Without a doubt Malaysia has been blessed with many tropical islands with white sandy beaches and clear blue waters. And an example of such an island is the one located 67 km offshore from the east of Mersing the island is called Pulau Aur. Here visitors will find that it offers one of the best scuba diving sites in the world, where you will have the opportunity to dive with whale sharks, get close to huge coral walls and gardens and even search on the hulking shipwrecks.

Fishermen in the past used Pulau Aur as a stopover point because of the fresh supply of water as well as the amount of fishes that could be caught in the waters near the island. In the end some of the fishermen decided to move their families to the island instead. The island is rich in history as well as mystery and this can been seen through the amount of items that have been salvaged throughout the years from the bottom of the sea.

Based on the items that were recovered from the wreckage at the bottom of the sea near the islands, it is safe to say that Pulau Aur has been known to the Chinese sailors for centuries already. There is even evidence to support this claim, where a map printed in the 17^th century shows the famous voyages of Admiral Zhenghe in the 15^th century that identifies Aur as the islands that they have encountered in their journeys.

The island saw an increase of inhabitants and in the 19^th century there was an estimated 1400 inhabitants on the island that consisted of fishermen, slaves and traders. It even became a place for the pirates to conduct their business such as slave trading, ravaging, and pillaging. The pirates even used the opportunity to raid foreign ships that came to the island as a stopover before continuing their journey to other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and beyond.

Most of the population of the island lives on the coastline in small kampongs of four to six buildings. The island does not have any road which means that there are no vehicles, making it one of the few places that have not been tainted by pollution. This makes it an ideal spot for those that want to escape the pressures of city life to relax and unwind while rejuvenating in the healthy environment. The population supports themselves by fishing as well as operating the dive spots on the island.

Other islands that are located near Pulau Aur such as Pulau Lang, Rayners Rock, Pulau Dayang and Pulau Pemanggil all belong to the Johor Marine Park. The islands located here are quite rocky but are well forested; some have even isolated coconut plantations. These islands have potential to become world class diving sites due to the deep, clear water, the chances of encountering large pelagic species are high as well as the healthy corals.

Kampung Teluk Berhala is the main kampong located on the island making it a safe place to be in as everyone knows each other. There are also the standard facilities that you would normally find in such villages such as a police station, a small mosque, a school and so on. There is a grocery owned by a Makcik Fatimah that is well-stocked despite its size. There are even solar powered public telephones located on the island, however according to the locals the telephones are unreliable so when you get to the island you had better hope that your mobile phone has connection. On the southern part of the island is another cove that is called Teluk Sebukang. It is best that you take a boat to this place as going there by foot is quite difficult, just go to the jetty and ask around. If you happen to stumble upon a boatman that does not have a busy schedule then you are just in luck, for a price they can take you to the other villages located on Pulau Aur as well as the nearby island of Dayang.

You can also opt to visit the other villages located on the island especially the ones to the back of Pulau Aur. You can access the villages via the coastal walk from Kampung Berhala the steps are well maintained so you do not have to worry. It will take you about an hour to reach your destination, but expect to see some of the spectacular views that the island has to offer. So make sure to bring along some water as well as a camera to capture the splendid views.