DIVING BORNEO AGAIN

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DIVING SEMPORNA



Some of you might remember, I dove Semporna and Sipadan last year. I thought this would be a good stopping point between Mongolia and Australia, and get me a bit more diving, too. When I got to Tawau, Borneo I took a taxi to Semporna, for about ten dollars. It takes about an hour and we passed acres and acres of palms, grown for the burgeoning market in palm oil. Luckily the driver lives in Semporna, so I was his last fare. I went to the hotel I stayed at last year above Nafissa Indian Restaurant and there are still huge monitor lizards by the dumpster.



I went back to Scuba Junkies for two days of diving. The dive masters were grand and the diving was fantastic. The visibility was a little disappointing, but what do you expect when you choose to come during the off season. Still the macro shots were very good and there was certainly plenty of things to photograph.



The first day we went to Mabul Island, about an hour from Semporna, giving the divers time for a bit more shut eye on the way, since the seas weren’t too rough. Occasionally a rogue wave splashed over the side and gave the diver a rude awakening. I didn’t write down the names of the dive sites but there was plenty of diversity. It was interesting to see how much has grown on the man-made reefs in a year.



The second day we went to Palau Sibuan. These dives had plenty of beautiful corals, fish, nudibranchs and morays. And more color, shape and texture.



It felt good to be back in the water.

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Photos

Swirling School of Fish
It is very exciting to enter one of these schools of fish.

Pals
One of my favorite fish, Sweet Lips, and his pal the trumpet fish. The trumpet hovered over the Sweet Lips for twenty minutes or more.

Color and Testure
New growth on a man-made metal structure.

Cast-Offs make great artificial reefs.
I love big hulks like this underwater...must be because my dad hauled scrap metal. Looks like it is a hit to the fish, as well.

Turtle eating.
Notice the remora on his underside.