KK Marine Park

Come Experience Sabahʼs Oldest Marine Park and Marvel at Thousands of Schooling Fish, Pristine Coral and so Much More.....

Most tourists who visit Sabah, whether they are experienced divers or someone who has never dived before, will choose to visit the world famous KK Marine Park (Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park) which features 5 amazing islands including Gaya Island and Sapi Island. This famous marine park has been a marine park for more than 40 years, and its marine life is carefully monitored and protected by Sabah Parks. As a result this area is home to thousands of schooling fish, pristine coral reefs, unusual critters such as sea horses, frogfish and octopus as well as Turtles, Black Tip Reef Sharks, Rays and during the season even Whale Sharks come and visit. This Marine park is ideal for all types of divers from beginners to the most experienced of Instructors. Around every corner of every reef there is a hidden gem waiting for divers to discover... During the surface interval or if you are non diver we can take you to one of the parks beautiful Islands. The islands are some of the most beautiful in Sabah with pristine white beaches, coconut palm trees, and azure blue waters. There is something here to meet every divers and snorkelers tastes

What to expect while diving at:

• Gaya Island

  A mixture of shallow macro diving and shallow sloping walls full of coral reefs! Dive sites around this Island range from 5m-30m and offers some amazing macro life such as Frog Fish, Scorpion Fish, Lion Fish, Seahorses, Nudibranchʼs as well as larger marine life such as Turtles, Barracuda, Tuna and even Reef Sharks can be seen.

• Sapi Island

  This is known to be the most beautiful Island within the KK Marine Park and offers some amazing white pristine beaches. Diving ranges from 8-25m and divers can expect to see Stingrays, Fusiliers, Crocodile Fish, Cuttlefish, Octopus, Moray Eels, lots of nudibranchs, Stone Fish and Anemone Fish plus much more

• Manukan Island

  This Island has very healthy coral reefs teaming with many reef fish and you can even see the very rare and valuable Black Coral diving at this Island. Dive sites vary from 7-25m which makes this island ideal for all levels of divers. At Mid Reef there is a small wooden wreck in which many unusual critters await divers such as shrimps, cuttlefish, frog fish and moray eels. We recommend you dive this Island on your second diving day.

• Mamutik Island

  This is the smallest of the Islands within the KK Marine Park. However this island goes to show that size is not always everything! Mamutik Island offers divers and snorkelers very healthy coral reefs teaming with a large variety of large and small reef fish. There are also lots of rare macro life such as Frog fish, Lion Fish, Leaf Fish, plus many more. This island is also home to a giant underwater statue of a Seahorse! The Island itself is like an Island post card with pristine white sandy beaches-most of our divers never want to leave

• Sulug Island

  Located at the most southern tip of the KK Marine park, this Island has no amenities for tourists, thus this island offers nature at its best. The diving here is ranked among the best in the marine park with common sightings of sea snakes, turtles, rays, frog fish, morays, lots of nudibranchs, and the coral is pristine with an abundance of marine life-truly a divers haven. We highly recommend you dive here for your 2nd or 3rd day diving within the park

• Book here!

Whale Shark Spotting

During the months of November through to May, the water temperatures in the South China Sea drop a few degrees... This is when the Scuba Junkie crew get more excited as the colder temperature signals the start of the phytoplankton blooms passing the outskirts of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park!!! These blooms, to some, may be a nuisance, but to us it means Whale Shark Spotting dives!!!

These majestic creatures may be the largest fish in the ocean, but they are also one of the most gentle. Their main diet is phytoplankton, and occasionally small fish, which is why when the plankton blooms start we get even more eager to dive!

The Whale Shark Spotting dives have no guarantee of being seen, however, diving the sites where the plankton blooms are, using binoculars to scour the seas, and having the best local knowledge of the migratory paths of these mammoth creatures, we offer you the greatest chance to have one of the most unforgettable life experiences!

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If you love sharks as much as we do, please take 2 minutes to sign this online petition to help make the first Shark Sanctuary in SE Asia a reality.

Pulau Tiga

For those of you keen to explore Sabah’s wildlife at its best, Pulau Tiga Park is the place for you! With such a wide variety of marine life to spot, and animal life to encounter during surface intervals, this is the perfect all round trip!

The name Pulau Tiga literally means “Three Island”. The 3 islands that make up Pulau Tiga Park are:

• - Pulau Tiga
• - Pulau Kalampunian Damit (more commonly known as Snake Island!)
• - Pulau Kalampunian Besar

These 3 magnificent islands are about 55km from Kota Kinabalu, so be prepared for a bit of a boat ride, weather depending, the trip usually take about 1 ½ hrs, but with the beautiful scenery to keep you occupied, and talks of the dive sites you will be visiting, this journey will fly by!

The Islands themselves were formed by the eruption of several mud volcanoes in 1897, and on Pulau Tiga Island, the largest of the three, there are still volcanic mud baths that can be reached by a short walk through the tropical rainforest, fantastic fun for all the family!

