Labuan is an island in the South China Sea, just off the coast of Sabah, East Malaysia. Due to its strategic location, it has been a port and a naval base for local and international powers since the 19th Century.
Due to this history, divers come from around the world to explore the many excellent ship wrecks and rich marine history that rest in Labuan's shallow waters. Four of these wrecks are particularly outstanding.
Of these, two were sunk during WWII and two were commercial vessels that sank in the 1980s. The 'American Wreck' and the 'Australian Wreck' were both sunk by the Japanese towards the end of the war. They are both in decent condition and lie at a safe dive depth of 33m. The third is the 'Cement Wreck' and is the latest mishap of these waters, having just happened 20 years ago. It is also the shallowest and therefore the easiest to dive, especially for less experienced divers.
The most popular is the 'Blue Water Wreck' which lies north-east of Labuan. It gets its name from the clear blue waters it lies in. Of all the wrecks, this one has the best visibility. The wreck is the 'MABINI PADRE', a large Philippine fishing trawler which caught fire and sank in 1981. It is an interesting site for divers as it is completely intact. It also supports a wealth of marine life like soft corals, groupers and Batfish.
There are also a few other interesting ship wrecks in the area. Be advised that some of these wrecks are only suitable for experienced divers. The local dive shop will be able to advise individual divers.
Due to this history, divers come from around the world to explore the many excellent ship wrecks and rich marine history that rest in Labuan's shallow waters. Four of these wrecks are particularly outstanding.
Of these, two were sunk during WWII and two were commercial vessels that sank in the 1980s. The 'American Wreck' and the 'Australian Wreck' were both sunk by the Japanese towards the end of the war. They are both in decent condition and lie at a safe dive depth of 33m. The third is the 'Cement Wreck' and is the latest mishap of these waters, having just happened 20 years ago. It is also the shallowest and therefore the easiest to dive, especially for less experienced divers.
The most popular is the 'Blue Water Wreck' which lies north-east of Labuan. It gets its name from the clear blue waters it lies in. Of all the wrecks, this one has the best visibility. The wreck is the 'MABINI PADRE', a large Philippine fishing trawler which caught fire and sank in 1981. It is an interesting site for divers as it is completely intact. It also supports a wealth of marine life like soft corals, groupers and Batfish.
There are also a few other interesting ship wrecks in the area. Be advised that some of these wrecks are only suitable for experienced divers. The local dive shop will be able to advise individual divers.
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