LOCAL DIVING IN SINGAPORE

WHERE IS PULAU HANTU?

Pulau Hantu is located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. Pulau Hantu is actually made up of two islets: Pulau Hantu Besar (Big Ghost Island) and Pulau Hantu Kechil (Little Ghost Island), with a total area of 12.6 hectares. At low tide, it is possible to wade across the shallow lagoon between the two islands, but not at high tide. 

The boat ride from either West Coast Pier or Republic of Singapore Yacht Club will generally take about 30 minutes to reach the small island. Due to the fact, that the surrounding water in Singapore is generally between the visibility of 3 metres to 5 metres, diving can be quite a challenge.

The visibility can be affected by weather, water movements and types of divers in water quickly, due to the fact the surrounding area of Pulau Hantu is mostly consisting of silt more than sand. But despite the infamous visibility of Pulau Hantu, the macro life in Singapore is rather unique. As a matter of fact, the local diving community has set up a Facebook Group dedicated to documenting the unique findings of Singapore diving. 

best time to dive

Diving in Singapore is all year round. On an average, visibility in Singapore Pulau Hantu is between 2 to 5 metres, mostly 2 metres. Tropical, hot and humid year round with daytime temperatures about 31°C/88°F. Northeast Monsoon brings frequent rain from December to March. Pulau Hantu  is the most popular local dive site and it lies just off Singapore’s southwest corner. At low tide, visitors to Pulau Hantu can walk between two islands, Hantu Besar and Hantu Kecil. There are hard and soft corals and an abundance of macro life including many different strange and wonderful nudibranchs. Tidal currents are a factor here and alert divers who can manage to look up from the reef may spot sharks or turtles. Don’t expect to have the place to yourself on the weekends or holidays, but ease of access makes this a great local option.

For more information about marine life, please visit Facebook Group.

LOCAL DIVING RATES BREAKDOWN

how do you dive around singapore

who do you sign up with?

Most dive shops will have access to local boat operators. Currently, there is a total of 8 boats operating at Pulau Hantu, each boat capable of carrying a max of 5 divers only. They generally operate between 2 to 3 sessions a day, morning sessions departing between 7am to 8am, afternoon sessions departing between 12pm to 2pm and evening sessions.

However, due to the restrictions and limitations of the boat capacity, the better boats are generally snapped up faster. The better boats operated by Dolphin Explorer are booked 2 months in advance and if they do not entertain last minute booking of any kind. If you are not fussy about the condition of the boat, the remaining boats can be considered and it is easier to book yourself on such boats.

A local diving trip generally consists of 2 dives, ranging from SGD$ 120 to SGD$ 180.00. No guides and equipment are not included in the package. Due to the price structure of the local boat operators and the limited capacity of the boats, engaging good local spotters or guides can cost you between SGD$ 120 to SGD$ 180.00, and these fees can be split amongst the number of divers.

If you choose to engage a local guide, please note that they are not part of Orpheus Dive crew. They are outsourced to the divers who do frequent diving in local waters. At this moment of time, all our dive crew are focusing on 1 to 1 bespoke PADI Courses only.