Here at Lankayan, against the stunning backdrop of pristine coral reefs, divers and snorkelers can spend time in the water, glimpsing into what life is like on a healthy, tropical reef. With leopard sharks; their rounded blunt faces and speckled bodies giving them a playful appearance, lazing on the reef and bizarre frog fish fishing for their meals using extraordinary little 'fishing rods', the clear, warm waters around this white sandy island are bursting with marine life. Those that are lucky enough to dive or snorkel there will be left with memories of a great underwater experience. With over 14 sites to dive around the island, from wrecks to sandy lagoons, Lankayan is an excellent place for anyone keen to dive or snorkel whilst in Borneo.

Lankayan lies in clear waters just fifteen km from Sandakan on the mainland and is the only place within the Malaysian Sulu Sea where you are able to dive and snorkel. Declared part of the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) in 2003, all commercial fishing activities are banned, which has allowed for populations of reef fish to flourish around the island.

Lankayan is an ideal setting for those wishing to stay on a verdant, forested island, whilst at the same time being able to explore a diverse range of underwater habitats. Lankayan appears to have something for everyone; with wreck dives, exceptional macro life and several notable species of mega-fauna, including manta rays and turtles and at times, even whale sharks.

On a typical dive at one of the sites around Lankayan, you can encounter huge schools of jacks and trevallys, swirling shoals of watchful barracuda, large and inquisitive hump head parrotfish, blacktip sharks and numerous other species of reef fish, whilst at the same time look out for rare rhinopia scorpion fish, beautifully-flamboyant nudibranchs, such as Chromodoris kunei and the appropriately-named orangutan crabs, with their long, waving 'hairy' orange legs. Others, such as ghost pipefish, prawn gobies and blue spotted stingrays can all be seen amongst the healthy corals of the reef. Diving on the wrecks of illegal fishing boats, scuppered by the marine park authorities allows you to experience large numbers of batfish and lionfish, with the wreck in the background, coated in dozens of giant clams. Whilst spotting nurse sharks resting under rocky overhangs, finish your diving with an encounter with the boisterous little ribbon eels; often coming out to investigate to see whether you have any food on you.

Lankayan is used frequently by both green and hawksbill turtles as a key nesting spot within the Salu Sea. The turtles are tagged and identified by the local marine conservation staff and the eggs are retrieved and counted, before being reburied in a fenced off area to further protect them. After being sexed, hatchling turtles are released safely into the waters around the island.

Without the need for permits, this small, tropical island is surrounded by a wide range of diving and snorkelling choices and an even wider range of species, large and small; Lankayan offers some of the best diving found anywhere in the Indo-Pacific and is ideal for both divers and snorkelers alike.

Malaysian Borneo's islands are jewels in South East Asia's rich tapestry of marine habitat - and long may they remain that way. The diversity of life within them is of global importance, but like many reefs around the world, they are beautiful but fragile environments that are under pressure.  We therefore urge all divers to dive responsibly and safely, avoiding any contact with the reef.  For full details of our Responsible Diving Code of Conduct, please click HERE