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Tioman
Island (Malay
language: Pulau Tioman) is a
small island located 32 km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in
the state of Pahang, and
is some 39 km long and 12 km wide. It has eight main villages, the
largest and most populous being Kampung
Tekek in the north. The densely forested
island is sparsely inhabited, and is surrounded by numerous coral
reefs, making it a
popular scuba
diving spot. There are also a lot of resorts
and chalets around the island which has duty-free status.The marine area
around Tioman Island and eight other nearby islands have been declared as marine parks
and marine reserves..jpg)
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Apart from its diverse marine life, the inland rainforest area was protected in 1972 as the Pulau Tioman Wildlife Reserve. However, a large part of the original reserve was sacrificed for agricultural and touristic development in 1984; the remaining area is approximately 8,296 ha (20,500 acres). There are several protected species of mammals on the island, including the binturong, long-tailed macaque, slow loris, black giant squirrel, red giant flying squirrel,mouse deer, brush-tailed porcupine, and common palm civet, from a total of 45 species of mammals and 138 species of birds, including the majesticfrigatebird. Moreover, Tioman has species that are endemic to its shores. The Tioman walking catfish Clarias batu can be seen on rainforest walks. Kajang slender litter frog is only known from Mount Kajang.
Tioman has been used
for thousands of years by fishermen as an important navigation point and a
source of fresh water and wood. During the past thousand years, it has played
host to Chinese, Arab, and European trading ships, and often porcelain shards can be found on beaches around
the island.
In more recent
history, Tioman played host to both the British and the Japanese during the Second World
War, and the waters around the island are littered with war remains
