Labuan & Brunei Wrecks · Brunei Bay, Brunei · Wreck
Dolphin 88
Dolphin 88: a stone barge sunk off Pelong Rocks in 2013, top at 10 m, back half at 24 m
Open Water divers can stay on the upper structure. Dolphin 88 was a Malaysian barge carrying a shipment of stones through Brunei waters when she hit bad weather and sank off Pelong Rocks in 2013. She is the newest of the wrecks dived out of Brunei and lies in Brunei waters; the interior is left to divers with the training to go inside. Boats from Serasa reach her in about 30 minutes.
Also known as Dolphin 88 Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
5.0785° N, 115.0528° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The top of the wreck is at 10 m, which makes this the one site here that does not start with a deep descent. Groups can spend most of the dive on the upper structure in easy depths, and the operator describes it as an ideal wreck for novice divers to explore. The back half of the barge drops away to 24 m, so the profile deepens as you work aft along the hull.
Inside is a different dive. The interior is open enough that experienced divers explore it, and the operator rates the wreck for penetration by those with the training, but it is an overhead like any other and the deeper sections put you at 24 m before you enter anything. Operators run the site for Open Water certified divers and above, a judgement about the upper structure rather than about the inside of the hull.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Dolphin 88
- Type
- Barge
- Sunk
- 2013
- Cause
- Hit bad weather and sank while carrying a shipment of stones
- Lies
- Top of the wreck at 10 m, back half down at 24 m
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Labuan & Brunei Wrecks: Calm seas and better visibility run March to October, with April to July the best stretch; the wet season from November to February is rougher and murkier.
Know before you go
- The wreck deepens from 10 m at the top to 24 m at the back half, so it is easy to drift deeper than planned while following the structure aft.
- The interior is open enough to tempt divers inside, but it is still an overhead environment: penetration is for wreck-trained divers with a torch and a planned route.
Dive videos
Dolphin 88 Wreck with Poni Divers, Brunei · Poni Divers on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Dolphin 88 suitable for beginners?+
Operators describe it as an ideal wreck for novice divers and run it for Open Water certified divers and above, with the top of the wreck at 10 m. The back half lies at 24 m, so the deeper sections and the interior are for more experienced divers.
Where is the Dolphin 88 wreck?+
She sank off Pelong Rocks, in Brunei waters at the mouth of Brunei Bay, about 30 minutes by boat from the dive centre at Serasa. No published position for the wreck itself was found, so the mapped point is Pelong Rocks rather than the hull.
Sources
- Brunei — Wikivoyage
- Dive Sites in Brunei — Poni Divers
- Pelong Rocks — OpenStreetMap
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