Sipadan, Sabah  

Further south off the seas of Semporna lies Sipadan, Mabul & Kapalai islands. Sipadan is Malaysia's diving haven. Rated as the top dive destination of the world, it has since applied for the World Heritage Site status. Free of dive operators, the island is now maintained by Sabah Parks.  

This unique outcrop yoometres from the ocean floor, has provided a sanctuary for more than 3000 species offish, including Grey Reef Sharks, Great Barracudas, Eagle Rays, Hammerhead Sharks and Manta Rays just to name a few, with scores of colourful Anthias and Butterfly Fishes set to be your eye candy as you comb the reef along the walls. The ever present currents on both sides of the island, challenges the diver to drift along or nn alongside the almost stationary school of Jacks or the whirling barracudas in numbers exceeding a thousand. On the more shallow reefs near the surface, drifting along with the numerous Sweetlips and Surgeonnsh with almost perfect visibility makes you feel like you are in a borderless aquarium.

Mabul, Sabah  

About 10 minutes away by speedboat, you would find the Bajaus and sea gypsies' inhabited island of Mabul, where five resorts make their base. All of these resorts offer world class service to make your surface interval truly remarkable. It is an open secret that Mabul houses at least three species of seahorses and innumerable species of nudibranchs that have won the hearts of photographers the world over. New species are discovered regularly, some unnamed while some are seasonal. Here you would find the affable Aplysia Sea Hare with the biggest nerve cells rummaging through the sea grass beds of Mabul's dive site.  

Kapalai, Sabah  

On the fringing sandbanks of Kapalai, lies a treasure trove of marine marvels that would captivate you and perhaps, cause you to go into decompression diving for staying too long underwater after repetitively going back to the same site! The bizarre antics of critters in Kapalai would leave you in awe as mantis shrimps dart in and out of their burrows in the busy afternoons totally ignoring your presence, your huge dome port and robotic arms of your strobes. Allied cowries that roam freely with their pretty mantles as if there wasn't a predator in the ocean and decorator crabs that would pick a fight with your steel pointer as you uncover them to show your buddy.  

Nudibranchs are aplenty here. The Solar-Powered Nudib ranch (phyllodesmium longicirrum) derived its common name from the algae that reside in its mantle and ceratas, photosynthesis- ing and manufacturing food for the sea slug. They usually grow to about 12. —170111 and it's a sight to behold. If you search the rubble of lettuce corals and such in Kapalai, chances are, you might find yourself the biggest Solar Powered Nudib ranch in the region!  

Roach Reefs, Tawau, Sabah  

Not too far off is the man-made island of Roach Reefs. This 'furthest reef off Tawau has an interesting past, having sunk six disused buses to be artificial reefs in one of the dive sites. The island was once used as a stopover for anglers, this place has since turned into a dive resort. One of the sites has an endless field of table corals with big fishes queuing at cleaning stations to be cleaned. From Harlequin Sweetlips to whirling barracudas, the maximum depth here does not exceed ^4 metres. Superb coral life and the presence of a school of huge bumphead parrotfash makes the scene very much like that of the oceanic Sipadan.  

The six buses are located at Bus Stop, where you can find thousands of fish congregating to go to school! Some does not alight from these buses at all while some move from one bus to another. The currents here are quite a challenge. Keeping pace with the grouper within require you to hold on to the structure in

order to save your air but it doesn't prevent you from the attention of nosy remoras.  

Orang Utan Crabs will peek from their nooks in between Bubble Corals to see you looking for them while the Titan Trigger awaits your homecoming as you surface to swim back to shore from your dawn dive.  

Layang Layang, Sabah  

Further north of the Luconia Shoals off Borneo, lies the atoll of Layang Layang, once called Swallow Reefs. Located 30okm offKota Kinabalu, Sabah, the reef wall drops to an amazing 2,000 metres down to the ocean floor. It is home to thousands of migratory birds, a haven to large pelagic ftsh such as grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, hammerheads as well as large schools of barracudas and mackerels and many turtles. Exceptional visibility on reefs so pristine that giant clams here grow to the size able to envelop a human being. There is lagoon in the middle of the atoll, about ^om deep for the enjoyment of night dives and smaller critters.  

Tenggol, Terengganu  

On the east coast of the peninsula, at the South China Sea, the most untouched island ofTenggol, continues to mystify divers with the pristine and dense coral gardens fringing the island. Beautiful crinoids emerge with the currents to grip barrel sponges as large as life while Tiger Cowries forage in the surrounding habitat for food. With the myriad of coral species available here, accompanying them are the multicoloured nudibranchs which lay their egg ribbons on the rocks and under-hangs of crevices. The Octopus is almost a regular feature of any dive at Gua Rajawali dive site while schools of tunas seek shelter during rough seas.  

Come migration season of May- September, whale sharks and manta rays make their way inward to the bay of Tenggol and off Tokong Timur where they are usually encountered. Several wrecks make interesting dive sites for the adventurous, with crockery left behind, they leave a tale waiting to be told.  

Tioman, Pahang  

Further south, the volcanic island of Tioman has never failed to draw in divers from neighbouring countries, to take pleasure in discovering all that it has to offer. Wrecks and artificial reefs acting as nsh aggregators have populated the natural reefs with so much marine life that not running into one is impossible.  

Everywhere you dive, you will be swarmed with fish and pelagics. In the sandy rubble fringing the reef, you may find the ugliest and most hideous fish, testing all your senses of admiration for this weird, spiny creature, the Devil Scorpionftsh. A predator that lies in wait for the next juicy meal that swims by, with the piercing of the spines filled with neuro-toxins which would will immobilise the fish to be devoured.  

Dayang and Aur, Johor  

These two islands are very close by, possibly broken apart from the continental shift hundreds of years ago. Very good visibility, this place has one of the most challenging dive sites in the east coast with swift currents and pelagics at almost every turn. Cuttlefish seem to abound here, without any fear of divers approaching. Nudibranchs are fat and spongy from the abundance of food available in the corals.  

The migration of the whale sharks and manta rays could be seen in the waters here after they move from Tenggol to Tioman before stopping over at Dayang and Aur. There was a World War 2, fighter plane that crashed into the ocean which turned into a wreck dive site but over time, those who knew of the dive site are nowhere to be found but only pictures prove of their existence till this day.  

Whichever destination you choose, you are only limited by your sense of adventure. Even in a place where you dive frequently, there are new things to discover and new species to be found if you care enough to document them. Especially when Malaysia sits on the nursery ground of the region and have a consistent flow of nutrients feeding the reef, you will not be short of thrilling sights. The marvel of the ocean does not end with the last dive but increases as you plan for the next.