Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on October 4, 2022
Melina Bech Resort is located south of Playa Beach on the west coast of Tioman Island. Located in a relatively remote area, it gives access to the pretty fringing reef edging the beach. If the coral health differs depending on the areas, the diversity of fish found at reef makes it a popular snorkeling spot. Some of the most iconic fish sighted here include the bluespotted ribbontail ray, the ocellaris clownfish, the harry hotlips and the batfish.
This spot is the house reef of the Melina Beach Resort, located on the central west coast of the island of Tioman. It lies between the village of Genting and Paya Beach.
To explore this spot, you can either choose to stay at the Melina Beach Resort, or hike through the jungle from the village of Genting, in the south, or from Paya Beach, in the north. To access the beach, you have to walk through the resort. At the sign indicating the path to Paya or Genting, take the stairs down to the beach.
Water entrance is directly from the sandy beach, preferably in front of the Melina Beach Resort restaurant.
The reef stretches north and south of the hotel. On the beach, you can find a reef map which will help you find your way around and locate the different areas.
From the beach, the seabed is sandy and you have to swim towards the open sea, to the first corals. On the reef, the depth is about 10 to 15ft/3 to 5 meters. The corals are generally in good health, although in some areas the beds are covered with dead coral debris inhabited by many long-spined sea urchins.
The liveliest areas of the reef feature branching corals, table coral, finger coral, and several less spectacular species. Magnificent sea anemones (Heteractis magnifica), called home by ocellaris clownfish, can be seen in some places.
Butterflyfish, especially the Eastern triangular butterflyfish and the eightband butterflyfish, are very common at Melina Beach’s reef. They are often seen swimming just above the coral. Wrasse, spinefoot and snapper also abound in the shallow, well-lit areas.
A bit deeper, big black sweetlips shelter at the foot of the coral heads. On this spot, you will also have a good chance of seeing bluespotted ribbontail rays. They are often hidden in the shade of tabular corals.
On this spot, the underwater visibility is generally good, rarely excellent. It can vary during the same day depending on currents and tides.
This spot is the house reef of the Melina Beach Resort. If you stay there, you can enjoy the reef just steps from your room.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
