Lakayan Island
This small paradise island, with stretches of white sandy beaches, swaying casuarina pines and beautiful sunsets is another island with only one dive resort......
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(East Malaysia - Sabah and Sarawak)
"Following several kidnapping incidents in the east coast, it is easy to blame Esscom for not being effective and to question the difficulty in monitoring state waters. The people need to understand Sabah's landscape. Only then will they know the challenges that we are faced with."
Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) director-general
Datuk Mohammad Mentek
on 19 May 2014 in Kota Kinabalu during a dialogue between
Esscom and representatives from the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) has identified some of the islands used by criminals to move undetected between southern Philippines and Sabah.
Cross-border criminals have 361 islands in the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone) to choose from to hide from the authorities.
These Kidnapping groups island-hopped (moving from one island to another island) to avoid security forces.
Some of the islands are occupied by fishermen , but most are small, uninhabited islands.
Islands that are spread out from Kudat to Tawau are some of the many challenges faced by security forces when it comes to preventing intrusion.
Semporna has the most number of islands at 83, followed by Kudat, Sandakan. Some islands are close to Philippine waters, enabling culprits to escape easily. Such small islands could not be seen on maps.
There were 23,000 fishing boats in Esszone districts and, based on statistics in 2010, there were 131 water villages with a population of 126,000 in Sabah.
Read more: Esscom: 361 isles are hideout haven - General - New Straits Times www2.nst.com.my/
“What is necessary for the efficiency of Esscom director-general is a more structured and clear administrative structure. The government needs to study the structure of Esscom presently and to explain the jurisdiction given to the director general as well as equip the body with the necessary assets to effectively carry out its operation,”
Lahad Datu assemblyman
Datuk Yusof Apdal
at the Sabah State Assembly
April 16, 2014, Wednesday
The members of Esscom comprised of following
agencies in addressing security issues within Esszone :
1- Royal Malaysia Police,
2- Malaysian Army and
3- Maritime .
Read more: www.theborneopost.com
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.
Lakayan Island
This small paradise island, with stretches of white sandy beaches, swaying
casuarina pines and beautiful sunsets is another island with only one dive
resort......
In the Bajau language, "semporna" means, "perfect". This town with its
feet in the sea, Semporna sea side town and its many islands are like a
dream come true for ocean lovers... pure white sandy beaches, coconut palms
and tranquil waters lapping over colorful reefs in the beautiful turquoise
waters of the Sulawesi Sea.
The richness of the ocean, marine life with fishes of all kinds, sea
cucumbers, shells, pearls and seaweed farming - all these have attracted
seafarers and fisher-folks to Semporna and its islands.
Welcome to my village in Semporna......
Three wrecks have been discovered to date, all thought to be merchant ships
Mantanani Islands
off Kota Belud
Mantanani Islands - a group of 3 isolated islands
northwest of Kota Belud about an hour's drive from Kota
Kinabalu. Another 1 hour's boat-ride by speedboat from
the mainland. The islands in Sabah are a reminder of an
earlier and simpler place and era. Time slows down here
amidst the crystal clear blue waters lapping on white
sandy beaches..
Turtle Paradise in Sabah
SABAH, MALAYSIA
A jewel - like tiny island in the Sulu Sea an hour and a half boat's ride
north of Sandakan, Lankayan is declared part of an immense Marine Protected
Area. Unpopulated and covered by thick tropical island vegetation on its top
this peaceful, untouched little bit of paradise is ringed by an endless pure
white sandy beach, offering simply elegant and exquisite accommodation in a
handful of wooden, roomy and perfectly appointed seafront double-occupancy
chalets. Meals arc informally served at the central open building, which
boasts an amazingly beautiful open-air wooden terrace, the ideal spot for
after dinner relaxation and chatting, all the while admiring the dozens of
juvenile black tip sharks swimming leisurely a few feet beneath.
While the ideal destination for those who search tranquility and relaxation
in a virgin natural setting and for families with children, Lankayan Island
is also one of the hottest diving destinations on the map today: its dive
sites - all just a few minutes away - boast unbelievably colorful macro
fauna, fascinating wrecks and, in season from March to May, regular
sightings of gigantic and harmless whale sharks, the "dream date" of every
diver in the world
300 Km by flight
North of the Luconia Shoals off Borneo, lies the atoll
of Layang Layang (Swallow Reefs).
Located 30okm offKota Kinabalu, Sabah, the reef wall
drops to an amazing 2,000 metres down to the ocean
floor.
Home to thousands of migratory birds, a haven to large
pelagic fish such as grey reef sharks, white-tip reef
sharks, hammerheads as well as large schools of
barracudas and mackerels and many turtles.
There is lagoon in the middle of the atoll.
35Km by boat
Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Parkrk
20 minutes by speed boat from KK city
The five spectacular islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park (Pulau
Gaya, Pulau Sapi, Pulau -Manukan, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sulug). The park
is reachable within 15 to 25 minutes by boat.
Photo above : Sapi Island - crystal clear water with school of fish
numbering in thousand. Among them are Napoleon fish and Parrot fish.
Photo below : Manukan Island - the second largest of the 5 islands in the
marine park.
The 5 islands of TAR Park themselves are lush with rainforest and fringed
with an edge of white sand, coral reefs and blue seas. The rainforest in
Sabah is one of the oldest forests in the world and is home to many species
including the Orang Utan, Borneo's 'Man of the Forest', and jungle trekking
is an excursion enjoyed by all who visit the country.
Kinarut (near Kota Kinabalu)
Though physically close to Sipadan, the diving at Mabul Island is completely
different
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.
Diving in Mataking Island is a combination of Macro and pelagic which is
suitable for photographers...
Mataking Island, Sabah
The presence of an Underwater Post Office on a wreck makes it the first of
its kind in the Malaysia. There are only 5 similar underwater post offices
in the world.
An island off the Ligitan group, it is the centre of muck diving in
Malaysia. Muck diving is a term coined to give divers who enjoy the
experience of staying close to the ground and mucking about in search of
small and wonderful critters. On the contrary, the swift currents present
around the island makes good drift diving too. Excellent visibility
throughout the year, every dive site in Mataking and the surrounding islands
are worthy of comment. Though the practice of bomb fishing by the locals and
sea gypsies have somewhat lessened, Mataking is slowly recovering from the
effects but strangely enough, it is in this environment that small and
bizarre critters are thriving! From giant sea pens to the niftiest looking
nudibranchs, Pegasus and allied cowries, once you get down, you will be
constantly thrilled with these creatures.
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