An underwater photographer’s dream, and a slice of paradise too big to be consumed in a single sitting, Malaysia’s Lankayan Island is a tiny emerald dot set like a jewel in the big blue sea. Unpopulated, but for the eco-tourists who stay in its wooden seafront chalets, it is part of a huge Marine Protected Area. Peaceful and unspoiled, it is the perfect place to get away from it all. Here, we’ll explore just seven of the more than forty dive sites which surround it.
Moray Reef - Malaysia Dive Sites
A wonderful site for novice to expert divers, Moray Reef is a very shallow dive site, which is home to an abundance of moray eels, which have staked out their lairs in cracks and crevices. Besides the morays, you’ll find fantastic tangs and triggerfish, butterfly fish and batfish, parrotfish and whimsical puffer fish, and plenty of enormous visiting pelagic species. The site is a good place to encounter manta rays and whale sharks in season.
The Mosquito Wreck - Malaysia Dive Sites
Once part of Japan’s WWII Mosquito Fleet, the Mosquito wreck lies beneath just 25 meters of water. While the ship itself is fascinating, having been armed with a massive bow gun which is still intact, as well as bits and pieces of cargo scattered here and there, it is also a fantastic place to encounter an almost unbelievable array of marine life, large and small. With jacks and barracuda occasionally snagging stragglers from the clouds of smaller fish that swim around it, the wreck is home to groupers and moray eels, crabs and shrimp, and anemone fish hiding in the hearts of their colorful hosts. As you enjoy this colorful shipwreck, be sure to glance off into the distance every so often. You may be treated to the sight of a whale shark or a flight of manta rays!
Jawfish Lair - Malaysia Dive Sites
Named for the jawfish which inhabit it, protecting their clutches of eggs by holding them in wide open mouths, Jawfish Lair is a wonderful site for all divers. All along the sandy seabed, keep an eye out for spotted leopard rays, stingrays, and the occasional manta, as well as the leopard sharks which can be seen on occasion. Nearby, hard coral formations form a fringing reef composed of staghorn coral, table and maze coral, bush coral, and other varieties. Be sure to watch for well-disguised frogfish, as well as the cuttlefish that live here. They can change colors to fit in with the background, so move slowly and let your eyes adjust before thinking you’re looking at nothing so much as another patch of coral.
Maximum depth is 28 meters, but there is lots to see in only a few meters of water. For instance, you can find nudibranchs and mimic octopus, ghost pipefish, devil scorpionfish, and tiny leaf fish, among the hundreds of colorful reef fish that are everywhere you look.
The Jetty Wreck - Malaysia Dive Sites
So named because it lies just off the Lankayan Island Jetty, the Jetty Wreck was deployed as an artificial reef. Prepared for divers to enjoy, and teeming with life in all shapes and sizes, this old fishing boat is simply fantastic. It sits upright in 20 meters of water, and is small enough to explore on a single dive, although taking it slowly will allow you to enjoy a look at much more macro life than if you peruse it quickly.
Great for night diving as well as day dives, the wreck and the jetty can be explored on the same tank. Watch for frogfish and jacks, schooling batfish, striped lionfish and speckled puffers, along with blue spotted stingrays and groupers.
In classic muck dive fashion, this site can sometimes suffer from poor visibility, but don’t let that stop you. The creatures who live here are happy to pose, regardless of how far into the distance you can see!
The Lankayan Wreck - Malaysia Dive Sites
Once the prized possession of a group of poachers, the Lankayan Wreck is now home to some of the very fish she used to pursue. With groupers and yellow sea perch in abundance, plus smaller ornate ghost pipefish and even cardinalfish in residence, the wreck sits in just 23 meters of water and is accessible at 15 meters. Suitable for all divers to explore, the wreck is sometimes visited by smallish reef sharks, and is covered in colorful sponges and corals. Look for bump headed parrotfish and toothy barracuda, and don’t forget to keep one eye on the blue, as divers exploring this wreck have spotted whale sharks in the past.
Goby Rock - Malaysia Dive Sites
Populated by a variety of different goby species in abundance, as well as the shrimp that live in symbiosis with them, Goby Rock offers an excellent vantage point where you can gaze off into the distance in search of passing pelagics. An excellent place to encounter reef sharks, the site is also a good place to find blue spotted stingrays, jawfish, and a fantastic array of nudibranchs in different colors and shapes. The upper reaches of this rocky reef are covered in hard coral, with one species growing on top another, and all along its sides, you will find soft corals, sponges, and anemones that create a riotous tapestry of color so splendid that you may have to remind yourself to breathe. Beginning in just five meters of water, and extending to meet the seabed at 25 meters, the site is perfect for all divers to enjoy.
Pegaso Reef - Malaysia Dive Sites
Situated to the Lankayan’s northwest, and now part of the Reef Guardian program, Pegaso Reef has only been protected from commercial fishing for a few years now, yet it is quickly regenerating itself. One of the reef’s most notable species is the giant clam. These huge mollusks have vibrant blue and purple mantas, and were once preyed on by poachers. Today, you can have your photo taken next to one of them.
Watch for silver jacks, brilliant yellow leaf fish, splendid schools of fusiliers and butterfly fish, and larger predators, like barracuda and quite a few black tip reef sharks hunting for stray fish. Maximum depth is just 26 meters, and as there is an abundance of life at just 10 meters, this wonderful reef is suitable for all divers.
Lankayan offers fantastic diving year-round, although the best visibility can be had during the dry season, between the months of March and October. If you’ve got your heart set on a whale shark encounter, then try to visit between April and May, when these magnificent creatures are travelling through the area. Other residents are here all year, so no matter when you visit, you are certain to enjoy many memorable dives, and will wish that you could stay longer. Book in advance to ensure you can enjoy the island as your schedule permits.