I must admit, before June 2023, I’d
never heard of Sepanggar Island. When I was invited by a friend to go diving at
Sepanggar Island, Kota Kinabalu, I was naturally a bit sceptical.

Kota Kinabalu has a mediocre reputation as a diving destination, probably due
to overcrowding at the more well-known Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

A quick Google search introduced me to
Dive Borneo Bah!, a company based in Kota Kinabalu that runs diving operations
to Sepanggar. The images of the corals and wildlife found there certainly got
me intrigued.

I have been diving for a few years, mostly around the Peninsular Malaysia islands of Tioman and Perhentian.
Sepanggar would be my first diving experience in Borneo; therefore, I was keen
to experience what it could offer.

Diving at Sepanggar
Island, Kota Kinabalu – trip report

We met up with the Dive Borneo Bah
team at Jesselton Point at 8 am, and by 8.15, we were ready to board the dive
boat. We were led by divemasters Harry and Brian; additionally, we were joined
by Mr Johnny Chew, the owner of Dive Borneo Bah.

Gearing up for the dive.

The entire team was friendly
and professional throughout; moreover, they were keen to emphasise safety,
responsible diving, and having fun!

For this trip, we could only do
two dives; therefore, the divemasters chose two dive sites – Clement’s Reef for
the corals and South Point for macro (and a star attraction – more on this
later).

Clement’s Reef

This dive site is located to the north
of Sepanggar Island. As we descended, the visibility
was pretty good, around 20 metres. The divemasters say the visibility
can be as good as 20 – 30 metres, depending on the season. There was a mild current; however, this wasn’t a problem as we simply drifted along, making
for a leisurely dive.

The coral’s formations appear healthy.

The coral formations were beautiful and
healthy with minimal bleaching; marine life was prolific.
Throughout the dive, we were accompanied by schools of snappers, fusiliers,
damselfishes and wrasses.

The divemasters also showed us several porcupinefish,
a scorpionfish and a few nudibranchs, including a gorgeous black-and-yellow one
they call the ‘Pokemon nudibranch’!

This stunning Hypselodoris nudibranch was spotted by one of the divemasters.

The surface interval was done at a
sheltered cove nearby, accompanied by generous servings of coffee and
locally-sourced biscuits.

The great view of Mount Kinabalu during the surface interval, especially in good weather.

South Point

As its name
suggests, this dive site is located on the southern point of the island. Here we will be
focusing on macro, including a fish that has been a star attraction at this
place recently.

The visibility could have been better than the previous site; however, it
was still decent at around 15 metres. There was no current, and the temperature
was a comfortable 31℃.

This Zebra Lionfish was sheltering within a barrel sponge.

As soon as we reached the seafloor, we
spotted two Zebra Lionfish sheltering in a barrel sponge. A few metres away,
three small cuttlefish were huddling near the bottom, well camouflaged.

As we
moved, the divemaster pointed out interesting animals, including a
porcelain crab and transparent cleaner shrimps. Sheltered amongst a rock, we
spotted banded coral shrimps, dancing shrimps and a gorgeous electric flame
scallop.

This tiny porcelain crab was difficult to spot as it hid amongst the anemone.

Nice coral formations at South Point.

The Star Attraction

As dive time was running out, I
wondered if we could spot the star attraction. Sure enough,
divemaster Brian soon alerted us to the presence of this well-camouflaged
bottom-dweller – an orange-coloured frogfish! (I believe this is a juvenile
Painted Frogfish)

The frogfish was masterfully camouflaged, posing as a piece of sponge or coral on the seafloor.

The fish was astounding! Barely bigger
than my fist, it has a big upturned mouth and dark spots scattered throughout
its irregularly-shaped body.

This bizarre-looking fish was slowly ‘walking’ on
the seafloor; moreover, it was swaying its body along with the currents,
completing its camouflage act. I was fortunate enough to observe and
photograph this fish up close, which was an amazing experience.

After the dive ended, the dive team
dismantled and packed up the diving gear, and we headed off for the short hop
back to Kota Kinabalu.

The dive team efficiently packed up the diving gear before heading back.

General Information on
Diving at Sepanggar Island, Kota Kinabalu

Where is Sepanggar Island?

Location of Sepanggar Island, in relation to Kota Kinabalu city.

Sepanggar Island is located 7 km north of
Kota Kinabalu, opposite the naval base at Sepanggar Bay. The island can be
accessed from Jesselton Point in the heart of Kota Kinabalu and takes about 10
– 20 mins to get to, depending on the dive site.

How to go to Sepanggar Island?

Sepanggar Island is easily accessible
due to its proximity to Kota Kinabalu. There are multiple flights a day to Kota
Kinabalu International Airport from Kuala Lumpur and other major cities in
Malaysia; there are also direct international flights from Singapore,
China, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Accommodation can be found throughout
the city, ranging from budget to luxurious 5-star hotels. Likewise, food and
shopping options are plentiful and cater to every taste and budget.

