Kota Kinabalu, Usukan, Mantanani & Layang Layang - Sabah, Malaysia

Sabah's west coast offers three very different kinds of diving. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, five small islands (Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug) 3-8 km off Kota Kinabalu, has gentle coral reefs to about 25 m, macro life and the purpose-sunk KM Kuraman wreck. To the north, the Japanese WWII wrecks of Usukan Bay near Kota Belud were largely destroyed by a salvage operation in 2017, while Mantanani offers muck and reef dives. Pulau Tiga lies south-west of Kota Kinabalu, and far out in the South China Sea the Layang Layang (Swallow Reef) atoll is famous for scalloped hammerhead sharks and 2,000 m walls; its only resort lost its operating licence in January 2025 and the atoll is currently closed to diving, so it is listed for reference.

Facts

Best season: Kota Kinabalu: January-April; May-December has poorer visibility (3-5 m after monsoon rain). Layang Layang (closed) ran Feb/Mar-Aug, hammerheads March-May. Pulau Tiga April-August
Water temperature: 27-30 °C
Visibility: Tunku Abdul Rahman Park 4-30 m, usually 8-15 m; Mantanani 20-30 m, up to 40 m
Currents: Mostly low in the park; stronger outside it (South Edgell Patch) and at Layang Layang
Getting there: Park islands by speedboat from the Jesselton Point area in about 8-10 minutes; Mantanani by the daily speedboat from Kuala Abai jetty, Kota Belud (about 1 h, 2 h drive from Kota Kinabalu); Layang Layang formerly by a 1 h flight from Kota Kinabalu
Permit & protection: Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (Sabah Parks): conservation fee RM 25 international / RM 8 Malaysian adult per day; Kuraman wreck diving fee RM 200 / RM 100 listed (confirm). Usukan wrecks are WWII war graves; removing items is forbidden
Training level: Open Water is enough for the park reefs; Advanced/wreck training for deeper sites and the Kuraman interior. Layang Layang had a 40 m limit with no chamber
Hazards: Reduced visibility after heavy rain, stonefish, crown-of-thorns starfish, sea snakes at Pulau Tiga, strong currents and no chamber at Layang Layang, monsoon sea state (Nov-Feb) and typhoon swell for the northern sites

Season

Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr
Acceptable: Jan, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Poor: Oct, Nov, Dec
Water temperature: 27–30 °C

Around Kota Kinabalu January-April is best (Borneo Guru); May-December visibility can drop to 3-5 m after monsoon rain. Usukan/Mantanani: April, May and September are calmest; the north-east monsoon (Nov-Feb) and summer typhoons disrupt. Layang Layang (closed) ran February/March-August with the resort shut September-January. Whale sharks about February-April, but rare.

Dive sites (13)

Pulau Tiga

Asmarqa Point (Pulau Tiga) – 5–20 m, beginner
Coleman Shoal (Pulau Tiga) – 15–22 m, advanced

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (Kota Kinabalu)

Clement Reef – 12–15 m, beginner
East Sulug Reef – 9–16 m, beginner
KM Kuraman wreck (Mamutik Wreck) – 18–23 m, intermediate
Mid Reef – 15–20 m, intermediate
North Sulug Reef – 18–22 m, intermediate
Sapi Reef (Sapi jetty house reef) – 2–18 m, beginner
The Rock (behind Mamutik) – 12–13 m, beginner

Operators (3)

Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures – dive centre, Gaya Island dive centre ('The Beach House') and Manukan, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park; dive shop at KK Times Square, Kota Kinabalu
Borneo Divers (Mamutik Island Lodge) – dive centre, Mamutik Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park; office in Kota Kinabalu
Layang Layang Island Resort (closed, licence revoked Jan 2025) – resort, Layang Layang (Swallow Reef), South China Sea, about 300 km north-west of Kota Kinabalu

Routes (3)

Most positions here are estimates placed next to the islands because no operator or park publishes GPS for these sites; they are for orientation only, never for navigation. The Usukan wrecks are war graves and were largely destroyed in 2017; Layang Layang is closed after its resort's licence was revoked in January 2025 - confirm status before travelling.