Kudat has potential to become wreck diving gem/ Protect shipwrecks first before promoting/ report discovery of shipwrecks

OLIVIA MIWIL

olivia@nstp.com.my

KOTA KINABALU: Located 190km northeast of Sabah’s capital, Kudat boasts the potential to emerge as a gem for wreck diving following local claim that its seabed is home to many undiscovered shipwrecks of historical importance.

Authorities, villagers, diving fraternity, and historians have reasons to believe more wrecks could still be found near Kudat as the sea was the main passing route for vessels in the past.

However, several dedicated websites have indicated remnants of shipwreck site in Kudat were heavily looted by local fishermen and some of the ceramics have made their way to antique shops.

Knowing the risks of losing national treasure by over promoting the wrecks, researchers and diving community choose to keep low-profile about them until there full protection for the historical items is in place. 

Universiti Malaysia Sabah archaeologist and senior lecturer Baszley Bee Basrah Bee said there were at least 70 known wrecks, 35 of which are of historical value, in Sabah dated from the 10th to 20th century

He said Kudat used to serve as main maritime routes via South China Sea and Sulu Sea to Southeast Asia about 1,000 years ago.

“During Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), a Chinese outpost was built at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau in Kudat for China to monitor and collect tax from Chinese junks that passed through the route. 

“The station, however, was abandoned when Ming dynasty implemented a closed-door policy,” he said, adding there were several historical shipwrecks discovered in Kudat waters. 

The waters off Tanjung Simpang Mengayau alone has five Chinese junks from Song dynasty, two of which have been salvaged with permits. The shipwrecks are nicknamed Mengayau Wreck and Kudat Wreck or Dragon Jade Wreck. 

Over the years, fishermen had also discovered three wrecks - Skulls Wreck, Tiga Papan Wreck and Cannon Wreck - with 1,000 years of history within the area but none were salvaged as yet.

Other historical wrecks found in the district waters have been identified to belong to Britain, Spain, United States and Portugal, all of which were from prior to the 20th century. 

There was also a discovery record of seven wrecks belonging to the English East India Company off Balambangan and Banggi islands. They are identified as the Pheonix, Anstruther, General Baird ship, Thornhill, Fanny, Wilhem Ludwig and Mangsi.

Baszley, however, said no salvage works was being done on all the seven European tall ships, which believed sunk around the 18th and 19th century. 

“All ceramic, crew’s personal items, ship equipment, cooper nails and plate had been looted for years until now. 

“An artefact, for example Celadon dragon and wedding fish, is sold between RM5,000 and RM22,000,” he stressed. 

He said there were also wrecks of Second World War sunk by the Americans while the ships passed through Kudat waters to escape from the Philippines. 

“(However), there was no specific warship as there was no battle occurred off Kudat waters but more on Japanese oil tanker, cargo and miner destruction vessels (passing the sea route).

“Even if there were warships such as destroyer, they could be at the Balabac island off the Philippines, exclusive economic zone at Spratlys, or at other Asean countries,” Baszley noted. 

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Protect shipwrecks first before promoting, says diver

OLIVIA MIWIL

olivia@nstp.com.my

Pictures courtesy of Clement Lee

KOTA KINABALU: Over promoting ungazetted shipwrecks in Sabah waters will risk exposing valuable historical artefacts and their location to sea thieves.

When it comes to protecting underwater wrecks, Malaysia tourism ambassador for diving Clement Lee said it was best to keep a low-profile of the undiscovered treasures before the final profiling of shipwrecks. 

“Over promoting them at (early) stage will jeopardise the efforts to protect them. It rests on the responsibility of diving community, in particular, to preserve the treasure. 

“Although some (divers) have discovered them but many kept quiet because of the sunken treasure, whether they did it on purpose, I don’t know,” he told NSTP.

The Labuan-born diver with 35 years of diving experience said local fishermen used to offer him to join them in locating artefacts but he refused and even told them not to strip anything from the wreck. 

Lee, 66, recalled those fishermen were in bad shape possibly due to decompression sickness as they spent too long underwater searching for shipwrecks. 

“Shipwrecks are treasure to Sabah waters. It is very critical as anyone can just come and pluck it. Once the shipwrecks are remove, we have nothing left.

“Take example the salvage of Japanese shipwrecks at Kota Belud last year, the state loses a revenue of RM2 million annually. This is estimated (by taking into account that) there are about 150 to 200 Australians who come for the wreck diving every year,” he said.

Early last year, a local company Ugeens Berjaya Enterprise commissioned a Chinese vessel to carry out salvaging works on three Japanese World War 2 shipwrecks- Higane Maru, Hiyori Maru and Kokusei Maru- at the popular wreck dive sites in Usukan off Kota Belud.

The salvage work purportedly for a research project in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah angered the fishing and diving community. Following the salvaging work, the shipwrecks, teemed with marine life were destroyed and gone missing.

In Kudat, Lee believed there could be between 10 and 20 shipwrecks spread in the vast areas and awaiting to be discovered.

“Kudat has huge potentials to be developed with a proper planning as it has hectares of (gazetted) Tun Mustapha Park, two horns of the bay (Simpang Mengayau and Pitas) as well as Kota Marudu. 

“The diving industry has a lot of different dimensions which include coral reef, nudibranch, big fishes and wrecks. Annually, about 75,000 divers come here generating about RM450 million a year on diving package. 

“I have a lot of wholesalers particularly from United Kingdom, Australia, and United States. They are happy to dive at World War 2 shipwrecks,” he said.

Lee added Labuan is also a good destination for good wreck dive with four shipwrecks namely Clement Wreck, Blue Water Wreck, Australian Wreck, and American Wreck ready to be explored.

“Every time when I dive a shipwreck, I am physically relating myself at that point of time to the history. Take a warship for example, I would imagine minutes before they sank that there were people screaming.

“People may think shipwrecks are just bundle of irons and steels, but it is more than that. Any shipwrecks in Sabah should be protected. They are time capsules because of the history and everything that is stored in that place.” 

Ends.

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Report discovery of shipwrecks

KOTA KINABALU: The state Marine Department has recorded 30 shipwrecks spread across Sabah waters.

Seven shipwrecks each lie on the seabed off Kudat and Sandakan, five off Tawau, four off Kota Kinabalu, one each off Lahad Datu and Semporna, and one each in waters off Sipitang, Beaufort, Menumbok, and Kuala Penyu. 

Its state director Norjipin Saidi said the department’s record on shipwrecks were reported by public including divers.

“Under 211(b) Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960, anyone has to report to the authority upon discovery of shipwrecks,” he said when contacted, adding they can be fined RM2,000 if failing to do so. 

Norjipin added they have been working with Museum Department, Fisheries Department and Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), among others, in shipwrecks management. 

“Museum will usually take charge of shipwrecks of above 50 years for the historical value.

“As for Fisheries, it will make use of the structures for artificial reef (to attract fishes) which in previous year, it has collaborated with MMEA in sinking KM Kuraman vessel off Tunku Abdul Rahman Park,” he added.

After the controversial salvage work of World War 2 Japanese shipwrecks in Usukan last year, Norjipin said the department did not receive work application from anyone on removal work. 

“Under the same Ordinance, the department could take possession of unclaimed shipwrecks and dispose them if there is no response from owners after 30-day notice being issued,” he said.

On the issuance of permits to dive operators or divers to go to shipwreck sites, Norjipin said it is beyond the department’s jurisdiction, adding the main role of the department is to ensure the safety of navigation of all vessels at sea.