Mataking Island

Semporna · Sabah · Malaysia

Mataking Island is a privately managed diving paradise in the Celebes Sea, located approximately 40 minutes by boat east of Semporna in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Sitting within the same rich marine region as legendary Sipadan, this small island offers pristine reef diving, extraordinary turtle encounters, and one of the world's most unusual attractions: an underwater post office at 10 meters depth where divers can mail waterproof postcards to friends and family around the globe. The island is actually composed of two islets, Mataking Besar and Mataking Kecil, connected by a sandbar that emerges at low tide. The diving around both islands is varied and rewarding. The eastern shore features dramatic wall diving, with the reef edge dropping steeply from 5 meters to well beyond 30 meters into the deep blue of the Celebes Sea. These walls are adorned with sea fans, soft corals, and barrel sponges, and attract passing pelagics including blacktip reef sharks and schools of barracuda. The western and southern reefs slope more gently, creating ideal conditions for newer divers and underwater photographers. The coral coverage is excellent, with healthy table corals, massive Porites bommies, and intricate staghorn thickets providing habitat for an impressive diversity of reef fish. Giant clams dot the reef, their mantles displaying vivid blues, greens, and purples. Mandarin fish can be spotted at dusk in rubble areas near the jetty, performing their delicate mating dance. Turtles are the constant companions of diving at Mataking. Both green turtles and hawksbill turtles are resident around the island, and encounters occur on virtually every dive. The turtles have become accustomed to divers and often allow remarkably close approaches, making Mataking one of the best destinations in Sabah for turtle photography. The macro diving at Mataking is equally compelling. Frogfish hide among sponges, blue-ringed octopus emerge from rubble on night dives, nudibranchs of extraordinary variety crawl across the reef, and seahorses cling to gorgonian fans. The house reef accessible from shore provides excellent night diving, revealing a completely different cast of creatures after dark. With clear water, mild currents, and diving accessible to all certification levels, Mataking Island delivers a complete Borneo diving experience. Its proximity to Sipadan means many guests combine the two, enjoying Mataking's relaxed charm and rich reefs as a home base while making day trips to Sabah's most famous underwater attraction.