Tun Sakaran Marine Park

The park was gazetted in 2004 and covers about 350 square kilometres managed by Sabah Parks. It offers a totally different experience from the sheer walls of Sipadan. You come here for the calm conditions and the sheer variety of marine life hidden in the shallows. The area has a complex geology made up of volcanic rock and raised limestone platforms. This creates a mosaic of mesh reefs and sandy depressions that protect juvenile fish and allow coral to thrive.

The park holds remarkable biodiversity records. It shelters over 544 coral reef fish species and 255 hard corals. The reefs here hold the global record for mushroom coral diversity with 44 distinct species identified. This includes globally endangered species you rarely see elsewhere. The topography baffling the currents means fine sediments settle easily. The inner lagoons are sheltered spots for muck diving.

The reefs are recovering well from historic blast fishing. Active coral-frame restoration projects at Mantabuan and Bodgaya show excellent results. You can see juvenile reef fish sheltering among the new coral growth.

The marine park contains Bodgaya, Bohey Dulang, Sibuan, Mantabuan, Maiga, Sebangkat, Selakan and Tetagan.

Bodgaya is the largest island in the park at 796 hectares. It forms the western and northern arc of the caldera alongside Bohey Dulang. Both islands are rugged and forested and drop steeply into a deep central lagoon. Bohey Dulang housed a Japanese pearl farming operation in the 1960s and now serves as the base for the Tun Sakaran Marine Research Unit. It is also a historic bird sanctuary offering sightings of hornbills and black-naped fruit doves.

Sibuan and Mantabuan sit to the west and feature sweeping sandbanks and gentle reef slopes. These two are the primary anchor points for diving and snorkelling. Sibuan is a teardrop-shaped sand cay nicknamed "The Battleship" for its distinct silhouette of a central coconut palm grove flanked by tapering white sand spits. Mantabuan is the smallest island at just 10 hectares but is surrounded by an extensive mesh reef network.

Sebangkat and Selakan are raised limestone platforms located closer to the mainland. They have shallow reef flats heavily used for commercial seaweed farming. Biological surveys confirm these 2 islands hold the highest regional concentrations of the endangered EDGE coral species Heliofungia actiniformis. Maiga is a flat sandy island surrounded by an eight-kilometre fringing reef. Tetagan is a rocky outcrop reaching 80 m high. It was historically used as a burial ground by local sea nomads.

The 353 m viewpoint on Bohey Dulang gives you a panoramic view of the entire caldera. Getting to the top involves a steep trail over uneven volcanic rock. The hike covers about 600 m and takes roughly 45 minutes.

You must climb with a Sabah Parks ranger. Proper footwear is an absolute rule here. Rangers check shoes at the trailhead and refuse entry to anyone wearing sandals or flip-flops. You need closed-toe sneakers or hiking boots. The trail closes immediately during and after rain for safety. It gets busiest by 09:30 when the first boats arrive from town.

Children join the climb at the operator's or ranger's discretion. Minors unable to hike must wait at the jetty with a guide or a parent.

The park offers some of the best snorkelling in Sabah because the reefs are shallow and sheltered. You can step off a beach or drop from a boat directly over coral gardens.

Sibuan and Mantabuan are favourite spots. Sibuan has a long sand spit and shallow reef flats you can access straight from the beach. The water is calm and clear. Mantabuan offers excellent snorkelling over its mesh reefs. You can see blue-spotted stingrays and sea turtles gliding over the sand. The lagoon at Bohey Dulang is another frequent stop. It houses a giant clam hatchery where researchers breed rare Tridacna crocea and Tridacna gigas species for reef repopulation.

Be sure to pack a rash guard for sun protection. The popular sandbars at Sibuan offer no natural shade. The sand spit is also entirely tide-dependent and disappears at high water. Drone flights are not permitted over Sibuan. You must follow a strict pack-in pack-out rule because the island has no permanent facilities or toilets.

Diving here focuses on macro life and muck diving rather than large pelagics. The sites offer calm conditions perfect for photography.

Sibuan "The Battleship"

Skill level: All levels | Depth range: 5–25 m This teardrop-shaped sand cay is the muck-diving capital of the park. You can find painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus) and ornate ghost pipefish (Solenostomus spp.) hiding around submerged logs and artificial structures across sites like Froggy's and Left Shoulder. Mandarin Point offers reliable sightings of mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) at dusk. Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are highly common across the sandy slopes. Be sure to use a surface marker buoy when ascending because boat traffic is heavy near the sand spit.

