With excellent wreck diving, pristine patch reefs, and an abundance of marine life, Miri is a wonderful place to enjoy a diving vacation. At its best between March and August, the area is suitable for diving year-round, and is home to more than fifty nudibranch species. Reminiscent of reefs in Papua New Guinea and the Maldives, many of Miri’s reefs were only discovered in the 1990’s and are still in pristine condition. Let’s take a look at just a handful of Miri’s best dive sites.
Eve’s Garden
An idyllic and shallow reef with maximum depth at 18 meters, and with lots to see in as little as six meters of water, Eve’s Garden is composed of massive hard coral formations and is covered in a blanket of soft pink, orange, and yellow coral, along with huge orange elephant ear sponges, brilliant dead man’s fingers, and fantastic leather corals. Huge anemones add even more vibrancy to the reef, and the colorful anemonefish that take shelter inside them are just a few of the creatures that call this garden their home. You’ll find schools of yellowtail fusiliers, sweet-faced angelfish, and Moorish idols, to name just a few. Watch for the rays that pass, and keep an eye out for small sharks hiding near the bottom of the reef.
Santak Point
Best known for its exceptional visibility, Santak Point is subject to a bit of current, and is suitable only for divers with experience. Wreathed in massive gorgonians, some of which are two meters across and covered in soft and hard coral growth as well, the point is an excellent place for both macro and wide angle photography. Pelagics can be seen in the blue distance, while schooling batfish and snapper, fusilier and butterfly fish, pairs of angelfish and tangs inhabit the point’s closer reaches. The top of the deep reef is at 21 meters, and the wall outside drops away to meet the seabed at 35 meters.
Atago Maru Wreck
The wreck of the Atago Maru dates back to WWII, and sits with her top deck just ten meters from the water’s surface. At 100 meters long, this warship is massive; and, as she is sitting upright and intact, she is quite possibly one of the best examples of a warship of this magnitude in the Malaysian region. Covered in a soft and colorful blanket of cave corals and anemone, sponges and soft coral, the wreck is teeming with life, large and small. Look for big groupers and cranky old moray eels, big schools of jack, trevally and big eyes, and thousands of smaller silver baitfish making endless trips around the ship. One drawback here is the visibility. There is heavy silting, and that can reduce visibility to between 5 and 10 meters at times. Still, this is a fantastic wreck for all divers to explore, and there are some nice macro photo opportunities.
Takau Drop-Off
A beautiful wall festooned with corals and sponges in every color conceivable, Takau Drop-Off is subject to strong currents that keep things looking fantastic, and which contribute to the abundance of marine life that is seen on each and every dive. Dropping away to meet the ocean floor at 40 meters, the wall is a good place to find nudibranchs and crustaceans, not to mention thousands of colorful reef fish. Watch for wrasse and fusiliers, big groupers, and trumpet fish, and keep an eye out for reef sharks, rays, turtles, and barracuda.
Sunday Reef
The main attraction at this little reef is a huge colony of clownfish living among abundant anemones. In addition, you can find loads of nudibranchs – in fact, more than seventy different varieties have been recorded on this reef alone. Watch for blue spotted stingrays and a rainbow of reef fish as well. The perfect dive for all, Sunday Reef offers maximum depth at just 16 meters, and is formed of healthy hard coral. It is a great place for a second dive, and is wonderfully relaxing.
Miri is a fairly large city by Malaysian standards, with a population of about 300,000. There are wonderful dive charters that visit these reefs on a daily basis, and as eco-tourism becomes more popular, the number of liveaboards visiting Miri has increased. With natural wonders to marvel at, both above and below the water’s surface, this is one place you don’t want to miss out on.