Malaysia Scuba Diving

	Malaysia is one of the leading dive destinations of the world with a huge diversity of dive sites ranging from oecenic islands to coral atolls, from gentle sloping reefs to wall dives, and from to beginner “aquarium-style” diving to deep technical diving on world war 2 wrecks.
	Contact our travel consultants and start planning your holiday!
	The warm seas and incredible bio-diversity are what attract divers to Malaysia. Malaysia has one of the worlds richest marine environments where you can find hammerhead sharks, huge schools of barracudas, whale sharks, giant manta rays, various turtle species, as well as the very rare critters such as the giant frogfish, the mimic octopus, or the bizarre orang-utan crab. If you wish to learn how to dive or want to advance your diving skills Malaysia’s dive centres are able to offer scuba courses at affordable and competitive rates. Dive centres of Malaysia are very well equipped and are certified by the relevant agencies such as PADI, NAUI, SSI, or BSAC. Scuba Diving in West Malaysia While there are now hundreds of well surveyed dives sites in West Malaysia, the very best diving is found around the islands of Tioman, Redang and Perhentian respectively. These islands are blessed with some of the finest diving sites in the South China Sea and are comparable if not better that the diving found in Koh Tao, Thailand. You will be able to find large pelagic species, turtles, an abundance of colourful reef fish and corals. The beaches are magnificent, and the waters are clear with very good underwater visibility between the months of March to October, however in December, January and February most of the diving stops due to the monsoon. Tioman is one of the few places in Malaysia where you can do rebreather and technical diving courses. It is also the most popular island for those who would like to do their Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster Courses under the PADI certification system. Along the western coast of West Malaysia you also have several options, mostly around Langkawi, which are suitable for introductory diving, although they are not as attractive for experienced divers. The most popular spot is Pulau Payar group of islands, a protected marine park. The reef in front of the marine park centre is home to juvenile black tip sharks, fusilier, jacks, barracudas and black tips, while nearby Pulau Kaca is a favourite for easy, shallow wreck diving.
	Scuba Diving in Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) With truly world class scuba diving sites like Sipadan and Layang Layang, Sabah is at the forefront of not just Malaysian diving but diving worldwide. Bounded by 3 seas: the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, and the Celebes Sea, and known as the "Land Below the Wind", Sabah is at the heart of the “Coral Triangle” – the worlds most bio-diverse seas. Sarawak also has a diving scene, but whilst it has several interesting dive sites, Sarawak does not possess the clear waters, coral reefs, atolls or wrecks that can be found in Sabah. In Sabah there is something for every diver. For tech divers there are a variety of deep and unexplored wrecks exists on the west coast, and mixed gases and rebreathers are available. Beginners can choose between a full variety of PADI and SSI courses all very reasonably priced in global terms. PADI and SSI also cater for children with their Bubble Maker and SEAL Team courses by PADI or Scuba Rangers courses by SSI. The main attraction is of course Sipadan Island. In 1989, after filming one of his last documentaries, Jacques Cousteau said “I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art”. To go scuba diving in Sipadan is to literally take a plunge into a hyper-diverse underwater world. Almost nowhere in the world can one find a richer variety of coral reef, plant, fish and animal life than around the reefs of Sipadan. Rated as one of the 10 best dive locations in the world, and soon to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sipadan is Malaysia's only oceanic island rising vertically 2,000 feet from the seabed (she was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone in a process that took thousands of years to develop). With clear waters, pristine beaches, awe inspiring wall dives, mysterious turtle tombs, and an outstanding array of marine life, Sipadan is a gem of creation. Here one can find hordes of greenback and hawksbill turtles, residential schooling barracuda and big-eye trevally which often gather in thousands forming spectacular tornado-like formations. With the possibility of seeing pelagics such as mantas, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks, each dive at Sipadan is a highly anticipated event. Located in the heart of the Sulu-Sulawesi ecoregion, Sipdan, and also the islands of Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, and the Tun Sakaran Marine park, are at the centre of the richest marine habitat in the world, with more than 400 species of corals, 1000's of species of reef fishes, 6 of the world's 8 species of marine turtles, endangered marine mammals, and more than 400 species of algae and 16 species of seagrass. Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking & the Tun Sakaran Marine Park also offers some of the best opportunities for divers & underwater photographers to view rare and beautiful macro life such as flamoboyant cuttlefish, blueringed octopus, seahorses, and mating mandarin fish. Nearby, Semporna is home to the Bajau sea gypsies and numerous “kampung air” watervillages where houses are built on stilts. Each year, the Bajau traditions are celebrated during the the ‘Lepa-Lepa’ regatta in April (Lepa Lepa are traditional hand crafted boats used by the Bajau sea gypsies of Semporna). Flights to Borneo from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Brunei or Hong Kong are regular and land directly in either Kota Kinabalu or Tawau, from where you have access to Semporna, Mabul and Sipadan. Read more detailed information about Scuba diving in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.