There are two islands with the
same name Pulau Besar. One is near the coast of Melaka and the other one is in
the South China Sea. This is about the last one. It's located off the east
coast of Johor - 15 km from Mersing.
Pulau Besar
is surrounded by many nearby islands, like Pulau Mensirip, Pulau Hujung, Pulau
Rawa, Pulau Harimau. Even Pulau Tengah on which Expedition Robinson was
filmed, is close to Pula Besar. Divers will be able to dive at Jahat/ Aut,
Sakit Mata, Mata Tikus and Rawa.
The island is characterized by quiet, clean beaches of powdery white sand that
promises an amazingly spectacular view. Crystal clear waters surround the
island; Pulau Besar. The waters are so clean that visitors can even see the
many reefs from the surface. To preserve the unspoiled marine life, the
Government has gazetted it as a marine park to protect around 60 species of
marine life from any activity that can harm their natural habitats within 2
nautical miles around the island.
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Aseania |

D'Coconut |
There are many interesting
activities. One can go snorkelling, fishing, diving or take a trip to all the
nearby islands. Visitors can trek through the woods to see the tropical plants
and animals or visit a 'kelong' to see the fishermen hauling up their
nets laden with the bountiful harvest from the sea.
The wild vegetation of the tropical jungle are rich in many different green
colours and the sight of coconut palm dotting the landscape is a normal one.
There are about 7 – 8 small villages that are still populated by around 100
friendly dwellers who are mostly fishermen.
Pulau Besar is rising some
2,000 feet above the sea level. So this is one of the largest islands off
the coast of Mersing
The island got its former name, Pulau Babi Besar, (directly translated as
Big Boars Island) from the numerous wild boars that roamed the island
before man inhabited the place.
Nowadays there is not a single boar on the island at present and for that
reason they changed the name to Pulau Besar.
Here, you can find many species of the giant cockle that live on the ocean
floor and 6 of them can only be found around Mersing waters.A number of
the surrounding islands such as Pulau Aur, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Tinggi
and Pulau Rawa have been identified as new habitats for the new generation
of the giant cockles.
These cockles have a life span of 70 years. They are 1-metre long and can
weigh as much as 200 kilograms. Tourists will be able to set their eyes on
these lovely shelled-creatures while snorkelling in the breathtakingly
picturesque underwater. |

The jetty of Pulau Besar |
From Mersing, there are several services.
Seagull express and catamaran ferries are air-conditioned and comfortable.
Speed boats leave every hour. Their first service starts at 7.30am. It takes
about half hour to reach.