Kota Belud · Malaysia · Wreck · Artificial reef
Salvage Point
Giant groupers living under the scrap of three salvaged WW2 ships
Salvage Point is where the three Japanese Second World War wrecks of Usukan Bay lay until they were salvaged for steel. A pile of scrap metal is all that remains of the ships, but the artificial reef that grew on them still holds large schools of fish and draws rays, groupers and hunting pelagics.
Also known as Usukan Bay Wrecks, Usukan Wrecks, Usukan Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Kota Belud and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The remains lie between 26 and 40 m. Schools of barracuda and snapper blanket the top of the scrap pile, and an artificial reef has grown around the structures, with huge schools of fish sheltering in it.
Eagle rays, large marble rays and giant groupers live under the remains of the wreck, so the edges of the pile are worth checking. Off the wreckage, predatory tuna and jacks hunt in the blue.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Kokusei Maru, Higane Maru and Hiyori Maru
- Type
- Japanese cargo vessels
- Sunk
- 1944
- Cause
- Torpedoed by the US submarine USS Hammerhead on the night of 1 October 1944
- Lies
- Salvaged for steel; a pile of scrap metal on the seabed between 26 and 40 m
Three Japanese cargo ships, the Kokusei Maru, Higane Maru and Hiyori Maru, were torpedoed by the submarine USS Hammerhead on the night of 1 October 1944, with 138 dead. The 5300-ton vessels lay close together off Kota Belud and divers knew them as the Rice Bowl Wreck, Upside Down Wreck and Usukan Wreck. The hopper-dredger Chuan Hong 68 later salvaged them for steel, commissioned on behalf of the archaeological unit of Universiti Malaysia Sabah to do the work "for research purposes", and left chunks of metal scattered over the seabed.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Groupers
- Tuna
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Kota Belud: Boats run all year when the weather allows; February to July is the best stretch, and from October to December rough seas can cancel trips.
Dive videos
Usukan Wreck, Wreck Diving with Borneo Dream, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia · William Hammond on YouTube
Whale Shark at WW2 Usukan Upside Down Wreck · Bigfin Divers Borneo on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does Salvage Point need?+
Advanced Open Water or higher with at least 20 logged dives, since the remains lie between 26 and 40 m.
Can the Usukan Bay wrecks still be dived?+
Only as remains. The three ships were salvaged for steel and a pile of scrap metal is what is left, though the reef growth and the fish schools around it are still there.
Sources
- Diving Kota Belud & Mantanani Island (Wayback) — Bigfin Divers
- Dredger suspected of wreck destruction detained — Divernet
- Usukan Bay Wrecks — Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures
More dive sites in Kota Belud
Reef
Schooling barracuda in a sandy channel, cuttlefish in the boulders
Reef
Schools of young fish sheltering in black coral trees
Pinnacle
Bamboo and cat sharks asleep in the crevices of a pinnacle
Reef
Leopard sharks and marble rays resting in the sand between giant boulders
Drift
A gentle drift north over table, brain and staghorn corals
Reef
Hairy frogfish hiding on the sand of a shallow shoal
Reef
Bobtail and pygmy squid on night dives around a tiny island
Reef
Pinkish purple soft coral with dorado and wahoo passing
Similar dives elsewhere
An upright Dutch-built freighter scuttled off Kubu
A 35-ton seaplane crane on a warship lying on her side at 35 m
A 145 m provisions ship with its deck areas at 28 to 35 m
A sunken fish farm hanging at an angle from 12 m to 35 m