Jesselton Point (the main jetty of
Kota Kinabalu) can be easily reached by car/e-hailing from anywhere within the
city; additionally, some hotels are conveniently located within walking
distance.

Dive Borneo Bah! – The Dive Operator at Sepanggar

Only a few operators are diving
at Sepanggar Island, and Dive Borneo Bah is the most experienced one. This
diving company is owned by Mr Johnny Chew and is based in Kota Kinabalu. Mr
Chew is a well-respected and extremely experienced diver and used to be the
regional manager for PADI.

The company has been running dive operations in
Sepanggar since 2018; therefore, they are familiar with the dive sites and
animals you may see there.

The diving packages offered include
full or half-day fun dives, night safari dives, discover scuba dives, and
snorkelling sessions. They also conduct PADI Open Water, Advanced
and Rescue Diver courses. For further enquiries, kindly contact Dive Borneo Bah
directly, and they will be more than happy to assist you.

What can you see there?

 

The Two-spot Banded Snapper is an uncommon species; nevertheless, it can be seen here.

 

Despite its proximity to Kota
Kinabalu, Sepanggar Island is quite pristine; therefore, it offers the
possibility of encountering a kaleidoscope of colourful and interesting marine
life:

• Sepanggar is quite good for
  macro – you may see seahorses, nudibranchs, reef shrimps, porcelain crabs,
  lobsters, etc.
• Interesting bottom-dwelling
  fish such as scorpionfish, devilfish, lionfish, frogfish, pipefish and several
  types of clownfish.
• Sharks – it’s possible to see
  the leopard, bamboo, nurse and cat sharks here; moreover, if you’re really lucky, you may encounter a Whale
  Shark!
• Cuttlefish, reef squid and
  octopi.
• Schooling barracudas, fusiliers
  and snappers, including the uncommon two-spot banded snapper.
• Colourful reef fish include
  parrotfishes, Moorish Idols, butterflyfishes, and wrasses (including the
  gorgeous Blueside Fairy-wrasse).
• Sea turtles (Hawksbill and
  Green).
• Featherstars, blue starfish,
  whip corals and barrel sponges.

These small cuttlefish were huddling together, well camouflaged. They were spotted at South Point.

Dive sites around Sepanggar Island

There are at least 18 dive sites
surrounding the island, including:

• Clement’s Reef
• South Point
• JC’s Runway
• Macro Haven
• Bikini Bottom (yes, this refers to that Bikini Bottom!)

Dive sites around Sepanggar Island. Image credit: Dive Borneo Bah!

From talking to Mr Johnny and the
other divemasters, Clement’s Reef is consistently one of the
best/favourite dive sites at Sepanggar.

When to go?

You can go diving at Sepanggar
year-round; however, certain times of the year may be preferable:

• Jan – March: the water
  temperature is cooler (around 28℃); however, this is nudibranch season and the best time to spot the Whale Shark!
• Apr – early July: this is when
  the visibility is best, averaging 20m or more.
• November – February: the
  monsoon season brings about more rain and decreased visibility; however, diving
  is still regularly conducted as Kota Kinabalu is not badly affected by the
  monsoon.

Things that are good to know

• You will usually meet the
  diving team at Jesselton Point. Jesselton Point is located in Kota Kinabalu
  city centre; hence, it’s easily accessible.
• There are no changing areas at
  the jetty, so you can either wear your dive clothes beforehand or change on the
  boat. Bring along towels and a change of clothes to dry up after the dives.
• The day dives usually start at
  8 am, and the night safari dives begin around 5 pm.
• Lunch is included if you opt
  for a full-day trip (3 dives). Snacks and hot drinks are included for a half-day trip (2 dives).
• Dive Borneo Bah discourages
  single-use plastics; hence, they won’t use disposable plastic
  packaging. This is a good thing!
• The dive boats are equipped
  with a first aid kit and emergency oxygen.
• They carry spare equipment
  (i.e. spare regulators) on every diving trip.
• I like that they beforehand request
  your relevant diving information using an online Google form. This
  way, everything is ready by the time you meet them. For example, using the
  form, you can indicate which equipment you need to rent or any other special needs
  such as food allergies. You can also provide them with your height, weight and
  shoe size, ensuring everything will fit properly when you arrive.
• Note that the dive team will set up and disassemble the dive gear for you.

Dive Borneo Bah!

Conclusion

In summary, diving at Sepanggar Island
is a great way to enjoy beautiful corals, colourful fish and interesting macro
wildlife, all within 20 minutes from bustling Kota Kinabalu. It’s especially
great for those who want the convenience of a big city without compromising the diving experience.

Additionally, I was impressed with
Dive Borneo Bah operations and professionalism. The friendly and
knowledgeable staff also goes a long way!

I look forward to diving at Sepanggar
with Dive Borneo Bah again in the future. With numerous excellent diving sites
and away from the bustling crowds, Sepanggar Island is a hidden gem and one of Kota Kinabalu’s best-kept secrets!

This article was written by Ashraf Anuar Zaini, a scuba diving birder who writes for Birdwatching Asia.