Dive-site story
Located along the sand banks and fringing reefs off Mataking Island in eastern Sabah, this site offers classic Indo-Pacific macro diving. The terrain consists of a gentle slope of fine coral rubble, patches of seagrass, and scattered Porites coral heads that taper into a sandy seabed. Divers spend the majority of their time scanning sponge clusters and soft coral colonies for miniature sea life sheltered from the open Celebes Sea.
Prolific diversity of sea slugs and nudibranchs scattered across rubble and hydroid gardens
Camouflaged bottom-dwellers including robust ghost pipefish and juvenile frogfish among barrel sponges
Sea fans along the deeper slope sheltering miniature pygmy seahorses
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Dry weather between March and October brings the calmest seas and optimum visibility for macro photography.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loch's ChromodorisChromodoris lochi | Common | ||||||||||||
| Chamberlain's NembrothaNembrotha chamberlaini | Common | ||||||||||||
| Bargibant's pygmy seahorseHippocampus bargibanti | Common | ||||||||||||
| Ornate ghost pipefishSolenostomus paradoxus | Seasonal | ||||||||||||
| Ribbon eelRhinomuraena quaesita | Common |
Marine forecast
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