Maratua

Divers often want to know how Maratua compares with Sipadan. Sipadan is famous for a reason. You see resident green turtles (Chelonia mydas) on almost every dive. Access from Tawau is straightforward. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. Your dive package determines how many days you spend diving at Sipadan. Sipadan also closes every November.

Maratua wins heavily on freedom. There are no daily diver caps and no limits on how many dives you do. You get access to the Big Fish Country channel. The channel offers a different experience from Sipadan's wall drifts. You also get a basecamp to access the wider Derawan Archipelago. Maratua loses on convenience. Reaching the atoll demands a toll in travel time and forced layovers. The atoll functions as the outermost barrier of the archipelago. It creates the high-velocity drift environments necessary to sustain large pelagic aggregations.

The atoll features distinct zones. The upwelling of cold water along the outer walls supports a dense food chain.

Big Fish Country Skill level: Severe / Advanced (Reef hook required) | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: Not specified | Current: Severe | Visibility: 10–30m across the atoll This is the signature dive at the mouth of the atoll. The tide empties the internal lagoon into the open sea. You execute a negative entry to reach the rocky substrate at approximately 25 to 30 metres depth. You must use a reef hook to secure yourself against severe down-currents. From this anchored position you often watch schooling chevron barracuda and bigeye trevally suspended in the current. Resident grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) patrol the area. Qualified reports note occasional sightings of thresher sharks and hammerheads cruising the deeper ledges. Be sure to follow your guide closely during the descent.

Gorgonzola Skill level: Moderate / Intermediate | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 30m | Current: Moderate | Visibility: 10–30m across the atoll A dramatic wall dropping onto a sandy plateau at 30 metres on the outer flank. The wall is heavily populated by massive Gorgonian sea fans along with healthy hard and soft corals. You often see resident schools of bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) cruising the reef.

Seafan City Skill level: Strong / Advanced | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: Not specified | Current: Strong | Visibility: 10–30m across the atoll A vertical wall hidden within strong currents. The biodiversity is highly concentrated. The site provides habitats for macro species such as pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti) along with stonefish and sea cobras.

Maratua Reef Skill level: Mild / All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 25m | Current: Mild | Visibility: 10–30m across the atoll A relaxed coral slope ranging from 10 to 25 metres on the outer reef. You glide over bright soft coral gardens. Reef sharks and fusiliers are frequently sighted.

Eel Garden Skill level: Mild / Beginner-Intermediate | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: Not specified | Current: Mild | Visibility: 10–30m across the atoll A sloping sandy reef located on the western shallows. Resident colonies of garden eels fill the sandy slope. Foraging green turtles use this area heavily.

The outer walls deliver big pelagic action. The lagoon shallows offer reprieve from the heavy currents. The expansive four-kilometre house reefs managed by the southern resorts are highly productive after dark. Night divers have reported blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena spp.) alongside bobtail squid and decorator crabs.

Satellite islands sit approximately an hour away by speedboat. Sangalaki operates as a year-round feeding ground for reef manta rays. The shallow sandy flats dropping from 3 to 40 metres host active surface feeding. With luck, you can see reef mantas feeding in the shallows at sites like Manta Avenue. Kakaban features a 400-hectare landlocked marine lake containing recovering populations of golden jellyfish.A strict swimming ban remains firmly in place through the 2026 season. You view the jellyfish from elevated lakeside boardwalks. No fins or water entry are permitted near the lake ecosystem.

Diving operates all year. Water temperatures consistently hold between 28 °C and 30 °C. The clearest water occurs during the dry season from March to October. The peak months for large pelagic sightings run from September through November.

Reaching Maratua from Tawau in Sabah takes several stages by sea and air. Allow 36 to 48 hours for the journey from the Sabah dive islands with overnight stops in Tawau and Tarakan.

The primary cross-border artery is the international ferry route operating out of the Tawau Ferry Terminal to Pelabuhan Malundung in Tarakan. Services are currently operated by Indomaya Tiga Express and Kaltara Express. The crossing takes approximately three and a half to 4 hours. Ferries operate daily except Sundays. Departures from Tawau are scheduled in the morning. You must arrive early to clear Malaysian exit immigration and purchase tickets at the terminal in cash. You clear entry immigration upon arrival at the Tarakan port.

Because morning ferries depart early you cannot reach the port from Semporna on the same day. Plan an overnight stay in Tawau City at a transit hotel near the port. You can also cross via Nunukan. This port serves as a primary transit hub. You clear Indonesian immigration upon arrival at Pelabuhan Tunon Taka. You then transfer to a domestic speedboat for the onward journey to Tarakan.

Domestic flights south depart earlier in the day. You must overnight in Tarakan before proceeding.

