Wrecks
There are many wrecks within Brunei waters, some shallow enough for leisure divers to reach while others are submerged far below at depths beyond 40m. The local clubs have the facilities and divers qualified
to 60m to lead technical dives to deeper wrecks like Petani Mistral, Yuho Maru, Pacific Boxer and Baiei Maru.
In the 1990s, wreck sites had a lot more fascinating relics to intrigue divers but these days, many of them have disappeared, pinched by divers. Canons, coins, bullets and parts of the wrecks have been hauled away over the years leaving only the main structures.
There are also some interesting wrecks including some WW2 relics in between Brunei and Malaysian waters and it is still unclear which is the home territory. These large and very accessible wrecks are popularly dived by the local dive community.
to 60m to lead technical dives to deeper wrecks like Petani Mistral, Yuho Maru, Pacific Boxer and Baiei Maru.
In the 1990s, wreck sites had a lot more fascinating relics to intrigue divers but these days, many of them have disappeared, pinched by divers. Canons, coins, bullets and parts of the wrecks have been hauled away over the years leaving only the main structures.
There are also some interesting wrecks including some WW2 relics in between Brunei and Malaysian waters and it is still unclear which is the home territory. These large and very accessible wrecks are popularly dived by the local dive community.
Bolkiah Wreck
This wreck lies south of the Two Fathom Rock at a depth of about 20m. A ruling that no vessel bearing the Brunei royal name can be sold for scrap metal resulted in this passenger ship being scuttled by the Royal Navy in 1992. Now, it is a cosy dwelling for a large resident lionfish and visiting groupers, barracudas, frogfish, moray eels and spiny lobsters.
Penanjung Wreck
Known to some as Yewli wreck. This is a sunken tugboat and divers can see sea snakes feeding around the wreck. Schools of fishes, groupers and snappers often forage around here.
Petani Mistral
The Petani Mistral is a submerged tug that sits upright on the seabed and has only been dived on in recent years by local club divers. She lies off the coast of Brunei between Jerudong and Kuala Belait. The Petani Mistral sank after being swept onto a leg of the rig, Trident-12 in 1995. Club dives have reported sightings of dense schools of fish within the structure. It 2-hour journey from Kuala Belait requires good weather and careful planning
Kapal Amai Wreck
A pontoon laid to rest upside down on the seabed with no decks, this wreck is quite intact. The ‘fins’ of the wreck stand out as well as the long red soft corals and sea whips covering the wreck. A bustling location where the diver may be constantly surrounded by fish. Besides the schools of juvenile barracudas and yellow tails, puffer fish, porcupine fish, hawk fish, golden trevally, stone fish, box fish and dog-face puffer share this underwater neighbourhood.
Jerudong Barge
This is a huge pontoon that is usually guarded by schools of sawtooth barracudas and jackfish. The bottom of the wreck is often murky, however during the peak diving months, this wreck becomes clear and healthy with schools of fishes including northern yellow tail scad.
Australian Wreck
Built in 1900 as a passenger cargo ship, the Australian Wreck was then operated by the Dutch as the S.S. De Klerk. In 1942, she was converted to a troop carrier and later scuttled. The Japanese Navy salvaged
her and used her to ferry people before she was sunk by a mine, tragically taking with her most of the trapped passengers. Believed by some divers to be haunted, it is still a regularly-visited site. Close to this wreck lie the popular Malaysian wrecks – Cement Wreck, American Wreck and Blue Water Wreck.
her and used her to ferry people before she was sunk by a mine, tragically taking with her most of the trapped passengers. Believed by some divers to be haunted, it is still a regularly-visited site. Close to this wreck lie the popular Malaysian wrecks – Cement Wreck, American Wreck and Blue Water Wreck.
Labuan Wreck
A good dive during high tide, the wreck is covered with soft corals on the top and fan corals on the edge of the deck. A few generators are left inside the second deck on the starboard side which attracts a heavy schools of small fish. Snappers are often spotted at the bow while trevallies patrol the interiors.
Kapal Batu Wreck
Also known as the Stone Barge Wreck, this is a pontoon with rocks. Sunk in 1990 during the wave breaker project, it is cracked in the middle and lies upright with the steam ramp still attached. Tons of fishes inside and outside the wreck such as groupers, sweet lips, snappers and trevallies.