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Scuba diving Malaysia is an exciting and fun activity where you can explore the beautiful underwater world. Malaysia has many wonderful places where you can see colourful corals, pretty fishes, and many sea animals including sea turtles. These places allow for amazing water activities including scuba diving. Whether you are new to scuba diving or have done it before, these places will give you amazing memories with your friends or family that you will never forget.
Top 10 Places For Scuba Diving Malaysia
Here are the best 10 places for Scuba diving in Malaysia where you can dive into the depths and explore the marine life:
1. Sipadan Island
Photo: Anders Finn Jørgensen / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Sipadan Island is a very famous place for scuba diving. It is in Malaysia and is known all around the world because of its rich marine life and beautiful underwater views. When you dive in Sipadan, you will see steep walls underwater. The depth of scuba diving in Malaysia in this spot is more than 600 metres. These walls make the underwater scenery look dramatic and exciting. You can swim with big schools of barracuda fish, see sea turtles swimming by, and sometimes even spot a shark.
Major Attractions: Barracuda Point, Turtle Cavern, Hanging Gardens
Best Months To Visit: April to December
Ideal Trip Duration: 3 – 4 days
Nearest Airport: Tawau Airport
Nearest Seaport: Semporna Jetty
2. Mabul Island
Photo: AshwiniShinde / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Mabul Island is another great place to scuba dive in Malaysia. It is close to Sipadan Island and is famous for something called “macro diving.” Macro diving is when you look for small and interesting sea creatures, like tiny fish and other animals that are not always easy to see. At Mabul Island, you can find special creatures like nudibranchs, which are colourful sea slugs, and seahorses which are very small but very beautiful.
Major Attractions: Seaventure Platform, Frogfish Point, Nudibranch Garden
Best Months To Visit: March to October
Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 days
Nearest Airport: Tawau Airport
Nearest Seaport: Semporna Jetty
3. Layang-Layang
Photo: Clotho / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Layang-Layang is a small atoll, or a ring-shaped coral reef, in the South China Sea. It is also known as Swallow Reef. Layang-Layang is a fantastic place for scuba diving because the water is a deep blue colour and full of interesting marine life. This place is not very crowded, so it is perfect if you want a peaceful and thrilling dive. If you are lucky, you might see hammerhead sharks, big and gentle sea creatures which have heads shaped like hammers, or manta rays.
Major Attractions: The Wall, Shark’s Cave, Crack Reef
Best Months To Visit: March to August
Ideal Trip Duration: 4-5 days
Nearest Airport: Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Nearest Seaport: Labuan Seaport
4. Redang Island
Photo: Ashell A. Sickmen / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Redang Island is another popular scuba diving spot in Malaysia. This island is in the Terengganu Marine Park and is known for its clear, blue-green water and colourful coral reefs. When you dive around Redang Island, you can see many kinds of fish swimming around the coral. If you are lucky, you might even see a sea turtle or a reef shark. There are many different places to dive around Redang, but one of the most famous is Terumbu Kili.
Major Attractions: Terumbu Kili, Big Mount, Mini Mount
Best Months To Visit: April to October
Ideal Trip Duration: 3-4 days
Nearest Airport: Sultan Mahmud Airport (Kuala Terengganu)
Nearest Seaport: Shahbandar Jetty
5. Tioman Island
Photo: Wusel007 / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Tioman Island is a wonderful place to scuba dive in Malaysia. It is a favourite spot for many divers because it has many different dive sites to choose from, whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver. The water around Tioman Island is warm and full of life. You can see schools of barracuda, giant trevally, and many colourful corals. Some of the most popular dive spots are Tiger Reef and Renggis Island.
Major Attractions: Tiger Reef, Renggis Island, Labas Island
Best Months To Visit: March to November
Ideal Trip Duration: 3-4 days
Nearest Airport: Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport (Kuantan)
Nearest Seaport: Mersing Jetty
6. Perhentian Islands
Photo: Mudasir Zainuddin/ Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
The Perhentian Islands are two small islands off the coast of Malaysia, and they are perfect for people who are new to scuba diving. The water here is calm and shallow, making it easy for beginners to enjoy their first diving experience. Even though the water is not very deep, there is still plenty to see. You can find colourful fish, pretty corals, and even small sea creatures. The islands themselves are very beautiful with sandy beaches and clear water.
Major Attractions: Sugar Wreck, Temple of the Sea, D’Lagoon
Best Months To Visit: March to October
Ideal Trip Duration: 3-4 days
Nearest Airport: Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (Kota Bharu)
Nearest Seaport: Kuala Besut Jetty
7. Lankayan Island
Photo: astro_matt / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Lankayan Island is a small, peaceful island in the Sulu Sea, and it is a great place to scuba dive if you want to see unspoiled nature. The island is part of a marine reserve, which means the coral reefs and the animals that live there are protected and in very good condition. When you dive around Lankayan Island, you can explore old shipwrecks that have become homes for fish and other sea creatures. The coral gardens are full of life, and you might even see sea turtles swimming around.
Major Attractions: Lankayan Wreck, Jawfish Lair, Coral Garden
Best Months To Visit: March to October
Ideal Trip Duration: 3-4 days
Nearest Airport: Sandakan Airport
Nearest Seaport: Sandakan Seaport
8. Kapalai Island
Photo: Mojpe / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Kapalai Island is a very special place because it is not a traditional island. It is actually a sandbank in the middle of the Celebes Sea. This island is home to a beautiful dive resort built on stilts. The water around Kapalai Island is shallow and clear, making it perfect for something called muck diving. Muck diving is when you look for strange and rare sea creatures that live on the ocean floor, like frogfish and ghost pipefish. Kapalai is also a great place to take pictures underwater because the water is very clear.
Major Attractions: House Reef, Mandarin Valley, Ribbon Valley
Best Months To Visit: April to November
Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 days
Nearest Airport: Tawau Airport
Nearest Seaport: Semporna Jetty
9. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Photo: CC0 Public Domain / PxHere / Image For Representation Only
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a group of five small islands just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. This park is a popular place for scuba diving because it is easy to get to and has something for everyone, whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver. The water around the islands is full of colourful coral reefs and many different kinds of fish. You might see clownfish, lionfish, or even a sea turtle swimming by.
Major Attractions: Coral Garden, Gaya Island, Sapi Island
Best Months To Visit: February to April
Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 days
Nearest Airport: Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Nearest Seaport: Kota Kinabalu Seaport
10. Mataking Island
Photo: Feliciano Guimarães / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Mataking Island is a small, beautiful island in the Celebes Sea, and it is a fantastic place for scuba diving. The water around Mataking Island is clear and warm, making it a great place to see all kinds of marine life. The coral reefs are full of colourful corals and fish. If you are very lucky, you might even see a whale shark, which is the biggest fish in the ocean. Mataking Island is also home to the famous Underwater Post Office, where you can send postcards from under the water.
Major Attractions: Underwater Post Office, Alice Channel, Garden of Eden
Best Months To Visit: March to October
Ideal Trip Duration: 3-4 days
Nearest Airport: Tawau Airport
Nearest Seaport: Semporna Jetty
These amazing places to scuba dive in Malaysia are some of the best spots to explore the underwater world. Whether you want to see big fish like sharks and barracuda, or small and colourful creatures like seahorses and clownfish, there is something for everyone. Scuba diving Malaysia is an adventure that you will never forget. Start planning your trip today with TripXL for the best trip to Malaysia for scuba diving.
Cover Photo: Summitandbeach / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