Mantabuan

Skill level: All levels | Depth range: 4–35 m The Black Coral Garden drops deep and features rare black coral trees interspersed with giant sponges. Shallower areas like Stingray Alley hold blue-spotted ribbontail rays and cuttlefish. The site has moderate drift conditions and occasional open ocean swells. The deeper sites off the island frequently experience strong cross-currents.

Church Reef

Skill level: All levels | Reef flat: 1 m | Wall: 40 m This massive patch reef connects to the Sibuan underwater platform. The reef flat sits in just one metre of water while the edge drops vertically into a sheer 40 m wall. You can spot pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti) and tube sponges in the wall recesses. Snorkellers and divers can share the same boat easily here because the boat does not need to reposition.

Kapikan Reef

Skill level: All levels | Reef top: 1–5 m | Eastern walls drop beyond 130 m Located east of Mantabuan and known locally as Lonely Reef. It faces the open Celebes Sea and offers clear water. The vertical walls hold deep-water black corals. You can see sea turtles and crocodilefish (Cymbacephalus beauforti) across the expansive shallow top. Blue-spotted stingrays are commonly seen here. The exposed eastern flank subjects divers to unpredictable open-ocean currents.

Bodgaya Dead End Channel

Skill level: Intermediate | Max depth: 30 m This site sits on the sunken southern rim of the Bodgaya volcano. It forms a 1.5-kilometre trench opening to the seaward side. Sabah Parks runs a massive coral restoration project here. You can dive among 35 metal frames planted with branching Acropora corals. The site attracts high densities of juvenile reef fish including fusiliers and small-tooth whiptails.

The park is a multi-use area supporting local communities and marine conservation. The reefs show excellent recovery from historical damage. Teams plant coral fragments on metal frames to rebuild the habitat. The Semporna Islands Darwin Project leads local enforcement efforts. They use a high-tech acoustic monitoring system known as Decimus to detect any blast fishing within the park boundaries using underwater hydrophones.

Bajau Laut families live and work on the water here and you pass them going about their day. These sea-going families live in wooden houseboats or stilt villages built over the shallow reef flats. They farm commercial Eucheuma cottonii seaweed around Sebangkat and Selakan. The farming lines dominate the shallows and require careful boat navigation. The dense seaweed grids present severe entanglement risks for divers straying from their guides. Localised shading from the aquaculture also impacts the coral health below. The park balances this traditional presence with strict conservation zoning.

A day trip starts from town or your island resort. Boats generally depart between 08:30 and 09:00 and return by mid-afternoon. The journey from the mainland takes 15 to 45 minutes depending on sea states and the vessel engine capacity. A standard snorkelling and island-hopping itinerary bundles the Bohey Dulang hike with stops at Mantabuan and Sibuan.

The boats are twin-engine fibreglass vessels holding 10 to 15 passengers. You spend the day hopping between islands and eating a packed lunch. Lunch is eaten on the boat or in the shaded patches on the more popular beaches. Multiple boats arrive simultaneously at Sibuan during peak hours.

Sabah Parks enforces a strict ban on single-use plastics across all its jurisdictions. You must pack a reusable water bottle and eco-bags. Rangers check for compliance before you board your boat and enforce the rule rigorously. Equipment like prescription masks or specific snorkelling fins usually incur extra daily rental fees at the dive centre.

You can visit all year. The best visibility runs from March to October. The period from mid-February to mid-November offers good diving with softer visibility at the ends. From mid-November to mid-February you get a mix of cloud and rain and sun.

The park stays open in November when Sipadan closes. This makes it a fantastic option if you travel during that month. You can explore the shallow reefs and the Bohey Dulang hike without competing against the heavy influx of dive-centric tourism. It is a quiet period ideal for exploring the macro sites in peace.

This park is perfect for family and non-divers. The shallow reefs provide clear underwater views without the need for scuba gear. Mixed groups work well here because divers can explore the deeper walls while non-divers snorkel the reef tops from the same boat. Church Reef and Kapikan Reef offer the best setup for this mixed approach.

It also suits divers wanting a relaxed rest day away from the strong currents of Sipadan. The macro life provides excellent material for photographers. The region is highly popular for its glass-sea aesthetics. Keep in mind the actual experience involves navigating busy jetties and sharing the sandbars with other groups.

Families with toddlers need to consider the logistics. The 30 to 60-minute speedboat transfers can be uncomfortable during afternoon chop. Standard communal life jackets rarely fit infants correctly. Parents should bring properly sized flotation devices from home. If you want quiet beaches with natural shade you might prefer Pom Pom or Mataking instead.

• Mataking Island
• Pom Pom
• Timba Timba
• Mabul
• Semporna

Send your preferred dates and tell the team who is coming and your certification level if you plan to dive. See the travel information page for details on getting here. The team will come back with an itinerary showing what can be arranged for your group.