Mabul
Malaysia · Sabah
Mabul is a tiny sand island off Borneo's east coast that became one of the world's premier muck diving destinations almost by accident — divers staying nearby to access Sipadan discovered the surrounding sand and seagrass was crawling with rare critters. Frogfish, mimic octopus, mandarinfish, blue ring octopus.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Macro and muck destination — coral cover matters less here than substrate diversity. Critters are unchanged.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.
Fishing
Some fishing is allowed here, in marked zones.
Sources · Reef Check surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 47% to 45%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 47% |
| 2024 | 45% |
What you will see
12 species across the dive sites here
Flamboyant cuttlefish
Seen 1 month ago
at Paradise Reef
Blue Dragon
Seen 1 month ago
at Paradise Reef
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 1 month ago
at Paradise Reef
Least concern
Whitetip Reef Shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Paradise Reef
Vulnerable
Willan'S Chromodoris
Seen 1 month ago
at Paradise Reef
Blue-ringed octopus
Seen 2 months ago
at Mabul House Reef
Least concern
Frogfish
Seen Jan 2025
at Mabul House Reef
Crocodilefish
Seen year round
at Mabul House Reef
Least concern
Mimic octopus
Seen year round
at Paradise Reef
Least concern
Hairy frogfish
Seasonal visitor
at Paradise Reef
Least concern
Mandarinfish
Seasonal visitor
at Paradise Reef
Least concern
Pygmy seahorse
Seasonal visitor
at Mabul House Reef
Least concern
Dive sites
What divers say
Sipadan is why people come. Mabul is why they stay an extra week.
Good to know
Safety advisory
Check current government travel advisories for east Sabah.