...Pulau Kapas...

A little island not more than 20 minutes away by boat

from the sleepy village of Marang, Pulau Kapas (Cotton Island)

 basks idyllically as it has for over 270million years. This little

      heaven in the South China Sea and just off the Terengganu coast is a

pleasant getaway for the locals during weekends. During the weekdays,

it can be surprisingly quiet as throngs of visitors

depart home to their 9-to-5 jobs and businesses.

Pulau Kapas is a small island, just over 2km long

and 1km at its widest point. Since it is so close - only 6km f

rom the mainland, v isitors seldom stay overnight.

For those who prefer to spend a longer time on the island,

there are a variety of accommodations available on the island best suited to most

travelers although non rivaling exclusive resorts such as 'Banyan Tree' or the '

Aman' resort establishments. The resorts here provide satisfactory amenities

and service which of course, the price of a night's accommodation will commensurate with.

 Most resorts are clustered together on two strips of white sandy beaches

facing the mainland, whereas the rest of the island is largely forested

harboring lots of small mammals, birds, insects and reptiles.

On the edges of the island, colorful reefs extend out into

the deep, blue sea where a host of marine life continues to build

and live in these rich , exuberant gardens of the sea. Pulau Kapas

 began to take shape some 270million years ago when the

sea level was way below what it is now. Over a long period of time,

 sedimentation from the land was washed out into the sea,

adding layer upon layer, which then formed a strip of elevated land .

Eventually this area formed into an island and seeds and pollens

 that drifted along with the wind and the sea, settled on the drier

 grounds, giving life to a complete ecosystem as we see on Pulau Kapas today.

The coral reef probably started its life in

the early beginnings of Pulau Kapas. It is this

beauty that for so many years people have come to enjoy.

As a marine park, the coral reefs and its marine inhabitants

have been given full protection from any adverse activity that

may destroy their habitat, and that includes fishing.

With such foresight from the local authorities, the reefs are left

in its pristine state that host an abundance of beautiful coral inhabitants

 such as the parrotfish, pufferfish, angelfish, damselfish; eels; giant clams;

rays, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and nudibranchs. This is the place to really

indulge in snorkelling. There is a wonderful snorkelling spot around

the rocky outcrops just to the southern end of the long stretch of beach.

The water here is shallow and it is best to wear a lifejacket.

In some places the water level at low tide may only

 be as shallow as 2 feet. There is just so much to see

around that snorkellers often lose track of direction and may

get trapped in the shallow ends. When this happens, they often panic

and start trashing about and usually try to stand up in the process.

This is dangerous as the seabed is covered with extremely sharp corals

and can cause deep wounds. The other danger to look out

 for are the sea urchins hiding in and around the corals.

The thorny spines of the sea urchin can

 pierce through delicate skin, believe it - it's excruciating!