Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park Kota Kinabalu Sabah

PRACTICALITIES

Description :

Named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP) consists of 5 idyllic islands, just a stone throw from Kota Kinabalu. With the jetty being 15 minutes from the airport, and islands just 20 minutes away by boat, diving cannot get any more convenient and accessible. The marine park is the oldest of Sabah’s parks and is home to beautiful coral gardens with an array of schooling tropical fishes.

Water conditions around TARP are normally calm, sometimes too calm. Imagine diving in a swimming pool filled with gentle sloping hard and soft corals and being surrounded by marine life. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.

Diving here is usually day trips with lodging in the city itself which gives you access to a range of accommodation, entertainment, and land tours. When you consider Kota Kinabalu’s accessibility and array of activities, your only problem will be how to add extra days to your holiday!

Where is it :: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Number of dive sites :: 42 (5 main cluster islands: Gaya, Sapi, Mamutik, Manukan, Sulug)

Type of Diving :: Guided – boat, deep, wreck, night

Skill Level :: Beginner to advanced

Main Diving Attraction :: Schooling tropical fishes (barracudas, snappers), hard coral reefs, whale sharks (Nov-May), turtles, orangutan crabs, lion fish, flatheads, crocodile fish, sharks and rays.

Average Water Temperature :: 29°C (84.2°F) to 31°C (87.8°F)

Seasonality :: All year round

Typical Visibility :: 10m (32ft) to 15m (49ft)

General Current Conditions :: Low

Family / Non-Diver Friendly :: Yes

Availability of Other Leisure Activities :: Snorkelling, Island Hopping, Sea Kayak, Jungle Trekking, Zip Lining, Parasailing, Jet Ski, Banana Boat Rides, Sunset Cruises.

Availability of ATM / Foreign Exchange Bureau :: Yes (located on mainland)

Availability of Medical Facility :: Yes (located on mainland)

DIVE SITES

Here are some of our favorite dive sites 🙂

Sapi House Reef : • Maximum depth: 20m • Currents: Low: Check dives and training dives are usually conducted here. Dive down the sandy slope is around 12m and explore the artificial reef balls and tyres where you will find cleaner shrimps, boxer shrimps, pipefish and even the occasional scorpion fish. The dive continues to the outskirts of the reef, which you will find a host of reef fishes including blennies, fusiliers, and barracudas. And if you look closely along the sandy patches, you may spot flounders and blue spotted stingrays.

Clement Reef : • Maximum depth: 23m • Currents: Low to mild: Dive down along the reef across a carpet of hard and soft corals with a variety of reef fish including fusilliers, parrotfish, anemone fish, jacks, tunas, crocodile fish, and the occassional cuttlefish.

Police Reef : • Maximum depth: 30m • Currents: Low to mild: As you descend down the slope, you will see whip corals and sea fans. Look closely and you may find the tiny zanzibar whip coral shrimp, frogfish and scorpionfishes chilling by the rocks appearing to be motionless. Look around and you may spot turtles, schooling barracudas, fusiliers and even tunas.

Coral Garden : • Maximum depth: 18m • Currents: Low to mild: Dive into a reef full of staghorn corals and sponges. Take a peek inside the sponges and you may find the occasional lionfish or porcupine fish taking shelter. Common sightings include sea turtles, frogfish, ghost pipefish, stonefish, and loads of little nemos!

Edgel Patches : • Maximum depth: 30m • Currents: Mild to moderate: Diving here tends to be deeper with a good mix of corals and reef fish to keep every diver happy. The dive site features two submerged reefs and there may be the occasional current. The reefs are teeming with marine life, and you will typically see large schools of juvenile barracudas, fusiliers, and an array of interesting macro life such as nudibranchs, shrimps, frogfish, crabs, blue-ringed octopus. With some luck, there’s also the possibility of spotting blacktip reef sharks and the majestic hawksbill turtle.

GETTING THERE

Nearest Jetty :: Jesselton Point Jetty
* Approximately 20mins boat ride to the marine park

Address :: 88200, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
* The main public jetty is well within walking distance around Gaya Street or Suria KK Shopping Mall.

Nearest Airport :: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (IATA: BKI)

Estimated Travel Time from Kota Kinabalu Airport :: 15 mins (by car), with average one way taxi fares of ~RM20

DIVE CENTERS

Price reference based on diving day trip packages

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Sea Tango

Packages from RM295

Top notch dive services with arguably the best dive fleets in Kota Kinabalu, well-equipped catamarans with facilities to make you comfortable during your trip. Everything is more fun when you are out with a jolly bunch of people!

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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Dive Borneo Bah

Packages from RM350

A new dive center, led by industry titans. Dive with Dive Borneo Bah to feel the difference, a team that prides themselves on bringing you closer to nature and making you a better diver.

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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Borneo Dream Travel & Tours

Packages from RM318

A 5 Star PADI Center, and one of the premier dive centers in Kota Kinabalu with a focus on 3 qualities: Safety, Quality, and Enjoyment. Backed by their “dream team”, all courses and trips are under the supervision of qualified dive professionals.

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WEATHER

If you are looking to travel to Kota Kinabalu, you are inevitably looking for a weather forecast. So here’s a forecast for the next 7 days. Although weather forecasts are not always accurate with ever-changing weather patterns, it does provide a good guess on what’s to come. Every little bit helps! 😀