Dive operators hoping to promote Kudat as wreck diving spot

 By Olivia Miwil - March 27, 2022 @ 11:09am

A group of divers found part of a vessel at a depth of 30 metres off Kudat waters. - Pic courtesy of Charles Mawan

KUDAT: Kudat can become a shipwreck diving destination should there be adequate details about underwater structures made known to dive operators and stakeholders.

Kudat, which is a three-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu, used to serve as the main maritime route for the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea to Southeast Asia about 1,000 years ago.

In 2018, a Universiti Malaysia Sabah archeologist had said that there were at least 70 known wrecks, 35 of which were of historical value in Sabah dated from the 10th to 20th century.

One of the founders of Blue Fin Surf and Dive, Camuel Tsen said they often heard about underwater wrecks whether from the locals or news publications.

"There are a lot of stories of wrecks in Kudat but they are only stories. They have not been explored properly and no photo or video evidence until now.

"Wreck diving requires proper planning such as knowing the weather, the types of air to be used for certain depth and bottom time.

"Finding wrecks will greatly boost the diving potential of Kudat and turn it into a prominent diving destination for Sabah," he said in a statement.

Last week, Tsen with divers from Blue Fin and another operator, Tommy's Place, found parts of a crane vessel off the Batuan Mandi island near Tindakon Dazang Beach.

The team took a 30-minute boat ride from the Tip of Borneo to reach the site.

With standard air tanks, they could only explore the wreckage for about 10 minutes at a depth of 30 metres.

Describing the condition of the wreckage, which is about 25-metre long, it was covered by nets and there were huge fishes within the structure.

"We learned about the wreck from locals who saw another part at a 10-metre depth while fishing, they said the structure sank about 20 years ago.

"With the help of the sonar system from our boat, we managed to locate the wreckage," he said, adding that he believed other parts would be nearby.

Tsen, who is also a diving instructor, added that between March and early June would be the best time for underwater exploration due to better weather, calmer sea and good water visibility.

To get comprehensive data on a wreck, the dive team estimates it would require about 14 days.