Malaysia is blessed with some of the richest waters in the world, providing home to countless marine species, some of which are getting endangered and can’t be found in other seas. With such a diverse marine ecosystem, there’s no wonder why Malaysia is a top destination for many divers and is visited by both scuba diving enthusiasts and underwater photographers from all over the world. There are many dive sites in this country, and that includes the world-famous island of Borneo. For many diving enthusiasts and underwater photographers, to dive Borneo is to dive into a paradise of beautiful and truly captivating underwater life.

Many of those who have experienced Borneo diving say that nothing really beats diving into the beautiful waters of the island. Borneo’s tiny little islands of Sipadan, Layang Layang, Lankayan, Mataking, Mabul, and Kapalai all boasts of scuba diving sites that offer spectacular sightings of some of the world’s hard-to-find marine species, such as ghost pipefish and mandarin fish. There are also sites where divers can spot and get captivated with the swirling tornadoes of barracudas and hammerheads and get a close encounter with whale sharks.

Borneo, particularly the island of Sipadan, is also home to a large population of sea turtles of different species, which include olive ridley, leatherback, and hawksbill turtles. Meanwhile, the islands of Mabul and Kapalai are famous macro dive sites where some of the world’s rare little critters, abound. These islands are popular destinations for macro divers and underwater photographers wishing to capture rare sea organisms in action, including multicolored cuttle fish, outsize frog fish, Pegasus fish, snake eels, and coral crabs.

Dive seasons in Borneo runs all year round. The island has relatively stable and gentle waters, not just perfect for scuba diving but also for snorkeling, swimming, and other water activities. Divers, however, may not be able to see all types of underwater species all throughout the year. If they want to see a huge swarm of whale sharks, the months of April to May are the best months to dive. March to May, on the other hand, are the best months when divers can witness hammerhead sharks performing mating rituals.

Another amazing part of diving in Borneo is that its waters are perfect for first-time and novice divers. Anyone who wishes to learn how to dive and get their first glimpse of the world underwater can very well try out some of Borneo’s famous dive sites. Moreover, there are many diving centers in Borneo that offer PADI-certified course programs designed to teach students basic and advanced diving skills. Certified divers are ready to assist and guide them from the moment they do practice diving into a swimming pool up to the time when they’re ready to dive to up to 30-meter or even 60-meter deep open water.

With hundreds of beautiful reefs and diverse marine life, no other dive sites can be really as exciting as it is to dive Borneo. Divers can start to witness a swarm of sea life at the depth of five meters and can go deeper into the waters of up to 60 meters to explore more. Sea life varies from one island to another; each can offer heart-stopping and captivating underwater scenes.