BORNEO DIVING

KOTA KINABALU

We are now able to offer a good range of diving opportunities from Kota Kinabalu.

Dive programmes ranging from one boat dive to three boat dives per day, as well as wreck dives and night dives, and also non-dive programmes such as snorkelling and kayaking are possible.

We are gradually adding the details to this page. In the interim, please contact us for details.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP for short) lies just off the coast from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, but it is still overshadowed by the more established diving locations in the region.

There are few places in the world able to combine the modern facilities of a bustling city with a stunning tropical marine paradise rich with history and marine life just 8 minutes away with speedboat.

TARP covers 50 square kilometres and was gazetted as a national park in 1974 with Sabah Parks, a government body appointed to protect the state's fauna, flora and marine ecosystems.

Gaya Island is the largest and also the most interesting of the five islands in TARP. The 15 square kilometre island is mostly uninhabited other than a stilt house village located on the Eastern shore. On the Northern side of the island are a couple of 5 star resorts - Gayana Eco Resort and Bunga Raya Resort - and set in a secluded bay is the Dive Downbelow beach house Dive Centre.

Gaya is a wildlife enthusiast's melting pot of species, some of which are endemic to the island. Proboscis and macaque monkeys, snakes and lizards, hornbills, tropical birds and insects thrive on the island.

The Diving

A combination of climate and geology delivers remarkably complex biodiversity throughout Borneo, and this is clearly visible above and below the ocean.

The waters of TARP have abundant and fascinating marine life as well as stunning soft corals. Dive sites within the park are predominantly sloping coral reefs to around 30 metres, mangrove areas and sand flats with plenty of fish life and macro subjects for all levels of divers and photographers.

There are more than 50 dive sites close to Downbelow's dive centre, including the inner and outer reefs of TARP, as well as nearby islands such as Pulau Tiga, and offshore dive sites offering World War II wrecks. The great variety of multi-level diving provides something for everyone.

The Inner Reefs

Sheltered from the prevailing North-East or South-West winds, the inner reefs offer year round diving and are a haven for macro critters. Nudibranchs are common with many rare and varied species regularly encountered.

Seahorses, ghostpipefish, frogfish, stargazers, mandarin fish, moray eels, lionfish, and many crustacean species are among the usual suspects, and divers can frequently interact with cephalopods as they slowly fin along the reef. Visibility ranges from 8 to 20 metres.

The Outer Reefs

They are a kaleidoscope of colour and texture - large gorgonian fans, table corals, barrel sponges and staghorn corals are abundant. With slightly better visibility due to their location, these outer sites tend to attract pelagic species such as giant trevally and large schools of batfish, with occasional visits from eagle rays and blacktip reef sharks. All this only 8 minutes from the island dive centre.

Turtles are often encountered on inner and outer reefs year round and when schooling krill mass through March and April, whalesharks can occasionally be seen feeding around the islands.

PADI Courses

Learn to Dive in Sabah, with Downbelow’s PADI dive courses to suit every need.

Learn to dive or continue your SCUBA diving training with PADI dive courses in Kota Kinabalu, taught at the Downbelow PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre. They provide professional, well-structured and enjoyable programmes to all who want to learn to dive.

Dive Downbelow offers PADI courses for the absolute beginner through to the professional diver. High staff to student ratios ensure students learn to dive at their own pace in the knowledge that they are in the best of hands.

Save time in the classroom and complete your theory prior to your trip to Borneo. You can complete almost all of our PADI dive course theory via the PADI eLearning portal. With Downbelow's PADI eLearning you can register online NOW and begin your SCUBA diving adventures immediately, leaving the fun part for your holiday.

All PADI SCUBA diving programs and courses require you to be medically Fit To Dive. Please contact us for details and more learn to dive information.

At Downbelow, safety is paramount. They adhere to PADI standards and procedures and follow British HSE guidelines. The staff team are of international standard, and offer courses in various languages including English, Malay, Chinese and French.