Diving at Mabul Island

The Artificial Reef

The artificial reef on Mabul, situated directly in front of the SMART Resort is constructed from wooden frames, man-made structures in the shape of pyramids, crates and rockpiles. It attracts many different types of marine life. What looks at first sight to be only a bunch of boring old junk turns out to be a habitat for an astonishing array of creatures.

The most obvious are the large schools of juvenile barracuda and batfish patrolling along the reef and of course the incredible school of jacks which can wrap you in silver. The entire area can be somewhat of a maze as you wander from structure to structure. The sandy bottom houses ribbon eels and if you are lucky you may get to see a juvenile Harlequin sweetlips performing its strange jig. In some of the structures you might find juvenile Oriental sweetlips, colorful nudibranchs, frogfish and enormous groupers.

With its sandy bottom you have to be careful during the dive and frog kick gently so you won't stir up the silt and decrease the visibility. For divers who are into macro, the dive sites around Mabul and Kapalai are wonderland and this house reef is one of the best. It is so much fun and so easily accessed that you may want to dive this spot over and over again.

Artificial Reef Reef Basics: Artificial reef
Depth: 7 - 30m
Visibility: 5 - 15m
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Usually calm, but can be choppy
Water temperature: 26 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: At Mabul Island pier or 5 km (10 mins) from Kapalai
Access: Mabul and Kapalai dive resorts

• Mabul Island travel information

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• Sabah - Borneo  -  Malay Peninsula

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