The Islands of Pulau Tiga were made into a National Park in 1978. Due to the dedication of Sabah Parks, and the fact that the Islands are a bit further to travel to, the dive and snorkel sites around Pulau Tiga Park are in excellent condition. The islands are blessed with a profusion of hard and soft corals which provide a perfect home for nudi branch, schools of tropical fish, sea turtles, bamboo sharks, cuttlefish, marble rays, lionfish, scorpion fish, and on your surface intervals on the island you might encounter some of the local inhabitants like proboscis and macaque monkeys, flying foxes, monitor lizards along with sea eagles, hornbills and the very rare megapodes!

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• Pulau Tiga

  The main island of Pulau Tiga was made famous when it was chosen to be the location for the 1st season of the US reality TV series “Survivor”. It’s not hard to see why this island was chosen, tropical white sandy beaches, an abundance of flora and fauna, all surrounded by magnificent reefs!

• Pulau Kalampunian Besar

  This “island” is little more than a sand bar. Over the past 100 or so years, the sandbar has gradually been washed away by the ebb and flow of the ocean, and even the shape has been affected from time to time by the passing of a monsoon.

• Pulau Kalampunian Damit

  This little island has a very big reputation, for being the breeding ground for Laticauda Colubrina better known as Banded Sea Snakes, which is why it is more commonly known as Snake Island! The snakes come to shore to lay their eggs on this tiny uninhabited rocky island, and there are always vast numbers of these incredible sea creatures winding themselves along the tree roots and nearby coral reef. Snake Island is around 15 minutes boat ride from Pulau Tiga and definitely should not be missed!

Wreck Diving

The Usukan wrecks are sunken Japanese Merchant Tankers, just a few miles from Usukan bay, west of Kota Belud.

There are actually 3 wrecks here, all of which are within 1km of each other. These 3 tankers were sunk by American Submarine torpedoes in 1944.

The 3 wrecks are commonly known as: Rice Bowl Wreck, Upside Down Wreck and Usukan Wreck. The official names of these 3 sunken vessels were never determined due to the weather conditions at the time of the attack.

All 3 wrecks are quite deep and therefore anyone who is interested in diving here needs to be at least and Advanced open water diver (if not why not consider taking our 2 day course?) and for those wanting to dive the Usukan Wreck, due to its shallowest depth being at 35mtrs, it is required by PADI and our dive centre that you have a valid Deep Speciality certification.

• The Rice Bowl Wreck

  This wreck is nicknamed the rice bowl wreck, due to the fact that when it was first discovered, the divers found a shipment of rice bowls in the bow!

  It is a 150mtr long vessel lying in a North Easterly direction.

  Its shallowest point sits at 26mtrs, and its deepest sits in 40mtrs

• The Upside Down Wreck

  This wreck got its name from the fact that it’s almost completely upside down! It lies in a similar direction to the Rice Bowl Wreck, and at similar depths and is also 150mtrs long. This wreck has a more open swim through and therefore is ideal if you are considering taking your wreck speciality certification!

• The Usukan Wreck

  This wreck is also 150mtrs long, but is the deepest of the 3 wrecks. At its shallowest, the Usukan sits at 35mtrs, and it’s deepest at 45mtrs. This wreck is covered in alot of whip corals, making it fantastic for macro diving! The wreck itself is leaning on its port side (to learn more about boating terminology, why not look in to doing your boat speciality course?!)

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All 3 wrecks are covered in a variety of hard and soft corals and surrounded by an abundant amount of marine life, making this day out one not to be missed!

Edgell Patches

The Edgell Patches are just outside of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, and are actually 2 submerged reefs.

The diving here tends to be deeper, and there is a good mix of coral and fish life to keep everyone happy!

The dive sites range in depth from 12m - 25m+ and tend to have some slight currents, also due to the submerged reefs being a little deeper and a little further out, the visibility tends to be better here too!

• Due to the dive sites being a bit deeper, this is a fantastic choice for divers who have their advanced certificates as the coral reef is breathtaking down at 20mtrs, that being said, for those who do not yet have their advanced cert, the reef can still be enjoyed at 18mtrs!

  The dive sites themselves are only 20 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu, and have some pristine hard and soft corals to explore! The reefs are teeming with marine life, and on an average dive you could see large schools of juvenile barracudas, alot of interesting macro life such as nidbranchs, shrimps, crabs etc, and for those with some luck, there is also a possibility of seeing black tip reef sharks and majestic hawksbill turtles!

• Diving Overview for South Edgell Patch

  South Edgell Patch, is the southerly region of a pair of submerged reefs exposed to the open ocean. South Edgell Patch has a maximum diving depth of around 25 mtrs and is suitable for open water and advanced divers. The average visibility is 10-20 metres.

  The top of the submerged reefs sits at around 13mtrs, the coral reef then contines to gently slope down to a depth of 25mtrs. South Edgell is home to the usual beautiful schools of reef fish, occasional frog fish and lobsters, and for the fortunate, the larger pelagic such as reef sharks and barracudas. Be aware that safety stops will be made in the blue as the reef is submerged!

