Sawadee wrecks (KM Sipadan)
The Sawadee site, just off Soyak, has the 31 m former Royal Malaysian Navy vessel KM Sipadan, sunk on 29 March 2012 as an artificial reef, lying in about 30 m with the deck near 25 m, plus two Thai fishing-boat wrecks nearby linked by lines. Visibility is lower than on the reefs and the dive is regarded as a wreck dive for Advanced divers; the ship was cleaned before sinking and nitrox-certified divers can penetrate it. Position is an approximation placed next to the islet's OpenStreetMap location; no operator publishes exact GPS for this site.
Facts
- Region: Tioman & Pulau Aur – Malaysia
- Area: Tioman Salang & Tekek: Soyak, Sawadee, Renggis
- Depth: 22–30 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: wreck, artificial reef
- Coordinates: 2.8745, 104.1485 (approximate)
- Highlights: Thai fishing boats, schooling fish, trevally, barracuda, soft coral
- Unverified: Exact wreck position not published; placed just off Soyak from 'Sawadee lies just off Soyak'. Depth figures vary (deck 25 m, floor 30 m).
- Tips: Advanced certification recommended (about 22–30 m, lower visibility). Wreck penetration only with proper wreck training. Reports say the Thai boats have largely broken up. Tioman is a marine park: a park fee is collected at the ferry terminal (confirm the current amount), and sites are closed in the monsoon (about Nov–Feb).
Sources
- https://gs-diving.com/?p=2413
- https://www.expedia.com.sg/stories/activities/diving-tioman-island/
- https://divesingapore.sg/tioman-diving-guide/
- https://www.amantioman.com/diving-sites-in-tioman/
- https://psai.com/2016/03/03/psai-singapore-and-malaysia-dives-the-wreck-of-km-siadan-off-of-the-island-of-tioman/