Scuba Diving in Miri-Sibuti National Park
Checking out the underwater world of Miri ranks highly on my to-do list in this part of Borneo.
Miri is often branded as a resort city in Sarawak and is what most associate as the perfect base to explore other natural wonders, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mulu National Park or the recently crowned UNESCO site Gua Niah.
The first petroleum well in Malaysia was drilled in Miri in 1910, and this city remains a vital spot for oil-related business.
Not many would have considered Miri a plausible place to dive. But diving in Miri is thought to be among the “healthiest and most beautiful places in the world to dive”.
We planned to spend as much time as possible diving in Miri, but the weather foiled our attempts. If not for the quick and flexible arrangement of one particular dive school, this article would not have materialised – at least for the near future – and we would not have the pleasure of checking out the underwater world of Miri.
I visited Miri for 10 days in July 2022. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!
Background (My Rambles)
Our Miri trip was planned at short notice, leaving us about two weeks to book our dives.
Imagine our surprise when we realised most operators were fully booked despite us being at the beginning of the post-pandemic travel stage! I suppose this shows how popular it is to dive there.
We secured a day before our Mulu expedition for some bubble-blowing expedition. But a series of sudden freak weather thwarted our desperate attempt.
Our resolution was weakened. We have almost accepted defeat. Diving might not be in the cards for now.
But a sliver of hope or sheer stubbornness as I am known for – we still have an operable dive day after Mulu before our flight home! – drove me to try again. And that was how we secured a last-minute dive the next day in the evening after coming back from Mulu.
Dive Operators
I have extensively trawled the internet to locate four working dive operators in Miri, so you do not have to (there’s a fifth one, but they stopped operation a while back).
The Dive Squad
The Dive Squad was the dive school we went with that was flexible enough to swap us with two others who would be diving the following day instead.
The dive school, with its cute mask-wearing seahorse logo, is at Piasau Boat Club, some 15 minutes away from Miri Old Town.Connect with them through their Facebook Page.
Borneo Dive Network
We initially went with the team at Borneo Dive Network, but poor weather conditions ended that.
Despite the sudden brew of choppy seas and storms, they were quick and professional at keeping us updated with the latest weather reports.
This dive operator works with or is a part of a travel agency. You can find more information about their dive packages here.
As with the above, I reached them through their Facebook Page.
Coco Dive
Coco Dive might have been the oldest dive operator in Miri. The dive school owns the Miri Diving Community group on Facebook.
Miri Divers
Miri Divers is probably another dive shop from Coco Dive, as both dive operators share the same contact details.
Best Time to Dive
Several websites point to the dry months of March to September as the best time to dive in Miri. During this period, water visibility is at its best.
As Borneo is in the tropical region, the waters are perpetually warm – a 3 mm wetsuit would have sufficed.
The Northeast Monsoon occurs from November to February, bringing lots of rain and wind.
I wonder about the freakish bouts of bad weather while we were there in July. Maybe blame climate change.
I returned to the same coastline about 160 km away in Brunei 2 years later to check out their incredible wrecks.
Dive Sites
Most, if not all, dive sites in Miri are in the protected Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park. As with all the national parks in Sarawak, the ticket costs RM 10 (still is in 2024) if you are a Malaysian and double if you are not.
Over 40 dive spots scattered across the sea off Miri, ranging from a shallow 7 m to a maximum depth of 30 m. They have 2 wrecks – Atago Maru Wreck and Sri Gadong Wreck.
Colourful corals thrive in this part of the sea so close to the Coral Triangle, and you could spot a diversity of tropical life – from the tiny nudibranchs and common clownfish to the majestic whale sharks. š¤©
My Dive Trip
We dived on a Friday that happened to coincide with Sarawak Independence Day.
Along our trip were a student clocking in more dives for his Advanced Open Waters and a group of four friends who frequently dive in Miri. Supporting the seven of us were the primary divemaster – a petite lady – and her assistant – a tall-built man.
After the usual administrative work – documents, payment, gear sizing – our guides led us to a van that took us to a hidden pier. A tractor behind us towed our medium-sized dive boat.
It took us quite a while – 30 minutes maybe? – to travel out of the speed-restricted Sungei Baong and into the open sea and our first dive site.
First Stop: Nemo City
Nemo City teems with giant anemones of clownfish.
Visibility was good at 15 – 20 m, and we spotted a couple of common blue nudibranchs, shrimps, blue starfish and schools of fish I am too ignorant to identify yet.
We stayed underwater for almost an hour and dived to a maximum depth of 10 m.
Second Stop: VHK Reef
We had lunch and rested almost an hour before the next dive.
The second dive for the day was less than pleasant. We had poor visibility of a shocking 3 m and currents against us.
I spied nothing particularly captivating for this dive and practised on my buoyancy instead. The sudden appearance of coral fans from the poor visibility often surprised me in this dive.
We stayed underwater for about 40 minutes and dived to a maximum depth of 18 m.
Accommodations
Diving in Miri was part of our 10-day itinerary, including visiting Miri city and exploring the caves and jungles of Mulu National Park.
Being the ever-budget-conscious backpackers, we stayed in one of the many OYO franchise motels in the old town and the Marina Bay area for about RM 30 per person per night (2022 prices).
Check out Amigo Hotel, Walk Inn, or the Grand Palace Hotel for better quality and convenience.
There are also 5-star international hotels like Marriott and Pullman.
Conclusion/ Rambles
Two dives were not enough to fully sample the national park!
We reentered Miri just as a downpour was brewing – the flying raindrops combined with our speeding boat hit our skin like icy darts.
After a quick shower at Piasau Boat Club, we thanked our guides, logged our dives and returned to Marina Bay.
I shall be back to dive the Bornean Sea again someday. EDIT: I did two years later! I dived the wrecks of Brunei! You should read this post, even though the photos may not be ideal. š Hopefully, Iād return to this post and add dives from Sabah next time! š
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