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dive mabul island, a macro-lovers paradise

Located just twenty minutes by boat from the world-famous Sipadan, Mabul offers divers an extraordinary array of dive sites and an astonishing diversity of marine life. Within 10 minutes of Mabul Beach Resort, you will find wall dives, gently sloping coral reefs, artificial reefs, world-famous muck diving sites and there's even a wreck! Mabul has long been known as a macro diver's paradise and is indeed one of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world. Did you know however that Mabul is also home to thousands of jackfish, barracudas, groupers, bumphead parrotfish as well as turtles up to 2m in length? In fact, it is not uncommon to encounter 10 or more such turtles in one dive! Lucky divers may also spot eagle & devil rays gliding gracefully along the reef or find themselves face to face with a whale shark! 

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mabul dive sites map
dive mabul blue ringed octopus

Keen on underwater photography?

Find yourself carrying more photo equipment than clothes? Then Mabul is the place for you! Flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus and bobtail squids are just a few of the numerous types of cephalopods to be found on Mabul's reef. Like crustaceans? Mabul is literally overflowing with them, including harlequin shrimp, mantis shrimp, hairy squat lobsters, spider crabs, porcelain crabs, and more. This is a frogfish lover's paradise, with giant, painted, and clown frogfish seen on a daily basis. Want more? How about leaf scorpion fish, dwarf lionfish, and crocodile fish? Still more? There's also stonefish, stargazers, devil scorpionfish, and flying gurnards. Pipefish are common finds, from mushroom coral to many-banded to harlequin ghost pipefish. Like seahorses? How about pygmy seahorses? They're here too. And the best part? Whether you're staying in Mabul or on a day trip from Semporna, you can explore all of these underwater treasures and still be back at our resort in time for a cup of tea between dives!

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New to underwater photography? Then don't worry, good quality, easy to use digital cameras can be rented from our Mabul Beach Resort as well as our Semporna dive centre. Our helpful & friendly staff will be delighted to show you all the basics as well as helping you track down your favorite marine life to practice your underwater photography! Check out our Mabul Beach Resort & Sipadan diving packages here!

mabul Dive Sites

scuba junkie house reef

The diving off of our jetty offers one of the most diverse selections of marine life around Mabul Island. From all types of crazy macro critters, to huge green turtles, cuttlefish and schools of snapper, fusiliers and big eyed trevally, there is something to interest every level of diver.

As you cruise along the stretches of sand which slope gently from 5m to 18m, you will be amazed at the eclectic mix of marine life you will come across. Shrimps, crabs and eels are in abundance in this area. On top of that many rare and sought after species have been seen on this dive site including blue ringed octopus, wonderpus and the stunning flamboyant cuttlefish. Juvenile eagle rays also frequent this dive site.

But it's not just sand, there is an array of structures and boats that have been deliberately sunk in order to attract marine life. These have enticed a wealth of schooling fish, as well as frogfish, nudibranchs and full sized green turtles that reach over 1.5m! This dive site will not disappoint any level of diver. If you ask our staff what their favourite dive sites are around Mabul, many will mention the house reef. Even our experienced dive guides regularly encounter new and fascinating creatures here.
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flamboyant cuttlefish mabul diving
frogfish mabul island dive

froggies

Also known as Paradise I, Froggies is perhaps the typical Mabul dive site. A gradual reef sloping down to 14 meters where it meets up with the sand, Froggies offers a highlights tour of all that Mabul has to offer. Where the reef meets the sand is the sweet spot on this dive, a convergence point for an overwhelming variety of marine life. It's nearly impossible to list everything a diver can see on this dive; even our most experienced dive guides frequently find things they've never encountered before. Highlights include many different species of rare nudibranchs, leaf scorpion fish, stargazers, banded-pipefish, crocodile fish, as well as schools of big eye barracuda and two-spot snappers that hover just above the sandy bottom. Cuttlefish are commonly seen here, as are octopus and bobtail squids. Several boats have been sunk in the sand at about 15m, adding even more possibility for discovery. Froggies is also our favorite site for night dives!
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seaventures

