The Mataking underwater post office

Skill level: Intermediate to Advanced (AOW) | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 30 m | Current: Mild to moderate | Visibility: 15 to 20 m

The main wreck rests at the 30-metre mark on the sand. The upper structures reach up to roughly 9 metres below the surface. This vertical range gives you plenty of time to explore the wheelhouse before dropping to inspect the lower hull.

In March 2006 the resort management deliberately scuttled Mataking 1, a 40-foot wooden cargo ship on the sand. This vessel had transported building materials to the island during the construction phase. They sank it directly onto the house reef to serve as an artificial habitat. They mounted a specialised mailbox securely to the front of the wooden wheelhouse. Over the past two decades the wreck has transformed successfully into a thriving artificial reef. Sponges and hard corals completely encrust the hull. The decaying wooden ruins draw large groupers and resident sea turtles. The turtles frequently use the structure to rest.

Posting a card underwater requires a few simple steps. You purchase specially designed postcards at the island gift shop. You seal your chosen card within a proprietary waterproof plastic vacuum bag. You carry this package on your dive and physically deposit it into the submerged box. The dive masters descend to clear the mailbox twice a week. They stamp the mail with a unique rubber insignia to commemorate the underwater dispatch. They then route it into the global postal system.

The site sits a very short boat ride from the resort beaches on the southern side of the island. You enter the water with a backward roll and descend straight to the superstructure. The main wreck sits at 30 metres on the seabed. You spend your bottom time swimming around the perimeter. The wooden hull is degrading naturally. Wreck penetration is prohibited due to the risk of collapsing timber. You can easily look into the darkened holds from the outside. The currents are generally mild. This calm water allows you to circle the vessel multiple times. Your dive time depends on your air consumption at depth.

The wreck supports a massive aggregation of marine life across different depth zones. The constant nutrient flow around the structure feeds dense populations of sponges. Resident giant groupers and sweetlips take shelter inside the deep holds. Look for moray eels poking their heads from the crevices in the timber. Look closely for giant black frogfish (Antennarius spp.) camouflaged against the leathery sponges on the lower hull. Look for fire dartfish and small damselfish flitting around the shallower wheelhouse. You can spot lionfish hovering motionless near the old deck railings. Resident green turtles (Chelonia mydas) frequently rest on the wooden ruins during the day.

You must decide your photography strategy before you enter the water. The site demands completely different lenses depending on your target. Wide-angle lenses are essential to capture the scale of the wreck or to shoot a diver posting a card into the mailbox. The ambient light penetrates well enough to illuminate the upper structures at 9 metres on a clear day. You will need a macro setup to photograph the giant frogfish on the deeper sections. Powerful focus lights and strong strobes are necessary to bring out the bright sponge colours at 30 metres. Be sure to perfect your buoyancy to avoid stirring up sand from the seabed.

The main wreck rests at the 30-metre mark. This depth places the site firmly in Advanced Open Water territory. The gentle currents make it a very relaxed dive for anyone comfortable at 30 metres. You must maintain strict buoyancy control to avoid kicking the decaying timber. Staying off the wreck also prevents you from disturbing the resident frogfish. The site serves as an excellent introduction to artificial reefs for experienced divers. Complete beginners can explore the shallower house reef nearby. Uncertified divers frequently enjoy the family and non-divers programmes on the island.

You can dive Mataking all year. The very best visibility runs from March to October. The water temperature sits between 26 and 30 °C year-round. Mid-February to mid-November offers good diving. The visibility often softens at the ends of this period. Mid-November to mid-February brings a mix of cloud, rain and sun. The post office site works best on a morning or early afternoon dive when the sun sits high enough to light the whole wreck.

You reach this site by booking a dive package or honeymoon islands trip at Mataking Island Resort. The property features 63 rooms across 6 categories. It sits roughly 40 to 60 minutes by speedboat from Semporna across the Celebes Sea. The dive centre keeps guided groups small. The team schedules trips to the wreck as part of the daily boat rotation.

Guests often combine local dives with trips to Sipadan. You should know the crossing to Sipadan takes about 80 minutes by boat across the deep Alice Channel. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. The resort holds an allocation of just 6 permits daily. The team recommends booking a five-day four-night stay to secure a place in the permit rotation queue. You also need an Advanced Open Water certification to dive Sipadan.

Guests often take guided night beach walks to observe luminescent corals in the shallows.

Other named sites around the island offer equally rich diving. The House Reef provides excellent macro life near the jetty. North Point drops into a sheer vertical wall beside the deep Alice Channel. You can explore Coral Garden and Sweetlips Rock on the southern slopes. Garden of Eden and Turtle Playground feature lush soft corals and high densities of sea turtles. Magic Rock draws pelagic fish to an offshore pinnacle. Macro photographers enjoy Lobster Lair, Nudibranch Heaven, D'Wall and Hump Head Point. Read more about these sites on the Mataking destination page.

• Mataking Island
• Pom Pom
• Timba Timba
• Sibuan and Mantabuan
• Mataking Island Resort

Send the team your preferred travel dates. Please include the names of everyone coming and their current certification levels. The team will come back to you with the exact dive packages and room types that can be arranged.