Feel safe.
Open your senses.
Meet the reef.
For people who love the ocean but get nervous in it.
Six days on Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia, learning to feel at home in the water and save turtles.
why this journey
What if the sea
isn't as frightening as you think?
Maybe you can't swim.
Maybe you can, but the thought of deep water still makes you nervous.
We'd like to help you get comfortable, one step at a time.
Then we'll show you what makes this part of the ocean worth caring about,
from the reefs around Perhentian to the turtles nesting on the beach.
You'll join at least two nights of turtle night patrol
and work on a conservation project you can bring home.
the journey
Six days,
five nights.
1. Feel safe
Water confidence, equipment and your own limits
2. Open senses
Reef life and underwater imaging
3. Explore
A guided island snorkelling trip
4. Give back
Turtle conservation, beach patrol and your own conservation plan
Share, practise, reflect
A short session on land, time in the water, then a chat
Your own journal
Ocean knowledge pages for your reference and space for your notes
Guided and accompanied
A team alongside you in the water and during conservation work
No tests
Nobody is ranked, and you don’t have to beat your fear
Arrive & find your feet
Check in and settle in, then we start with an orientation: who we are and how the week works. We also run a patrol simulation, a practice run of the nightly beach patrol, so you know what to expect when you join the Bubbles Turtle Conservation team on at least two nights.
Feel safe
We start with water safety. You’ll learn how your body behaves in the water, meet the equipment (mask, snorkel and flotation, fitted to you), and learn what to do if you ever feel uncomfortable. We finish with a first supported time in the sea, at your own pace, and a short chat about what you noticed. There’s no pressure to do more than you’re ready for.
Meet the reef
Through the lens
Taking photos changes what you notice, so we practise using a camera without losing track of the reef, or of where you are in the water. Our rule of thumb: shoot what you naturally see, not what you have to search for.
Out on the water, then give back
In the morning, we take everything you’ve practised out on an island snorkelling trip around Perhentian, from 9 am to 11 am, with three stops: Shark Point, Turtle Point and Coral Garden. It’s a relaxed tour, not a test. Float, look, and enjoy it, with your guides beside you. At midday, a conservation workshop brings the six days together: you plan your own conservation project, something you can carry into your daily life.
Check out & head home
Check out and take either the 8 am or the 12 pm ferry back to Besut Jetty, whichever suits you. We hope you leave with a little more ease in the water and a few ideas to take with you.
Travel thoughtfully
How we try to do this well.
Safe for Us, Gentle on the Reef
The more comfortable you are in the water, the more of the underwater world you get to enjoy. Once you stop wondering whether you’re okay, you start noticing the reef, the fish and the light, and that’s often when people begin to care about looking after it.
Safe and gentle turn out to be the same thing. If you know how to float, stay still and control your movements, you’re far less likely to kick or grab coral, or drift somewhere you shouldn’t. If you know how to use a camera responsibly, you can take photos without chasing animals, crowding them or losing track of where you are.
That’s what we mean by looking after ourselves and the ocean. Learn the right methods first, enjoy the reef, and leave it as you found it.
It’s how Bubbles Dive Resort runs every day, too. The resort is a Green Fins member, following the international environmental code of conduct for dive and snorkel operators, and been named a Green Fins best performer four times.
Giving Back to Turtle Conservation
The last step of The Sea In Me is learning how we can protect what we’ve come to know. On Perhentian, the conservation team on site is Bubbles Turtle Conservation (BTC), who run night patrols, hatchery maintenance and beach cleans to protect turtle habitat.
Part of what you pay contributes to BTC, and you give your time too. During your stay you’ll lend a hand with things like nightly beach patrol, beach clean, hatchery maintenance, data collection and turtle work. On our last day, a conservation workshop helps you plan your own conservation project to take home.
Five nights on Perhentian.
You will be staying in Bubbles Dive Resort, Perhentian Besar, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Many of the resort’s furnishings are crafted from repurposed materials, giving the place a unique, rustic charm that’s both comfortable and environmentally conscious.
Due to it’s popularity as a nesting site for mother turtles, the resort works with Bubbles Turtle Conservation closely, a social enterprise that protects the habitat of green turtles at the resort’s bay while spreading awareness.
