Mabul, Malaysia

Spend time with the fish

Mabul is surrounded by marine life and has some of the best diving I have ever done. This is where I chose to do my PADI Advanced Open Water course. When I wasn't diving I spent the days snorkeling around the Island and practicing my free diving skills. Here I discovered that snorkeling and free diving can be just as good as scuba diving allowing you to go longer and see everything for basically no cost. Most divers flock here to take a day trip to Sipadan which consists of world class diving and the best diving I have ever done. 

Under the Sea!

(Underwater Photography course)

(unfortunately there is a lot of trash near the shore due to the Filipino villagers)

(Blue Spotted Ray)

(can you see the cute little face?)

(Sea Snake)

(This was one of the strangest things I saw, it was flying around and its feet look like those head massagers that you find at the mall)

Fish Mugshots

These fish got feisty when I approached their patch of soft coral and swam vigorously at my giving me the perfect angry portrait. Just as they reached my camera which I used in my defense they turned away giving me an awesome profile picture.

Above the Sea!

The Jetty at Scuba Junky

Tips and things to know

Scuba Junkie seems like the most professional and well rated dive shop on the island. They also have about the only real nightlife and wifi on the island. There are however cheaper places to stay than Scuba Junkie such as SDC which you can pay 50MR compared to about 150 at Scuba Junkie. To save on alcohol try looking for Tanduay, the illegally imported rum from the Philippines. You can by a tuna steak for less than a dollar in some of the local villages. The island is pretty small and can be circled in about 25 minutes by foot. While there have been kidnappings here I would say the amazing diving is worth the risk but check the warnings and go at your own risk. It seems like they target tourists at the richer resorts so maybe this would be a good excuse to stay cheap. An attempted kidnapping occurred the day I left the Island resulting in a police officer being shot and killed as well as one being kidnapped.

(I was told a businessman wanted to open a diving resort on Mabul and he wasn't allowed to do it so he shipped an oil rig and dropped in off in front of the Island.)

(view from my hotel room at SDC)

(much of the island consists of houses built on stilts and extremely rickety wooden docks)

(Lots of stray cats)

Auntie Baby works at SDC and does most of the cooking. Almost all of the islands locals are Filipino either as legal or illegal immigrants.

(Auntie Baby making me Filipino eggplant omellete, my favorite Filipino breakfast)

Giant Lizards running around the neighborhood

(Caesar! my Italian friend)

The fisherman walked up from the beach with 7 giant crabs

(only about 8USD for a crab dinner for four of us!)

(Auntie Baby taught me how to kill and dismantle the crabs)

(I have never had crab this good!)

Unleash the baby turtles

All of the staff at SDC invited to one of the most grand and delicious dinners I have had on my trip

The End