discoverborneo - your gateway to malaysian borneo

With scuba diving sites like Sipadan and Layang Layang Sabah is at the forefront of not just tropical diving but diving worldwide, it is no wonder that divers travel from all around the world to Sabah. For divers, flights to Borneo from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Brunei or Hong Kong are regular and land directly in either Kota Kinabalu or Tawau, from where you have direct access to a myriad of scuba diving sites. Sarawak, whilst it has a few lesser known dive sites, does not possess the clear waters, coral reefs, atolls or wrecks that can be found in Sabah.

And there is something for every diver. Beginners can choose between a full variety of PADI and SSI courses all very reasonably priced in global terms. PADI and SSI also cater for children with their Bubble Maker and SEAL Team courses by PADI or Scuba Rangers courses by SSI.

For Techies, a variety of deep and unexplored wrecks exists on the west coast, and mixed gases and rebreathers are available.

For more information on Sabah's undiscovered diving potential visit our blog at Undiscovered Underwater Sabah and for information on coral reef conservation in Sabah you can also reach our blog here or download this interesting article by Reef Guardian at Coral Reef Conservation Sabah.

To find out more about some of Sabah's more popular scuba diving areas please read on.

Contact our travel consultants now and start planning your holiday!

The Famous Dive Locations

Sipadan and her surrounding islands

On the East coast of Sabah, in the Celebes Sea, lies Pulau Sipadan and her surrounding islands and reefs, including the famous macro scuba diving spots of Pulau Mabul and Kapalai. This group of islands is legendary in dive circles and is ranked as one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world. The reefs harbor numerous 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 macro creatures is incredible, and the shallow waters make Mabul and Kapalai excellent snorkeling spots too, much of the macrofauna here is yet be classified and new species are constantly being discovered!

Lankayan

North East of Sabah in the Sulu Sea lies Lankayan Island. This tiny island, and its surrounding islands, Pulau Billean, Tegipill and Bungkuruan have recently been declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA), under the SUGUD Islands Marine Conservation Area. Visitors here will experience a real sense of untouched tropical paradise where between diving and snorkeling one can explore the small rainforest or relax on the endless white beach which completely surrounds the island. Due to the extremely colourful macro fauna and coral scenery, Lankayan has become popular amongst photographers, and its calm waters make it and ideal stop to learn to dive. Another reason to visit Lankayan between March and May is that visitors have a good chance of coming face to face with a whale shark or two!

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Layang Layang

Layang Layang Atoll lies northwest of the Tip of Borneo, the northern most point of Sabah. Along with Sipadan its reputation also ranks it as one of the world's top dive destinations. 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. Huge schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks can be common here. As you might imagine Layang Layang is a great place for drift diving and the generally great visibility intensifies this.

Mantanani

Off the coast of Kota Belud lies the small island of Mantanani. Actually Mantanani has two islands, Mantanani kecil and Mantanani besar. A trip here involves an 105 minute overland journey followed by a 60 minute boat ride. Visibility can go up to 40 metres and offers good muck diving and opportunities to see various rays and possibly reef sharks. Mantanani was once famed for its dugongs too. Coral reef cover would have once been excellent in these stunning islands, sadly though, like many reefs throughout Southeast Asia they have been adversely effected by bomb fishing. Best time of the year to visit Mantanani is between March to August.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

Situated only 15 minutes by boat from Kota Kinabalu the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park offers easily accessible and popular diving apart from being an extremely convenient day trip destination. Not offering the drop-offs and chances of large pelagic encounters that its counterparts offer (although whale shark sitings between March and April are not uncommon), diving consists of hard coral gardens, sandy bottoms and sporadic coral bombies. Due to the water conditions the Marine Park off Kota Kinabalu is an ideal place to learn to dive before heading off to many of the more famous spots in the area.

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. However species density and coral growth can be very good and as a scuba diver it is well worth taking a day trip from Kota Kinabalu to visit Palau Tiga. Pulau Tiga, a volcanic island covered in rainforest, also 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!

Planning Your Dive Holiday