Room
Shared rooms, with solo travellers paired up · upgrade subject to availability
Meals
5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners and drinking water
Location
A secluded part of Perhentian island, away from the main areas
Turtle conservation hall
Where the conservation team works and educates guests
Dive centre
Optional diving activities in your free time
Shore access
Where most of our water workshops take place
Trip includes
- Water Safety, Reef Life and Underwater Imaging Workshops
- Island Snorkelling Trip
- Snorkelling Gears (or bring your own gear)
- Participation in Bubbles Turtle Conservation Project
- Return speedboat transfer (between Kuala Besut and Perhentian Island)
- 5 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners + Drinking water
- 5 Nights Accommodation
- E-certificate of participation
- The Sea In Me Journal
The order of sessions can change with weather, sea conditions and how the group is feeling.
Trip excludes
- Marine Park Fee
- Besut District Council Fee
- Service Tax 8%
- Kota Bharu airport transfer (can be arranged)
- Other expenses not mentioned above
You don’t have to become fearless to enjoy the ocean.
Price
March & April
5 breakfasts, lunches and dinners
Return speedboat transfer
Workshops, island snorkelling trip and gear
Conservation project, journal and e-certificate
May & June
The price excludes the Marine Park Fee, the Besut District Council Fee and 8% Service Tax.
Dates
Tell us when you’re thinking of and we’ll let you know what’s open.
Questions
FAQs
No. The Sea In Me is designed for people who may not swim well, or at all, as well as people who have never snorkelled. We use properly fitted flotation, which is included in your trip, and our team decides, person by person, what is right in the water. Nobody is taken into deeper water just because they attended a workshop.
That is exactly who this is for. You can pause, ask for help, watch first, or skip any activity, at any time. We will never tell you to just be brave.
No. It is not a certification, and nobody is tested or ranked, although you do receive an e-certificate of participation. It is a guided week to learn the basics, notice what is around you, and explore at your own pace. People who have snorkelled before are welcome too.
Yes, families are welcome. The programme is for ages 10 and over. Guests under 18 are accompanied in the water by a parent or guardian, who joins alongside our team rather than replacing it.
It is our guided snorkel on the morning of Day 5, from 9 am to 11 am. We snorkel around Perhentian Island at three sites: Shark Point, Turtle Point and Coral Garden. It is a relaxed tour, not a test.
Patrol nights are arranged by the Bubbles Turtle Conservation team. Each night has two shifts, 9 pm to 2 am and 3 am to 7 am, and every guest joins at least two nights of patrol. We run a patrol simulation on Day 1, so you know what to expect before you go out.
We never promise sightings of particular animals, because this is the wild sea and the wild beach.
On patrol, we follow a few simple rules around turtles and hatchlings: no white lights, minimal noise during turtle activity, and a respectful distance.
The nearest medical clinic is in the village on Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian Island), about a 15 to 20 minute boat ride away. Any serious case is transferred to Hospital Kuala Besut on the mainland, which is about 45 minutes by boat, then a 20-minute drive.
No camera is needed. We share action cameras in the imaging session, but feel free to bring your own underwater camera for best experience. Snorkelling gear and a flotation device are included in your trip, and you are welcome to bring your own gear if you prefer.
Yes. Solo travellers are arranged to share a room with another three participants. A room upgrade to a deluxe room is available depending on resort availability, so please contact us for the price and availability.
Pulau Perhentian is an island, so the last stretch is by boat. Your trip includes the return speedboat transfer between Kuala Besut and Perhentian Island. We meet at the Bubbles Meeting Point at Besut Jetty, and the exact location is shown in our Know Before You Go Guide.
On Day 1, please be at Besut Jetty by 10:30 am at the latest, as the ferry leaves at 11 am. On Day 6, you can take either the 8 am or the 12 pm ferry from the Bubbles resort back to Besut Jetty.
The Kota Bharu airport transfer is not included, but we can arrange an airport pick-up from Kota Bharu airport to Besut Jetty.
Yes. Our Know Before You Go Guide has the practical details to read before you arrive, including the exact meeting location at Besut Jetty.
[Attach the Know Before You Go Guide (PDF) and link it here]
A RM500 deposit per person is required on registration to secure your slot. The deposit is non-refundable.
If full payment for the programme is made before it starts, these cancellation terms apply:
- 31 days or more before the programme start date: 50% refundable (excluding the deposit)
- 30 days or less before the programme start date: non-refundable
Other journeys
Where else we’d take you.
Across the Gulf of Tomini
The Sea In Me (Bali)