

History

Pulau Hantu, Ghost Island, is made up of Hantu Besar and Hantu Kechil, 12.6 hectares in all; at low tide one can wade across the shallow lagoon between them, but not at high tide (Wikipedia, Pulau Hantu).

The landscape

• The reef - hard and soft coral surviving beside a major refinery complex.
• The sand bar - the link between the two islets exposed at low tide.
• The lagoons - sheltered water on the inner shores.
• The contrast - a functioning reef in the middle of industrial waters.

When to go

Year round; visibility is best on neap tides and is poor at the best of times. Boats are chartered rather than scheduled. Afternoon storms are common.

What to expect

Visibility is frequently under three metres and divers used to clear tropical water are shocked. There are no facilities on the island and no scheduled transport. Industrial shipping surrounds the site.

Nearby

The Sisters' Islands are east, and Jurong Island is north.

Key facts