An old oil rig, Seaventures is a bit of an eyesore to the horizon, but an absolute treasure trove for divers. Divers descend beneath the old steel structure to the bottom in 16 meters of water. Pygmy seahorses are regularly seen here, living among the gorgonian sea fans. Ornate ghost pipefish hide within the many crinoids that have made this dive site their home. Many species of cephalopods can be found amongst the artificial structures, including the highly sought after flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus and mimic octopus. Do you like frogfish? It’s not uncommon to see several in one dive. Lionfish number in the dozens, including spotfin and zebra lionfish. Large scorpion fish are commonly found as well, as are stonefish and massive moray eels.
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ghost pipefish diving mabul
bobtail squid mabul island dive site

tino's paradise

We named this spot after Tino, one of the owners of Scuba Junkie. This site was at first overlooked, but as Tino kept coming back with photos of juvenile painted frogfish smaller than his fingernail and ornate ghost pipefish, we decided to add this site to the list of one's frequented daily. This dive is carried out entirely in the sand, essentially swimming from buoy line to buoy line. People often give us a skeptical look on the dive briefing when we tell them they'll spend the entire dive in the sand, but usually at the end of the day it winds up being one of their favorite dives. Robust ghost pipefish can be found - often in pairs - in the weedy patches of sand. Juvenile frogfish are commonly seen at the base of buoy lines. Flying gurnards, bobtail squid, blue-spotted stingrays, and blue-ringed octopus can be found seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Longnose stick pipefish, often mistaken as mere twigs, are seen as well.

Stonefish can be found here in large numbers, as can painted frogfish and dwarf lionfish. Anemones dot the sand floor, where you can find anemone shrimp, mushroom coral pipefish, porcelain crabs, and more.
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eel garden

A gently sloping reef on the southern side of Mabul, Eel Garden is often described as a favorite for many of our divers. Hundreds of garden eels peek out from where the sand meets the reef. We often spend some time along the end of the slope at 22m, looking out for critters such as leaf scorpion fish, frogfish, ghost pipefish and winged pipefish. We’ve even seen the elusive rhinopia here several times. Several species of moray eels and scorpion fish are common finds, and there’s colourful nudibranchs seemingly everywhere. If you can peel your eyes off the many macro critters on the reef, spotted eagle rays are regularly seen in the blue. Green turtles are plenty, and for the lucky divers, both manta rays and whale sharks have been spotted passing by here.
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nudibranch dive site mabul island
pygmy seahorse mabul island diving

stingray city

This stunning, steep, sloping reef reaches a maximum depth of about 26m. With beautiful corals, lots of blue spotted ribbon tail rays and plenty of turtles, there is always something to look at here. A large school of blue striped snappers is often seen hanging around the edge of the reef, and if you prefer to zoom in, the macro life here is plenty.
Look out for tiny pygmy seahorses hiding in the large gorgonian sea fans along the reef. They’re usually less than 2cm in size, and very good at camouflaging against sea fans of the same colour. The reef is teeming with different species of nudibranchs, shrimps and crabs, and it’s common to see both scorpion fish, stonefish and frogfish.

During your 5m safety stop you’ll be amazed by the beautiful coral in the shallows, and the colourful reef fish that made it their home. A perfect way to end your dive on this stunning dive site!
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ribbon valley

This dive site gets its name from the beautiful ribbon eels which can be found popping out of the sand and dancing in the current.

A beautiful valley of coral bommies await your exploration as you drift along searching for critters on the way. There is lots to see including frogfish, octopus, mantis shrimp, tonnes of nudis, shrimps, clownfish and blue spotted stingrays! If you’re lucky a passing eagle ray may even pay you a visit.

A large turtle cleaning station is situated along the reef at about 10m, and huge green turtles are a virtual guarantee. Towards the end of the dive you’ll find incredible hard and soft coral in the shallows, and if you look under some of the large table corals here, you might discover a coral cat shark or a bamboo shark staring back at you.
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ribbon eel mabul dive
hairy squat lobster lobster wall mabul island

lobster wall

Just around the corner from our resort is a stunning wall dive. With an incredible topography there are many cracks and crevices to explore as you drift along the wall. Look out for critters such as lobsters, shrimps, crabs, octopus, stonefish, moray eels and frogfish, just to name a few. There are often huge green turtles resting on ledges in the reef, or swimming past in the blue.

