Dive into Malaysia
Malaysia is developing a reputation as one of the best spots in Asia for scuba divers, with an estimated 40% of all international visitors nominating diving as their reason to visit. With some spectacular reefs and shipwrecks to explore, Malaysia attracted almost 400,000 divers last year, according to the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia, many of them from Australia. More than 822,000 people visited the nation’s marine parks in total. The triangle between Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines is considered one of the most bio-diverse marine habitats in the world, with a plethora of dive spots and marine life that keeps divers coming back. The most popular destination is Sipadan Island, off Sabah’s east coast. Rising 700m from the sea floor and at only 12 hectares, Malaysia’s sole oceanic island takes only 25 minutes to walk around. Renowned oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once described the waters around Sipadan as “an untouched piece of art”, helping establish its fame. Divers can expect to see turtles, manta rays, schools of sharks, barracuda, and coral walls dropping more than 2,000 metres to the ocean floor. Its famed Barrier Reef is the largest in southeast Asia and is regularly voted by divers as one of the world’s top dive destinations. The jump-off point for all Sipadan Island explorations is the town of Semporna, a one-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu, followed by a 30-minute speedboat to Mabul. Among the most popular resorts are Sipadan’s Reef Dive Resort and Sipadan Kapalia Dive Resort, along with Mabul Island’s Sipadan Mabul Resort and Mabul Water Bungalows. Earlier this year, Malaysia officially established the biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the country – and one of the largest in southeast Asia. The Tun Mustapha Park occupies 1.6 million hectares of seascape, including 50 islands, off the northern tip of Sabah in east Malaysia, and has the country’s second largest concentration of coral reefs. Tun Mustapha and Malaysia’s two other major MPAS, Tun Sakaran and Tunku Abdul Rahman will also become shark sanctuaries. Shark species are vital to the diving business, which generates about RM380 million (US$9.4 million) per year,” says Malaysia’s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Masisi. “We will lose the shark
population in 10 year’s time if stakeholders continue serving shark fin soup.” The park, which includes areas for strict protection, artisanal fishing and commercial fishing among others, is expected to be a major draw card for tourists. Other top dive sites in Malaysia include:
Layang-layang Island
Home to some of Malaysia’s most pristine diving, this remote spot is a marine-based resort, located on a sand bank just below sea level and largely unspoilt by people. LayangLayang has an extraordinary mix of coral reefs and forests and large schools of fish and other sea life.
Lang Tengah Island
Located between the popular islands of Redang and Perhentian, the modest island of Lang Tengah offers great opportunities for divers of all abilities, who can expect to see a large array of sea life including turtles, schools of fish and coral. The best time to visit Lang Tengah between April and September (peak season).
Tioman Island
With light currents and an abundance of sea life, the island of Tioman offers excellent diving and snorkeling, as well as kayaking. With picturesque beaches, Tioman is one of the most popular islands in Malaysia. It is only accessible by a chartered flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tioman operated by Berjaya Air, but is worth the effort.
Perhentian Island
Conditions off Perhentian are perfect for novice divers and with many different diving spots to explore, it is a favourite with locals and tourists alike. There is abundant marine life, shallow reefs and clear water along the coastline. The top resorts on the island are Coral View Island Resort and Perhentian Tuna Bay Island Resort.
Santubong
Santubong, near Kuching, is one of the best places to explore the dramatic Japanese World War II shipwrecks, which act as shelters and artificial habitats for marine life. At 22 metres, they are also easily accessible to divers and suitable for beginners.
Miri
Miri has more than 30 dive sites, with five shipwrecks, including the artificial reefs created by the Kenyalang Wreck, a joint development by Shell and Petronas scuttled in the mid 2000s. With visibility ranging from 10m to 30m, diving is possible all year round, but the best time to visit is March to September. Other areas worth exploring include the Anemone Garden, Siwa Reef and Hawa Reef.
Pulau Payar Marine Park
Just 30km south of Langkawi Island and 45 minutes from Kuah Jetty by catamaran or speedboat, Pulau Payar Marine Park has some of Langkawi’s best snorkelling and diving, including the colourful Coral Garden. Divers need a permit, usually included on organised tours. Next year, it will be even easier to get to Langkawai from the mainland when Malaysia’s first high-speed ferry service starts operating from Kuala Kedah ferry terminal to Langkawi from July.