The dive
A sloping reef off Mabul's western tip, starting shallow at about 5 metres and extending down the slope. Depending on tide, a longshore current runs along the reef — mild enough to be a feature, not a challenge, which is exactly what makes this the island's classic first drift.
VERIFY BEFORE LAUNCH
Sources place Panglima on different corners of the western reef (northwest vs south of the western tip). Confirm position with the operator's site map before publishing the location line and the site-map graphic.
Sources place Panglima on different corners of the western reef (northwest vs south of the western tip). Confirm position with the operator's site map before publishing the location line and the site-map graphic.
Residents
Scenic-reef life with critter credentials: streaked chromodoris and other nudibranchs, crocodile flathead and clouded lizardfish on the sand patches, sponges and corals shifting with the terrain — and passing hawksbill turtles, the larger punctuation marks of the dive.
Conditions and level
- Depth: from 5 m down the slope — flexible profiles
- Current: gentle longshore drift, tide-dependent
- Suits: beginners upward; a confidence-building site with real rewards