• Diving Overview for North Edgell Patch

  North Edgell Patch, is the northerly region of a pair of submerged reefs exposed to the open ocean.

  North Edgell Patch has a maximum depth of 30mtrs, which starts with a plateau sitting at 12mtrs, sloping down to its maximum depth. Edgell Patch North is similar to South, but tends to have larger congregations of schooling fish to admire. Once again due to being further out, there is an increased chance of seeing the larger pelagic, and safety stops will always be made in the blue with your dive guide.

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• MAYNE ROCK

  Mayne Rock is located about 1hr ½ North of Kota Kinabalu. This unique location is known for the dive site called the “White Rocks” which is so named because of the numerous large white boulder coral formations that litter the sea floor. Due to its location, there can sometime be some strong currents, making this a fantastic destination for a drift dive, and an even better spot for the potential larger pelagics! Large schools of snappers and barracudas are often seen here, as well as the occasional nurse shark!

• PULAU MENGALUM

  This beautiful island is located 70km west of Kota Kinabalu and offers some spectacular diving. The diving around here has been known for sightings of Sail Fish and Marlin, and also giant groupers, snappers, fusiliers and tropical reef fish. However, most dive companies do not offer tours to this secluded dive destination, making it a great way to get away from the crowds and enjoy your very own private reefs!

• DINAWAN ISLAND

  This diver’s paradise is just 30mins south of Kota Kinabalu, and offers a fantastic choice for groups of friends and family who all enjoy a bit of everything. The crystal blue ocean of the South China Sea hides marine treasures, perfect for divers and snorkelers alike, while the picturesque island offers some ideal sunbathing and wildlife spotting, as Dinawan is home to the beautiful Hornbill Birds. The reefs here are also untouched and most dive centres don’t offer the opportunity to explore the pristine reefs and abundant marine life that Dinawan has to offer!

• MANTANANI ISLAND

  Also known as Mermaid Island, this isolated tropical haven is a great day out! The most famous thing about Mantanani is the chance of diving or snorkelling with dugongs (or sea cows as they are affectionately known). In recent years, the sightings have not been as frequent, but they are still around! The shallow sandy areas covered in sea grass make this a perfect home for them. The reefs around the islands are also great to spot moray eels, shrimps and crabs, and the enigmatic nudibranch!

• LABUAN ISLAND

  Labuan is known as the “wreck diving capital” of Malaysia, and as such has 4 main wrecks are well known and dived often. The wrecks themselves lie in 30- 35mtrs of water, and the tops of the wrecks rest between 8-12mtrs, making here a great option for open water and advanced divers alike. If exploring the inside of the wrecks is of interest to you, why not consider taking the wreck speciality course.

• For all trips outside of the KK Marine Park, please email or phone us to enquire further about availability.

  Book here!

• Night Dives

  For a completely different diving experience, why not come and join us for a night dive trip in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park?

  Night dives are an altogether more intimate experience with the local marine life, as you get to see them hunting and sleeping! Let us show you how Lion fish trawl the coral reefs searching for their next meal, or even the beautiful Parrotfish with a mucus bubble sleeping peacefully in their coral beds! All manners of critters such as moray eels, shrimps, cuttlefish and octopus come out to play when the sun sets and we will guide you along for a fascinating dive!

  We will depart from Jesselton Jetty at 5.30pm and take you on two unforgettable dives, the first will be an hour dive during sunset, when the reef is a buzz with the marine life making their way “home” for the night. We will then have a surface interval admiring the stars and getting you briefed and prepared with fresh tanks and torches for your night dive! This is ideal for experienced and novice divers alike as we take you to protected reefs for an unforgettable experience!

  If you happen to love night dives as much as we do, why not consider doing your night speciality course?

• Book here!

Oceana 1

Scuba Junkies first dive boat for Kota Kinabalu. This is a 32ft speed boat which has twin 115HP Evinrude engines, newly installed in February 2012 for a comfortably speedy trip to Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and beyond!

Oceana 1 can take up to 12 guests and 3 staff, which guarantees small groups of divers and snorkelers for your safety and enjoyment.

Scuba Junkie prides itself on safety and security, which is why every member of the SJ Family is fully trained in Primary and Secondary first aid, including CPR and using O2 kits! All of our dive fleet are fully equipped with the latest in safety equipment which includes:

• - Fully maintained first aid equipment (from vinegar to bandages, we have you covered!)
• - Life jackets - for those who prefer a bit more safety while snorkelling
• - Life Rings - for security, or simply to relax and look at fish while the ring does all the work for you!
• - Emergency O2 Equipment- no dive boat should ever be without!
• - The latest GPS System with fish finder, bottom finder and 3D imaging, going that extra mile to help find those whale sharks, or secret submerged reefs!

All of our boats are fully licensed and insured with Sabah Parks etc, to ensure you have the smoothest of travels when on board a Scuba Junkie vessel!