A photographer’s paradise, and a wonderful place to experience exceptional visibility paired with magnificent coral growth and marine life in abundance, Malaysia’s Mantabuan Island is formed of the mostly submerged remains of an ancient volcanic cone. A fantastic place to dive with manta rays and huge eagle rays, turtles, devil rays and more, it is the perfect place to leave your cares behind. Here are just a few of the best dive sites Mantabuan Island has to offer.
Black Coral Garden
In most places, you’ll only find black coral at forty meters and below, but Mantabuan Island is one place where you can find huge and healthy black coral trees in depths between 22 and 35 meters. Some of the trees, which must have taken hundreds of years to attain their stature, are nearly two meters tall. They don’t look black – in fact, they appear to be white or golden, and sometimes even purple in color while they are living. Covered in an iridescent coating that reflects the light that penetrates from above, these lovely black coral trees create a site that is simply magical to see. Interspersed with sea fans, sponges, and other coral growth, this incredible stand of black coral is home to a colorful array of reef fish. Due to the sensitive nature of the site as well as its depth, Black Coral Garden is suitable only for experienced divers with excellent buoyancy control.
Stingray Alley
Not only will you find blue-spotted stingrays in abundance here, you will also find blue-spotted ribbon rays, beautifully streamlined blue ribbon eels, and lots of pipefish. Nudibranchs in different sizes and colors can be found here too, along with cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.
On either side of the sandy alley, beautiful hard and soft corals can be found in abundance, in very shallow water. You may not even need a light to see the rainbow of colors which are present. With large boulders where painted lobsters and lots of other little creatures hide, Stingray Alley is ideal for both macro and wide angle photography.
Star Point
A wonderful site for all divers, and perfect for underwater photography, Star Point is the ideal spot for a relaxing second dive. Despite its shallow maximum depth of only fourteen meters, it is a good place to find some larger fish, since there is a current most of the time, which keeps the site extremely active. Look for barracuda and turtles, Moorish idols and angelfish, and plenty of tiny colorful butterfly fish, wrasse, and others, all swimming against a backdrop of colorful coral. Look for lionfish, fusilier, and curious puffer fish, too!
Unoccupied, with the exception of a small military base, Mantabuan Island is best seen by liveaboard. Visitors are usually welcome on the white sandy beaches, and if you’re offered rice wine, be warned – it is strong! Be sure to plan your trip well in advance, as space on the most desirable liveaboards is normally limited. Most of all, be sure to become well-acquainted with the features on your underwater camera before you visit – you’ll come away with wonderful images to enjoy for years to come.