MMEA vessel now home to rich marine life
KOTA KINABALU: It has been a year since KM Kuraman was sunk near Manukan Island in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and marine life is quick in making it part of their | habitats.
The 52-year-old vessel which belonged to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is resting at 25 meters below the sea surface.
Now teeming with marine life, it is expected to attract tourists too, especially those keen on shipwreck diving or ‘wreck dive’.
Although the shipwreck is not officially open to the public, a group of media representatives from the Sabah Media Dive Team was given the opportunity to see how marine life has transformed for the past one year.
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park manager Anthony Johnny Tinggi said the shipwreck is expected to be open to the public next year depending on the safety of the vessel.
“There are many safety reasons that must be taken into consideration before we can open this shipwreck to the public.
“Our research team are constantly monitoring the stability of the vessel and if they believe it is safe, we will officially open for scuba divers ,” he said when met at Manukan Island recently. Anthony said the KM Kuraman shipwreck had given access to marine life to establish breeding ground.
Reefs, he said, are important for marine ecosystems in which small organisms will form complex structures that will attract other fish and marine life.
“So far, the result of KM Kuraman appears positive as it is home to a thriving reef ecosystem.
“We hope in years to come, we can see how the vessel transform into a beautiful artificial reef,” he said.
KM Kuraman was built in 1967. It was decommissioned by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun on November 17, 2016 as part of an ecological friendly artificial reef planting.
Weighing at 120 tonnes, the 31.4-meter vessel now sits at the bottom of the seabed at 25 meters and is believed to be the state’s first shipwreck dive site.