How safe is snorkeling in Pulau Perhentian?

Drowned at Perhentian Island and Redang Island
Lemas di Pulau Perhentian dan Pulau Redang

 image below from BeritaHarian Online - Kembara

How safe is snorkeling?

These are the fatal cases of snorkeling and swimming at Pulau Perhentian, and Pulau Redang
No official statistic that I can find, maybe not publish online. All this cases are from Online news that I googled.
I am not going to scare you, but just to remind. In an excitement of seeing the crystal clear water, beautiful corals and abundance of fish with variety of colours, please remember your safety.
24 cases for the last 9 years (five fatalities at Pulau Redang)
====================================================================

1.Lian Feet Yeow (23)                                     - Malaysian    - June 2019     - Pulau Redang  ***

2.Lim Wei Harng (58)                                      - Malaysian     - June 2019    - Pulau Redang  ***

3.Lai Jun Hong, (22), from Johor Bahru            -Malaysian     - April 22, 2019 - Pulau Rawa
4.Abkar Maged Mahmood Mohammed (24)  - Yemeni        -April 2018        -swimming Long beach
5.Nur Nasibah Husna Ibrahim (21)                - Malaysian    -Aug 2017       -Boat capsized 5km from Kuala Besut
6 Huang Qingfe(21) of Zhejing,                       - Chinese             -Aug 2017     -Pulau Redang ***
7.Mohd Amirul Ihsan Sulong (21)                  - Malaysian    -March 2017    -Pantai Spice Diver
8. Ooi Chee Seng (70)                                 - Malaysian      -April 2016    - not wear life jacket
9. Zhe Liu    (31)                                           - Chinese       -April 2016      -snorkeling alone
10. Borella Lorenzo (27)                                 - Italian            -April 2016      -Pulau Redang ***
11.Jake Samuel Andrews (21)                        - British          -May 2015        -taking off his life-jacket
12.Sharifah Faridah Syed Jaafar (47)             - Malaysian    -May 2015       -separated 50m from group
13.Dr. Kim Byung Rim (40)                             - Korean      -July 2015          -taking off his life-jacket
14.Liu Feng (31)                                            - Chinese        -April 2014         -drown Long Beach, cant swim
15.Shooban Soorai Sooria Demudu (30)       - Malaysian     -April 2014       -swimming
16.Kong Wai Yoong (35)                              - Malaysian    -March 2014    -tried to save near drown tourist in choppy water, no life jacket
17.Ms Kim Dong Huk, 52                            - South Korean - July 2013,     - tried to save her husband
18.Mr Kyung Min Baek, 54                          -South Korean - July 2013                                
19.Madaline Jayne Cole(25)                         - British          -May 2013             -Hit by boat propellers
20.Azhar Idris (37)- Boat driver                    - Malaysian    -July 2012            -swimming to boat
21.Mohd Nurul Husni Mahmud (37)             - Malaysian    -Feb 2012
22.Suzanne Lock Kam(62                           - British          -April 2011              -swimming alone
23.Tan Swee Chuan (25)                             - Malaysian      -Jun 2010             -snorkeling alone - no jacket
24.Tatakuma Chinko (88)                           - Japanese         -September 2010   -swimming  Redang ***

25. Raja Halimahton Shahrin Sultan Idris (62) - Malaysian   -March 2019 -   scuba diving

26. Mohamad Abbass Shabki (22)               -Malaysian       - July 2021 - scuba diving training  Tokong Laut 
 =======================================-============================
Looks like APRIL contribute  7 of 19 cases
North East monsoon, start from November to March, and the island open to visitor from end of  February, and visitors peaking-up from April to September. 

Half of them Malaysian, three British citizen,  three China citizen, and three South Korean.
Four of the cases not wearing life jacket.
Three swim alone.
Two cases of drowning while saving other.
 

1.  Always wear a life jacket
2 . Good snorkeling gear - get familiar with mask, snorkel, fins
3.  Never snorkeling alone, get a buddy, in group or guide
4.  Known your health conditions. Don't overestimate your physical abilities.
5.  Use long selfie stick for closeup pictures of small fish like nemo.  
6.  Stay in bounds. There are a ropes and floats that indicate the snorkeling boundary.

Picture above from Adventoro.com
Picture below from Astro Awani

You can do the action below if you are very experience snorkeler,  know what your are doing, very good swimmer, and can hold you breath longer. Pic from Diver Report

Reference:
1.https://www.subea.com/advice/safe-snorkeling-tp_3109
2. http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/snorkelling-dangerous-if-not-done-the-right-way/

Snorkeling Pulau Perhentian

Snorkeling at Pulau Perhentian, RM50 per pax for 5 locations. Coral Point, Turtle Point (Teluk Pauh), Shark Point, Tiga Ruang, and lunch in the fisherman village
We took a package from a booth in front of the Mimpi Hotel. Booked a day before and paid RM10 as deposit.

That small yellow water taxi took us around for four hours, (10am to 1pm).

Boarding the Anok Tuari water Taxi

Bangladeshi boat driver pulling out the anchor

Smiling and happy face

very excited

Water spray, boat powered by a single Yamaha enduro 40hp 2 stroke outboard engine

On the way to Pulau Perhentian Besar

First jump from Anok Tuori Taxi  Ema Jaya 1

second jump and final jump

all in the water

crystal clear water

High five to fishes at Fish Point (Teluk Keke)

Abundance of stripes fish - they call it  a Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis), because of that  stripes like  an army  insignia

A large school of  Sargent Major feeding gardenia bread. DON'T FEED THE FISH!

That white and yellow stripes is a juvenile sergeant

The brown fish at lower left corner looks like a Moon Wrasse (juvenile magenta head strips). The middle white (no strips) fish looks like a Cardinalfish. Woon Wrase Infomation from HERE

a pair of Yellow Rabbitfish  at a giant round corals above, and a Blue-green Moon Wrasse (male)  fish  at a purpple and brown Lettuce corals  below

a very tiny Clown-fish / Nemo above, and picture from Wikipedia below

Anemone fish and sea anemones have a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship

Those two "Mat Salleh" snorkeled without a life-vest. They dive and disturbed the turtle, so it swam away to a seabed.

Turtle Point (Perhentian Island Resort). Boatman showing where the tittle location

  I can only have a glimpse of Green Turtle at the Turtle Point

All tired but satisfied

pictures below are from Underwater Photography Guide

Kampung Nelayan aka Kampung Pasir Hantu

Selamat Datang -welcome

Singgah makan tengahari di Kampung Nelayan

 Lunch at Fisherman Village.  That background building is the four story Police Station.

Ar-Rahman Mosque at Fisherman village Perhentian Kecil

 The last stop at the Blue Lagoon

Firdaus practicing his flying kick ala Bruce Lee