The wall drops below 40m deep, making it a perfect place for the Deep adventure dive as part of your Advanced course, Deep Specialty course, or simply a deeper fun dive.
For the lucky divers, this dive site can have some surprise visitors such as whale sharks, devil rays and manta rays – so don’t forget to keep an eye out in the blue!
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panglima reef

At the northern corner of Mabul lies a steep sloping coral reef that is home to an array of macro life – frogfish, nudibranchs, and octopus – you name it! Look out for orangutan crabs in the many bubble corals, or hairy squat lobsters hiding in the large barrel sponges along the reef. Eagle rays sometimes fly by in the blue, and at the end of the dive site you’ll find perhaps one of Mabul’s largest cleaning stations for turtles. At low tide it is not uncommon to see 15 or more green turtles hanging out in the same area, resting on their flippers, getting their shells cleaned by little fish such as wrasse and damselfish.
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dive with turtles mabul island
great barracuda mabul island

artificial reef

Diving isn’t all about beautiful coral reefs. One of the largest dive sites in Mabul is Artificial reef. This site includes wooden pyramids, boxes, houses, huge structures, tires and more - all built upon a big open sandy area. These artificial structures are a haven for a myriad of awesome creatures, big and small.

From giant groupers lurking in the structures, to tiny shrimps, ornate ghost pipefish, frogfish, papuan cuttlefish and nudibranchs, this dive site has a lot to offer! One of the highlights of this dive is the large school of jackfish that congregate around the wooden structures. Huge giant trevallies and great barracuda are often seen hanging out near the school of jackfish.
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paradise wreck

For a little variety, just a 30 second boat ride away from our jetty boasts an exciting wreck dive. The boat, deliberately sunk, is over 12m long and has attracted an amazing amount of marine life. The wreck, which is now covered in crinoids (feather stars), is a great place for spotting the stunning ornate ghost pipefish and the elegant crinoid squat lobster. Schools of batfish hang out at the top of the wreck, whilst schools of fusiliers will move through it. Turtles and cuttlefish are also drawn to this impressive wreck. With the bottom at 18m and the top at 10m divers of all experience levels can enjoy the dive. It is the perfect place for anyone interested in undertaking their Wreck Adventure Dive or Wreck Diver Speciality course.
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paradise dive site mabul island
night dive mabul island

night dive

Whether it's your 1st night dive or your 100th, the night dive we offer is sure to impress you. It may be close to home, just off our jetty, but that doesn't mean you won't be spoilt in what you see. It's at night time when some of the most interesting and bizarre looking creatures come to life. Cephalopods and crustaceans are in abundance. Schools of big fin reef squid, tiny bobtail squid and Papuan cuttlefish are just some of the impressive finds on this site. Huge nudibranchs and green turtles are also commonly spotted. Towards the end of the dive, hold your touch into your chest and move your hands through the water. The bioluminescence's light up like green glitter floating through the water. This is a stunning phenomenon that all divers will love to see.
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The Islands we visit

dive sipadan
Home to thousands of turtles, schooling sharks, swirling barracuda, and awe-inspiring coral walls dropping more than 600m straight down. Sipadan is frequently voted as the worlds number 1 dive destination.
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mabul dive
Steep walls, gently sloping reefs, artificial reefs and world class muck-diving sites. Mabul has an incredible diversity of dive sites and marine life.
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dive kapalai
Blue-rings, flamboyant cuttlefish, pygmy seahorses - need we say more? Kapalai is undoubtedly one of the premiere macro dive sites in the world.
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Si Amil, Devil Rays
Si Amil offers divers a bit of everything: Very rare macro life, to vast numbers of Devil rays - This island is a 45 min boat trip from Mabul and leaves all our divers with a big smile on their face :)
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