You take a commercial domestic flight from Tarakan to Kalimarau Airport in Berau via carriers like Lion Air or Batik Air. The flight takes approximately one hour. You then take ground transport to a jetty in Tanjung Redeb. A speedboat journeys down the Berau River across the Celebes Sea directly to Maratua. This final sea leg takes two and a half to three and a half hours. High-end resorts often arrange private transfers directly from Tarakan or Berau. Alternatively you take a two-hour taxi ride from the Berau airport to the coastal port of Tanjung Batu followed by a 30-minute speedboat ride to Derawan before securing an onward charter.

Maratua possesses a local airstrip. Susi Air operates a pioneer flight using a Cessna Grand Caravan from Tarakan directly to Maratua. Its operating days are confirmed at enquiry. Scheduled services are extremely fragile. Direct flights carry a high change-risk and should not be relied upon for tight itineraries. The sea transfer from Berau remains the primary route.

For this cross-border trip you need to complete Indonesia's digital entry forms. You must complete a unified digital portal known as the All Indonesia Arrival Card prior to arrival. Eligible international tourists can enter Indonesia using the Electronic Visa on Arrival. Visa extensions must be processed in person at an immigration office. Exact entry and visa requirements are confirmed at enquiry because they vary by nationality and crossing point. You can process your short-visit visa via the Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi online portal.

You must carry physical Indonesian Rupiah. Port taxes and local payments operate strictly on a cash basis. Telecommunications facilities relies heavily on Telkomsel. This is the only reliable mobile network provider covering the main villages.

Be sure to review all travel information before booking a cross-border expedition.

You can choose between dedicated dive resorts and stays centred on overwater accommodation. Foreign-managed dive operations suits international dive markets demanding high-end diving logistics. Domestically targeted luxury resorts put first overwater architecture and culinary experiences.

Three properties operate on small private islets at the southern tip near Bakungan under the Nabuccos umbrella. These properties share high ecological standards and provide dedicated Nitrox facilities alongside organised dive logistics. Nabucco Island Resort features traditional bungalows utilizing solar water heating. Nunukan Island Resort has a four-kilometre outer house reef accessible directly from its jetty. Guests report seeing multiple shark species without boarding a boat. Virgin Cocoa focuses on a hybrid demographic of divers and wellness tourists with eco-bungalows and water taxis for close drops.

Maratua Paradise Resort is a long-standing purpose-built property featuring beach chalets and water villas built on stilts above the sea. The daily programme runs 3 boat dives plus a night dive supported by local divemasters holding decades of institutional knowledge regarding shifting currents. Nitrox is available.

Sienna Resort features carefully designed villas built entirely over a lagoon. A boat takes you to the beach for a swim. Arasatu Villas offers overwater suites appealing heavily to the domestic luxury market. Internet connectivity relies on a satellite system and is frequently intermittent.

For the mid-range core diver Maratua Dive Center and Lodge offers simple rooms with private terraces. WiFi is practically non-existent and the lodge operates strictly on a cash-only basis. You must rent a motorbike to explore the island. Pratasaba Resort provides functional rooms conveniently located near local villages.

This destination suits experienced drift divers seeking unrestricted freedom and raw pelagic action. It rewards divers with the budget and patience for a demanding journey. It fits divers who want to explore satellite manta ray feeding grounds.

Divers seeking easy transitions should stay in the Semporna islands.

Combining Sipadan's walls and resident turtles with Maratua's channel diving gives you a varied Sabah and Kalimantan dive itinerary. Due to the journey this cannot be executed as a short trip. You need a minimum 14-day window to secure Sipadan permits and absorb the transit time.

Mapping the timeline exposes a practical dead zone between diving in Sabah and diving in Kalimantan. You must allow a 24-hour no-fly interval after your last dive and account for speedboats ceasing operations at dusk. The transition inevitably dictates a minimum of 36 to 48 hours of travel and the loss of 2 nights in transit. Trying to fit both regions into 6 nights leaves you with only 2 days of diving at each location.

The itinerary begins with a five-day phase in Semporna. You dive around Mabul and Sipadan. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. Operators allocate these based on length of stay. Following your diving you transfer back to Tawau for an overnight stay near the ferry terminal.

The middle phase absorbs the crossing. You catch the morning ferry to Tarakan to clear immigration and overnight in the Indonesian port city. The following morning you fly to Berau and execute the land-and-sea transfer to the Derawan Archipelago.

The final phase consists of 5 to 6 days of diving across the atoll. You dive the manta feeding grounds of Sangalaki alongside the perimeter walls of Kakaban and the channel at Maratua before departing via Berau to international hubs. The team steers you to the right operator combination to handle the border logistics.

• Derawan
• Sangalaki
• Kakaban
• Sipadan
• Sabah and Kalimantan

Send your dates, the names of everyone coming and your certification levels. The team comes back with what can be arranged.