Scuba Diving in Lankayan Island

Lost Reef

You'll be diving at Lost Reef 5 minutes after stepping on the boat. Visibility is generally quite good at Lankayan, but following heavy rains the outflow from the mainland's rivers can sometimes reduce it. Thankfully, Lankayan Island has plenty of small stuff to see where good visibility is less of an issue. However, in less than perfect visibility you may miss a few of the larger fish swimming off the reef. Located to the north of Lankayan, there is better visibility here at Lost Reef than at the other sites in the area.

The eastern side of the dive site is open to deeper water and attracts more pelagic species. Here you will find leopard sharks flourishing under the protection of the Reef-Guardian's shield. Look carefully under the corals and you may find a bamboo shark or two.

If you like macro then Lankayan is for you: nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, gobies, stonefish and many more of the smaller and slow moving reef inhabitants. You will really benefit from unhurried, leisurely diving in this spot. Take your time to cover the area gradually and you will probably discover a whole wealth of small riches.

And then, suddenly you might realise that something is watching you with just as much curiosity as you have been displaying in the reef life. The clever cuttlefish is in abundance here, changing its colours and even the texture of its skin in the blink of an eye, before darting off to a safe distance. No dive with a cephalopod is a bad dive. The flashing chromatophores of a curious cuttlefish or the playful intelligence of an octopus take the human/marine life interaction to a whole new level. You are likely to run into both species during a few days diving in Lankayan which will mean photographs or memories to last for a long time.

Lost Reef Basics: Submerged reef slope
Depth: 10 - 26m
Visibility: 3 - 20m
Currents: None
Surface conditions: Can be rough
Water temperature: 26 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: ½ km (2 minutes) from Lankayan Island jetty
Access: Lankayan diving resort

• Lankayan Island travel information

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• Sabah - Borneo  -  Malay Peninsula

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