Labuan

Most divers travel to Sabah for the clear water and pelagic action of the Celebes Sea. Labuan operates differently. The waters around the mouth of Brunei Bay carry continuous river discharge from the Borneo mainland. This sediment suspension creates a turbid environment tinted mint-green. The visibility rarely matches oceanic atolls. This moderate turbidity carries high concentrations of plankton. The nutrient-rich water drives explosive coral growth. The wrecks are carpeted in pastel pink and orange soft corals that thrive in the heavy plankton load.

The territory is heavily regulated to protect these artificial reefs. The Department of Fisheries Malaysia gazetted the Labuan Marine Park under the Fisheries Act 1985 to cover the waters around Pulau Kuraman and the two Rusukan islands. Extractive activities are banned. You will need to pay a conservation fee to enter the park boundaries.

Beyond the diving Labuan offers a duty-free economy and significant wartime history. The island served as a heavily fortified base and was the focal point for the Allied amphibious liberation of Borneo in 1945. You can visit the Labuan War Cemetery and the Peace Park at Surrender Point between your dive days to understand the context of the wrecks resting offshore. The waters off Labuan preserve wrecks from the final years of the Pacific War. During the complex preparations for the Allied liberation of Borneo in 1945 the approaches to Brunei Bay were heavily seeded with contact mines. This deadly perimeter claimed vessels on both sides of the conflict. Today these vessels are respected war graves. They have been reclaimed by the ocean to function as vital artificial reefs.

The local dive industry markets these sites collectively as the Big Four. They include two wartime losses and two modern commercial vessels. You can find full details on the dedicated Labuan wrecks guide.

Cement Wreck (MV Tung Hwang)

Skill level: Advanced Open Water | Max depth: 32m The MV Tung Hwang was a 92-metre Japanese freighter transporting bulk cement to Brunei when it struck an uncharted sandbank in September 1980. The vessel foundered and settled upright on the seabed with no casualties. The highest masts reach to within 8 metres of the surface. The wheelhouse roof sits at a highly accessible 14 metres. This upright verticality allows for excellent multi-level dive profiles and long bottom times. The upper half of the vessel is an established coral garden thickly covered in hard corals, ferns, sponges and soft corals. The wreck acts as a massive pelagic aggregator. As you descend the mooring line you often see swirling schools of small barracudas, yellowfin fusiliers and snappers patrolling the masts. The site offers the highest probability among the Labuan wrecks for encountering passing whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Significant hazards exist in the form of snagged commercial fishing nets heavily shrouding the upper structures. Continuous situational awareness is essential to avoid entanglement.

American Wreck (USS Salute, AM-294)

Skill level: Advanced Open Water / Deep Diver | Max depth: 33m The USS Salute was an Admirable-class minesweeper engaged in a pre-invasion sweep of Brunei Bay supporting Australian landing forces. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command records confirm the ship struck a submerged Japanese contact mine on 7 June 1945. The explosion buckled the vessel amidships. She sank just after midnight on 8 June resulting in nine crew members killed or missing. Positioned on a hard sand bottom the 54.8-metre vessel rests at a seabed depth of 30 to 33 metres. The hull is completely severed. The bow section folds backward across the main deck at a 45-degree angle over the relatively upright stern. The site is a tangled mass of twisted metal presenting extreme overhead hazards. Internal penetration is tightly restricted and highly discouraged due to the collapse risk. The Malaysian Navy previously cleared the site of unexploded depth charges to ensure diver safety. Scattered artefacts including a visible boiler, wire bottles and bullet clips litter the surrounding sand.

Australian Wreck (SS De Klerk)

Skill level: Advanced Open Water | Max depth: 35m Local dive lore long maintained this vessel was sunk by an Australian bomber. Historical maritime registers dispel this myth entirely. The vessel is the SS De Klerk. It was a 1,986-ton passenger and cargo steamer built in Amsterdam in 1900. The Royal Dutch Navy deliberately scuttled the ship in port at Tanjong Priok on 2 March 1942 to prevent its capture. The Japanese subsequently salvaged the vessel and pressed it into service as the Imaji Maru. The ship struck a submerged contact mine and sank rapidly on 16 September 1944. The sinking claimed 339 lives. Documentation confirms the ship was carrying Japanese personnel and local labourers. The explosion killed five Japanese and 334 local workers. There were zero Prisoners of War aboard. Today the site is designated an official war grave. The wreck rests entirely on its port side at a severe 50-degree list. Eight decades of submersion have stripped the ship of all timber decking to leave a haunting steel skeleton. Artefacts such as the steam engine, heavy deck winches and Chinese crockery remain visible in the lower sections.

