Sipadan & her surrounding islands:
On the East coast of Sabah, in the Sulu Sulawesi Sea, lies Pulau
Sipadan and her surrounding islands, Pulau Kapalai and Pulau Mabul.
This group of protected islands is legendary in dive circles and is
ranked in the five top diving destinations in the world. The
fantastically shaped islands, surrounded by immaculate white sand
beaches, clear turquoise blue seas and fringing reefs provide a variety
of dive experiences. The perfect reefs harbor incredible fish,
invertebrate and coral biodiversity. At Sipadan huge schools of
hammerhead sharks, jacks and spiraling barracuda can be seen over the
700 meter drop offs, the topography also offers caverns and coral
gardens. Two species of turtle are very common at Sipadan, green and
hawksbill turtles and encounters with manta rays, grey reef, white tip
and leopard sharks and if you're very lucky, thresher and whale sharks,
all add to the excitement.
Pulau Mabul and Kapalai, don't offer the jaw dropping topography of
Sipadan however the diversity of marco animals is incredible, and the
shallow waters make Mabul and Kapalai excellent snorkeling spots too,
much of the marcofauna here is yet be classified and new species are
constantly being discovered!
Mataking:
One of the numerous beautiful islands in the Semporna region Mataking
offers great diving, lacking the drop-offs of Sipadan, it holds
stunning coral gardens with diversity equal to anywhere in Sabah. Very
popular amongst diving couples and families this one island, one resort
destination offers seclusion and paradise.
Lankayan:
Moving north of Sipadan, still on the east coast, Pulau Lankayan is
fast developing a reputation as a top luxury dive-resort get away. This
tiny island, and its surrounding islands, Pulau Billean, Tegipill and
Bungkuruan have recently been declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA),
the SUGUD Islands Marine Conservation Area. Lankayan, a peaceful jewel
in the Sulu Sulawesi Sea, is a one island one resort destination.
Visitors here will experience a real sence of untouched tropical
paradise. Between diving and snorkeling one can explore the small
rainforest or relax on the endless white beach which completely
surrounds the island. The diving and snorkeling boast extremely
colourful macrofauna and coral, and as such Lankayan has become popular
amongst photographers. As well as various reef sharks being frequently
spotted here, between March and May visitors have a good chance of
coming face to face with a whale shark or two!
Layang-Layang:
North West of the Tip of Borneo lays Layang Layang, in the Malaysian
territory of the Spratly Islands, here too the island has a reputation
that ranks it as one of the world's top dive destinations. A lone
island in the South China Sea with a tiny land mass Layang Layang
(meaning shallows reef) is far from shallow. The island's topography is
made up of rich growths of hard coral which start fringing at 5 meters
and then plummet down to about 2000 meters. Such a deep drop-off
provides for exciting encounters with numerous pelagics. Huge schools
of hammerheads are common here, although depending on the day a diver
could see virtually any tropical pelagic here. Also a great place for
drift diving Layang Layang offers gorgonian gardens and great
visibility all year round.
Mantanani:
Southeast of Layang Layang and northwest of Kota Belud is Mantanani.
This idyllic island has regretfully been severely affected by reef
bombing. However diving and snorkeling can still offer ray and reef
shark encounters, and a good variety of macrofauna, such as the Wonder
Octopus. Wreck diving here is good too. Mantanani has 3 wrecks
approximately due east of the island. Sunk all on the same day by two
US submarines these Japanese merchant vessels have been rarely
explored, and offer exciting and quite technical diving. Only one
wreck, the 'Rice Bowl', has been penetrated, her name was given from
the first artifact found on her. She has still not been fully explored.
Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park:
South of Layang Layang and Mantanani the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
offers easily accessible and popular diving. Situated only 15 minutes
by boat from Kota Kinabalu the marine park is an extremely convenient
day trip destination. Not offering the drop-offs and chances of large
pelagic encounters that its counterparts offer, diving consists of hard
coral gardens, sandy bottoms and sporadic coral bombies. As well as
many colourful fish and invertebrate species Pulau Gaya does, if you
are lucky, offer the occasional whale shark sighting. Visibility can be
poor here.
Pulau Tiga:
Between Kota Kinabalu and Labuan is the famed Pulau Tiga Island. It was
the location of the first US Survivor series. Here 7 km of coral reef
surround the two islands Pulau Tiga and Snake Island, aptly named for
the frequent sightings of sea snake here. The reefs range from 6 to 20
meters and whilst they harbor all your typical reef species visibility
can be poor. This volcanic island, covered in rainforest, offers hot
bubbling mud baths. Normally, unless you enjoy being caked in dry mud,
these are quickly followed by a run down to the nearby beach and a wash
in the sea.
Labuan:
Finally southwest of Pulau Tiga Marine Park and lying close to Brunei
is Pulau Labuan. Labuan is a relatively large, peaceful, clean island
with beautiful stretches of sparsely visited white sand beaches. This
is a wreck diving location offering 4 wreck dives. During the Second
World War battles between the Allied forces and the Japanese provided
two wrecks the 'American Wreck' and the 'Australian Wreck'. The later
is not actually an Australian ship but was named so by the locals after
she was sunk by the Australian air force. Lying between 21 and 33
meters and at 100 meters long Australian Wreck has attracted many fish
and a lot of hard coral growth. American Wreck was an American vessel
struck by a mine, mostly the wreck is a mass of tangled metal and
cables, and it requires an experienced dive master to guide you through
it. Cement Wreck is a Brunei freighter which struck a bank in the
1980's, apparently carrying a load of cement. This wreck typically
offers the better photographic opportunities of all the wrecks in
Labuan, again an abundance of coral and fish are associated with this
wreck. Completely intact and easy and exciting to explore our last
wreck, Blue Water Wreck normally offers the best visibility, especially
during the dry season (March to November).
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