Diving in Mantanani - Mantatani Island

Diving In Kudat

There are two popular diving area in Kudat for those diving lovers. If you are looking for a nearer and cheaper diving adventures, Kudat is  one of the options.

Diving in Mantanani - Mantatani Island

Catch some diving adventure in Mantanani. Mantanani is a group of three isolated islands situated northwest of Kota Belud. You can get to Mantanani island either from Kudat or Kota Belud, however it is recommended that you got to Mantanani from Kota Belud. Until recently the islands were only known to a few locals. The largest island houses the only dive resort, Mantanani Resort which is situated at the western end of the edge of a white sandy bay. Nestled amongst the tall coconut palms are beach cabins scattered around the main plantation styled house.

Three wrecks have been discovered which still hold plenty of secrets and are now home to a menagerie of marine creatures such as Lion fish, Scorpion fish, Octopus, Glass fish and the coral reefs surrounding the islands have plenty to offer, both the novice and experienced diver. Many species of rays can be found, Marbled stingray, Blue spotted ray and large schools of eagle rays.

For macro photographers the "muck diving" is amazing, seahorses, imperial shrimps, pink-eye gobies, jaw fish, blue-ringed octopus, ribbon eels and many nudibranch you will not be able to find in the book! There are now 16 dive sites identified by Mantanani Resort with many more still to be explored.

Catch some diving adventures in Mantanani island, who know you will make some important discoveries there.

Wreck-Diving Around North West of Sabah - Kudat Region

Off the north west coast of Sabah lie a group of  islands including Pulau Balambangan, Pulau Banggi, Pulau Jambongan, Pulau Balak and Pulau Malawali. A number of wrecks and rarely dived reefs have recently been discovered in this area and now a Kota Kinabalu based company, Sipadan-Mabul Regal Tours, have a live-aboard boat regularly visiting the area. The 'Scuba Explorer' is a 70ft live-aboard motor yacht with comfortable accommodation for 12 people and 6 crews. Designed for comfort and effortless diving, the Scuba Explorer covers the Kudat wrecks and reef diving around the islands of north-west Sabah.

Three wrecks have been discovered to date, all thought to be merchant ships. Two are lying at 20m-25m and the other lying a little deeper at 50m. All three wrecks resemble coral gardens being completely covered in colourful sponge and soft corals.

Marine life around the wrecks includes schools of glass fish, lion fish, scorpion fish and huge resident grouper. The surrounding islands have shallow fringing reefs with all the regular reef fish such as the coral trout, butterfly fish, angel fish and occasional cuttlefish. These reefs have been rarely been dived and therefore new sites are being discovered on many of the trips.

Conservation

Sabah and its surrounding waters have been recognized as marine turtle sanctuary since the opening of the Turtle Island Parks on its east coast. Managed by Sabah Park, The beaches welcome nesting green and hawksbill turtles every night all year round.

Similarly, the Wildlife Department monitors and protects nesting green and hawksbill turtles that visit Pulau Sipadan's shores. On nearby Pulau Mabul, the Fisheries Department together with Sipadan Mabul had sunk hundreds of concrete pipes to form small artificial patch reefs surrounding a small wooden shipwreck. A fish poaching vessel was also sunk off the island of Pulau Langkayan and already host a myriad of creatures from the smallest ghost pipefish to the giant stingrays and schooling barracuda.

Sipadan Water Village on Pulau Mabul, is also actively engaged in coral reef research. Dive masters and instructors are encouraged to study both the fish and coral life in detail in collaboration with a Japanese Natural History Museum.

Each year, in June, the dive centre's management and outside guest speakers run a specialized Marine Day  and provide hands on lectures to guest sharing their studies and encourage them to take part in their coral relocation and growth studies so that diver may learn more about the coral reef environment.

Gayana Island Eco Resort located on Pulau Gaya has a Giant Clam Rehabilitation Centre and also run a 'Reef Project'. Here they have a coral growth nursery and conduct clam induced spawning. Giant clams are one of the many marine species to have demised around Sabah in recent years.

University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) run an extensive marine research program especially into alternative marine culture program designed to reduce  fishing intensity from Sabah's coral reefs. Giant clams, groupers and Napoleon wrasse are some of the subjects grown and bred in specialized farms. They also run a whale shark research program, each year when the whale sharks pass through the water close to Kota Kinabalu they attempt to tag the sharks to document their migration routes.

Each year. PADI Project Aware beach and reef cleaning events are run to heighten public awareness in the importance of a clean marine environment. This has become a popular event with all the Dive Resort and local people participating.

Dive Operators

SABAH DIVERS

G27, Ground Floor, Wisma Sabah, 88000

Kota Kinabalu.

Phone: +60 88 256 483

Fax: +60 88 255 482

Mobile Phone: +60 12 833 9901

E-mail: sabahdivers2u@yahoo.com

BLUEWATERS BORNEO SDN. BHD

Lot 121, 1st Floor, Wisma Sabah

88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Phone/Fax: +60 88 456 568

Mobile: +60 16 812 0101

EXCEL DIVE & TOURS (BORNEO) SDN. BHD

Lot G18, Ground Floor, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak

Wisma Sabah, 88808 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Malaysia

Phone: +60 88 253 870 / 253 880/ 253 890

Fax: +60 88 253 817

Mobile Phone: +60 16 833 4407

SEAVENTURES TOURS & TRAVEL SDN. BHD

4th Floor, Room 422-424, Wisma Sabah

88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia

Phone: +60 88 261 669 / 251 669

Fax: +60 88 251 667

E-mail: info@seaventuresdive.com

EXPLORE ASIA TOURS SDN BHD (SIPADAN MABUL RESORT SDN.BHD)

Lot A-1-G, Block A, Signature Office, KK Times Square,

Off Coastal Highway, 88864 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia

P.O.Box 15571, 88864 Kota Kinabalu Saba Malaysia

Phone: +60 88 486 389

Fax: +60 88 486 628

E-mail: mabul@po.jaring.my

BORNEO DIVERS SABAH

9th Floor, Menara Jubili, 53 Jalan Gaya

88000 Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia

Phone: +60 88 222 226

Fax: +60 88 221 550

E-mail: Reservations@BorneoDiver.info

SCUBA PARADISE SDN BHD

Lot G28, Ground Floor, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak,

Wisma Sabah, 88000, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Phone: +60 88 266 695 / 256 695

Fax: +60 88 236 695

E-mail: scubadiv@tm.net.my

SIPADAN DIVE CENTRE SDN BHD

Lot No. A1103, 11th Floor, Wisma Merdeka (mail box No. A236)

Jalan Tun Razak, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Phone: +60 88 240 584

Fax: +60 88 240 415

E-Mail: sdc@sipadandivers.com

We will continue to update this listing from time-to-time. If you wish your company to be listed here in our diving tour operators or companies listing, please contact us. However you are required to proved that you are licensed to operate by Ministry of Tourism Culture and Environment, Kota Kinabalu Sabah. Our e-mail is Tamparulisabah@gmail.com