NUNUKAN III - Mabul & Kapalai

Nunukan III. Now, this is a wreck we always make time for. Not because it’s a big, imposing vessel, but because it’s a friendly wreck, sitting perfectly upright in just 10 metres of water. It’s a motor vessel, and the story goes it sank during a storm many years back, making it a bit of a local legend. We love how accessible it is, even for newer divers, and it’s a fantastic spot for photographers looking for something a bit different from the usual reef shots. The wreck itself is a playground for macro life. You’ll find nudibranchs crawling along the rusty hull, frogfish camouflaged against the barnacles, and sometimes a grumpy stonefish staring out from a dark corner. Schools of tiny glassfish shimmer around the superstructure, parting as you glide through the cabin. We often spend a whole dive just circling the wreck, spotting new creatures each time. It’s a shallow dive, so you get plenty of bottom time, and the light penetration makes for some beautiful wide-angle opportunities with the wreck silhouetted against the surface. It’s not about grand scale here; it’s about the details, the history, and the way marine life has completely taken over.

Location

Mabul & Kapalai, Malaysia, Southeast Asia

Coordinates

3.282867, 117.591515

Type

wreck

Maximum Depth

10m