Blue Water Wreck (MV Mabini Padre)

Skill level: Deep Diver | Max depth: 35m The MV Mabini Padre was an 80-metre Philippine stern-fishing trawler. A severe fire broke out on board on 13 November 1981. After attempts to douse the blaze failed the vessel foundered and sank while under tow. There was no loss of life. Located 34 kilometres northwest of Pulau Kuraman this is the furthest wreck from the Labuan mainland. Its remote position shields it from coastal river run-off. Visibility here is frequently the best in the region and can occasionally reach 40 metres on favourable days. The massive trawler rests prominently on its port side upon a hard sand seabed. The elevated starboard side rises to a depth of 24 metres. The Mabini Padre remains structurally intact retaining its original masts and imposing superstructure. This site pushes the absolute limits of recreational diving. Trained divers can swim through the stern trawl chute and beneath the hull to inspect the massive single screw. The extreme depths induce nitrogen narcosis so internal exploration is a highly technical endeavour.

While the heavy metal draws the headlines Labuan also offers natural reef systems for multi-day itineraries.

Labuan Marine Park Reefs The waters encircling Pulau Kuraman, Pulau Rusukan Besar and Pulau Rusukan Kecil offer shallow fringing coral reefs. The topography consists of gently sloping coral gardens starting in just a few metres of water. Visibility is generally excellent. The biomass features abundant tropical reef fish, turtles and juvenile reef sharks.

Batu Agong Reef Situated near a barren rocky outcrop Batu Agong is the antithesis of the deep wreck profiles. With a maximum depth ranging between 5 and 10 metres this sprawling reef system allows for massive bottom times and relaxed gas management. The ecological health of the site is exceptional. The reef is characterised by a pastel palette of orange, pink and mint-green soft corals.

Vernon Bank Explored thoroughly in 2017 this site represents a frontier diving location roughly 40 nautical miles north of Labuan. It is a massive underwater atoll featuring a five-metre central crater. Because of its isolation the site functions as an untouched pelagic cleaning station drawing manta rays and other large predators. A unique geological phenomenon occurs between 8 and 10 metres where continuous streams of gas bubbles escape directly from the seabed. Operators dive Vernon Bank strictly on an expedition basis.

Labuan demands experience. The seabed across all 4 wrecks lies between 30 and 35 metres. Local operators enforce a strict minimum of 40 to 50 logged dives and mandate an Advanced Open Water certification before allowing access. If you have been inactive for an extended period the dive centre will require you to complete a mandatory check dive. The Blue Water Wreck pushes the boundaries of recreational diving. Deep Diver specialty training and Nitrox certifications are highly advantageous for managing nitrogen narcosis and no-decompression limits on that site.

Visibility generally ranges from 10 to 25 metres depending on tidal exchanges. The deep water is subject to sudden and unpredictable currents sweeping through the South China Sea. Navigating twisted structural steel in a moderate current requires absolute buoyancy control. Water temperatures remain consistently warm year-round between 25 °C and 30 °C.

Operators enforce rigid safety protocols given the extreme depths and the long transits back to port. Daily itineraries are typically restricted to 2 dives per day to ensure safe surface intervals for off-gassing nitrogen. You must be prepared for the realities of open-ocean travel. Dive centres enforce a strict zero-refund policy if you choose to abort a dive upon reaching the site due to seasickness or anxiety.

Be sure to carry a dive computer and familiarise yourself thoroughly with your no-decompression limits before descending.

You can dive Labuan all year with the most settled boat crossings during the dry season. The best visibility runs from March to October with softer visibility at the ends of the mid-February to mid-November diving window. The wrecks are situated up to 34 kilometres offshore so the speedboat transit takes between 40 and 60 minutes over open water. The dry season offers the most stable surface conditions to minimise the risk of seasickness and weather-related cancellations. Check the guide on when to dive Sabah for wider regional weather patterns.

Labuan Airport is located just 5 minutes from the main town centre. The most efficient way to arrive is flying. Regular 25-minute turboprop flights connect Labuan to Kota Kinabalu. Direct flights also arrive daily from Kuala Lumpur.

If you prefer maritime transport you need to be aware of recent schedule changes. The direct high-speed passenger ferry from Jesselton Point in Kota Kinabalu was suspended indefinitely on 1 April 2026. You must now travel overland for roughly 2 hours to the Menumbok Ferry Terminal in Kuala Penyu. From Menumbok you can take a massive Roll-On/Roll-Off vehicle ferry across the channel to Labuan. Smaller passenger speedboats also make the crossing from Menumbok in 15 to 30 minutes. Ferry timetables change frequently so flying remains the most reliable option for tight itineraries. The team covers all transport options in the travel information guide.

Labuan pairs well with Kota Kinabalu. You can dive the easy reefs of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park for a warm-up before flying across for 2 days of deep wreck diving. If you are completing a broader Borneo circuit you can link Labuan with the Sarawak wrecks and reefs itinerary.

Labuan is built for wreck divers, technical divers and history buffs who appreciate heavy metal over sweeping coral vistas. The dense biomass and structural silhouettes offer spectacular wide-angle opportunities for underwater photographers who can manage the ambient light. It is an excellent uncrowded alternative for experienced divers exploring the west coast.

It is entirely unsuited for newly certified divers or anyone uncomfortable in dark overhead environments.

• Kota Kinabalu
• Layang Layang
• Sipadan
• Lankayan
• Miri

Send the team your preferred travel dates, the number of people in your party and your current certification levels. The team will come back to you with the boat schedules and confirm what can be arranged for a Labuan wreck leg.