Coral Triangle · Brunei
Labuan & Brunei Wrecks
Four protected wrecks plus coral reefs nearby
Four protected wrecks off Labuan, the Australian, American, Cement and Blue Water wrecks, anchor the diving, with coral reefs and a barge wreck off Pelong Rocks filling out the programme. Brunei sits on the edge of the Coral Triangle, and the reefs carry hard and soft corals and a wide mix of reef fish and invertebrates. The sites are a short speedboat ride away.
About diving in Labuan & Brunei Wrecks
Diving is by day boat in the sheltered waters of Brunei Bay and along the coastal reefs. The sites are all nearby and take 30 to 40 minutes to reach by speedboat, and a day normally runs to two or three dives, two before lunch and a third in the early afternoon. The wrecks lie at different depths, some for beginner divers and some for advanced divers.
The wrecks are the main terrain. On the Australian Wreck, divers without a wreck specialty can swim through the open upper decks and drop into the large cargo holds, while qualified wreck divers can follow two or three of her lower decks. Coral grows over the wrecks, and the reefs carry hard and soft corals, sponges and sea fans, with whip corals on Abana Reef, a large, healthy reef.
The area suits wreck divers and Open Water divers alike, since some wrecks are suitable for Open Water certified divers and above, and the calm, warm seas suit beginners learning to dive as well as experienced divers extending their skills. The American Wreck, at around 30 m, is one of the more challenging dives because of strong currents and its depth. Technical divers have two further World War II wrecks and depths of up to 63 m.
Best time to dive Labuan & Brunei Wrecks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
| Sea surface | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F |
| Daytime high | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F |
| Rain | 325 mm12.8 in | 171 mm6.7 in | 178 mm7.0 in | 216 mm8.5 in | 266 mm10.5 in | 251 mm9.9 in | 272 mm10.7 in | 275 mm10.8 in | 277 mm10.9 in | 320 mm12.6 in | 337 mm13.3 in | 356 mm14.0 in |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 325 mm12.8 in | 171 mm6.7 in | 178 mm7.0 in | 216 mm8.5 in | 266 mm10.5 in | 251 mm9.9 in |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 272 mm10.7 in | 275 mm10.8 in | 277 mm10.9 in | 320 mm12.6 in | 337 mm13.3 in | 356 mm14.0 in |
2011–2025 averages. Sea surface: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, measured at the surface, so deeper water can run colder. Daytime high and rain: NASA POWER.
Boats run all year. Seas are calmer and visibility better from March to October, and April to July is the stretch to aim for. The wet season, November to February, brings rain that can lower visibility slightly, and the seas are not as calm as in the dive season, so January, February, November and December rate lower.
Best months: April, May, June, July
Labuan Wrecks water temperature and weather by month
The sea surface stays between 28 and 30 °C (82–86 °F) all year. Rain falls through the year, about 270 mm (11 in) a month on average, with December the wettest. Daytime highs sit around 31 °C (88 °F) all year. The coldest water here is about 28 °C (82 °F), so pack a 3 mm, or even a 2 mm, suit.
Dive types & marine life
Schools of barracuda, trevally and jacks are expected on the Blue Water Wreck, and barracuda, grouper and snapper school on the Australian Wreck. Nudibranchs, seahorses, sea turtles and reef sharks live in Labuan's waters, and Abana Reef holds whip-coral crabs, harlequin shrimp and several species of cowry.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Night
- Reef fish swarms
- Barracuda
- Groupers
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
- Sea turtles
- Trevally & jacks
Best dive sites in Labuan & Brunei Wrecks
- 1
Cement Wreck
Japanese freighter that hit a sandbank in 1980 carrying cement; one of Labuan's four protected wrecks.
- 2
American Wreck
USS Salute, a US Navy minesweeper mined in 1945; penetration is not advised, but her gun turret is intact.
- 3
Australian Wreck
SS De Klerk, a Dutch cargo ship lying in 35 m, with the high side of the wreck rising to 25 m.
- 4
Blue Water Wreck
An intact 80 m trawler named for the blue water around her, with healthy corals and rich marine life.
- 5
Dolphin 88
Malaysian stone barge that hit bad weather and sank off Pelong Rocks in 2013.
Site guides
Wreck
USS Salute: a 56 m minesweeper mined in 1945, broken in two at 22–32 m in Brunei Bay
Wreck
SS De Klerk: an 85 m Dutch steamer on her port side at 28–34 m in Brunei Bay
Wreck
MV Tung Hwang: a 92 m freighter standing upright off Labuan from 8 m to 32 m
Wreck
Dolphin 88: a stone barge sunk off Pelong Rocks in 2013, top at 10 m, back half at 24 m
How to get to Labuan & Brunei Wrecks
Brunei International Airport is the gateway. Boats leave from Serasa, near Muara, a 20 to 40 minute drive from the airport and Bandar Seri Begawan, and the trip from the airport to a dive site can take under 90 minutes.
Dive videos
Wreck Diving in Brunei (2023) · Lun Logs on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is wreck training needed to dive the wrecks?+
Not for every wreck: the Dolphin 88 and several others suit Open Water divers. Only a few wrecks are still safe to penetrate because their superstructure has eroded, and penetration is for advanced divers with wreck training.
Are the Labuan wrecks protected?+
Yes. The Australian, American, Cement and Blue Water wrecks have been recognised as protected zones since 2011 by the Department of National Heritage.
Where do the boats go in bad weather?+
To a small rock island 2 km offshore, which is sheltered. Its reef sites run from 1 m to 18 m, suit all levels and also serve new divers and refresher courses.
Is there night diving?+
Yes. Night dives are offered, among them a part reef, part sand dive at Brunei Patches.
Sources
- Dive Sites in Brunei — Poni Divers
- Poni Divers FAQ — Poni Divers
- Dive Brunei — Poni Divers
- Oceanic Quest Sdn Bhd | Brunei | PADI Dive Center — PADI
- Diving in Brunei — Wikivoyage
- Labuan Shipwrecks Offer Divers A Journey Through History And Marine Wonders — Bernama
- Labuan, A Jewel Of Marine Biodiversity, Diving Excellence — Bernama
- American Wreck — Asia Dive Site
- Australian Wreck — Asia Dive Site
- Best Scuba Diving in Brunei — Scuba Diver Life
- Small is beautiful — My Adventures Underwater and On Land
- Wreck diving in Labuan — PulauLabuan.com
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In The Logbook
- Deep wreck diving: where recreational stopsWrecks · 8 min read
- Where to dive with whale sharks, month by monthBig animals · 16 min read
- WWII wrecks you can dive, by theatreWrecks · 7 min read
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