Brunei - Under the Sea

Have you ever thought of setting up your scuba gear in Brunei? It took me by surprise too when my fellow diver friends suggested we go diving in Brunei. Huh? My mind thought, isn't the only sea venture of the country oil exploration? Apparently not.

Back in 2012, when at a dive expo, CM chanced upon a booth by a dive operator, Oceanic Quest, based in Brunei and promptly booked  for three of us to the country for an underwater adventure. Oceanic Quest was promoting the what Brunei can offer in its waters. Our dive package was an all-inclusive package ex-Bandar Seri Bagawan airport, from transportation to/fro airport, accommodation, food and boat dives. Optional add-on were dive equipment rental, nitrox air and day-tours.

Without batting an eyelid, we booked our flight tickets too as soon as our group agreed on the dive dates with OQ. Being "optimised divers", we booked the earliest flight departing from home and arrive just after breakfast time in Brunei. We were itchy to get wet. Although the dive centre owner, Steven Tan, did not plan for us to dive on arrival, but in the end, accommodated to our request of an afternoon check out dive at a shallow reef, Abana Pole

Pipe Fish

Lizardfish

But what is actually the attraction of diving in Brunei waters?
WRECKS! Not just ship wrecks but also sunken oil rigs-turn-reef. The waters of Brunei are teeming with shipwrecks deep in the sea. The BIG 4 wrecks are Australian Wreck, US Wreck, Cement Wreck and the Blue Water Wreck.

courtesy from Oceanic Quest FB
Clockwise from top left : Cement Wreck, Blue Water Wreck, US Wreck, Australian Wreck

Divemaster Aaron said he preferred wreck diving as each wreck has its own character. My personal favourite is the Aussie wreck. It has an interesting WWII history, being told that it was ferrying a few hundreds POWs when a bomb sunk the ship with all prisoners died on board. The story is that the bodies were still buried in the ship.  (more of the story Australian Wreck)What I liked about the wreck is the swim though, swimming in between the bars of the ship's frame. The average depth of the wreck dive is 29m.

Swim-though in Australian Wreck

Lionfish at the Australian Wreck

Swim-through the Australian Wreck (photo by CM)

US Wreck is a US warship that also sunk during the WWII time. The ammunition can still be seen, although we were warn not to touch any as those were live ammunition. (more of the story US Wreck). The average depth of the wreck dive is 26m.

Ammunition on board the US Wreck

Coral on board US Wreck

US Wreck

US Wreck

US Wreck

A few of the other  notable shipwreck dive sites are  Bolkiah Wreck, Youlee Wreck,.....
The one oil rig-reef we dived at was actually a dismantle oil rig, simply know as Rig Reef.

Bluewater Wreck

Looking though the hole in Blue Water Wrek

Cutttlefish at Blue Water Wreck

Part of Cement Wreck

Other than wrecks, there were the usual reef dives. Abana Pole, Barrack Reef, Icebox, Icebox 2.

Cuttlefish 

Boxer Shrimp 

Corallimorphs 

Pipe Fish

Whip Coral

Scorpionfish - can you spot it?

As diving in Brunei was mainly for wrecks, where the depth were more than the recreational dive limit of 20m. So as to optimise our dive time, we took up the PADI course on Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN), where the air in the tank has a higher oxygen level of more than 21% (more info EAN). Diving with EAN is to give a longer dive time with by extending the no decompression time in deeper waters. Most of our dives were in the regions of 30 minutes (depending on the depth).

Tanks of EAN

Although the there were not many big fishes we could see (not that there were none, just less), the reef dive sites were teeming with macro and small marine life. I salute our divemasters eyes, able to spot a perfectly camouflaged sea-horse, crabs, and nudibranchs. Even a seemingly boring sandy bottom is teeming with life like the goby and its shrimp. The trip was a nudibranchs and slugs galore for us. Although they were of the common types, it was no less a fascination.

Nudi at Abanapol

Nudi at Bolkiah Wreck

Seahorse

Commensal Crab

Mantis Shrimp (photo by CM)

Our dusk-cum-night dive yielded a treasure trove in Abana Pole. The corals were teeming with commensal crabs, sticking out their pincers, as if waving hello to us. A first time sighting for me of flutemouth and frogfish. There were also some lobsters lurking amongst the corals.

Commensal crab - night dive (photo by CM)

Hermit crab - night dive (photo by TG)

Oceanic Quest has fantastic divemasters. Our first trip, we were guided by Aaron, who is from Australia. Matt, from Malaysia, who was our first trip boat-master, was our divemaster throughout our second dive trip. Matt has superman eyes, able to spot the smallest of macro life.

With Matt, our DM

Admin team of OQ (photo by CM)

As the centre is not located by the beach but near a harbour, it was a daily ritual to get the dive boat out to the sea from the centre. Thus to optimise time, where day dives were planned such a way that we would be out for 3 day dives.  While we were having our breakfast, the boatman and divemaster were hard at work already, loading up our gear on to the boat. We suited up after a hearty breakfast and off we went by 8:30am. We were ferried to the harboar sandy water edge in a passenger van while another vehicle move off 15 minutes earlier, towing the boat there, having in just nice bobbing in the water as we arrived. Surface intervals, morning tea break and lunch would be on board the boat. Lunch was usually a simple fried rice/mihun/noodle that came with a sambal-with-a-kick. We even had hot water for hot tea/coffee and ice cordial too.

Getting the boat out and ready for a day of diving

Surface interval on board the boat

Accommodation with Oceanic Quest is like home away from home. The place has a comfortable lounge area equipped with Wi-Fi, 24hr statelite television, and even boardgames and mahjong. Evening while waiting for dinner or after dinner, we would sit and do our "homework", that was going through the photos of the dives and trying to identify what marine life we saw. Another plus point of OQ is that there were ample reference books and field guides for us to flip through.

Boardgame - aptly "Dive Dive Dive"

Dining area

Our meal, laid out self-service buffet style

Lounge, where we lazed after a day of diving

One of the many books available for reference

Food is another plus point. The owner of OQ has brought in great chefs and he himself has imparted his knowledge of some good recipes as well. We always had a balance meal of at least 2 meat dishes,  1 or 2 vegetable dishes and a must have soup, a very cantonese style thing. The soup would be a simple cooling-the-fire soup, which was perfect as we were out in the hot sun all day.

Simple meal of meat, vegetable, and soup (not in picture)

Simple meal of meat, vegetable, and cooling soup 

Lunch on board is simple fried noodles (or rice or mihun) serve with best sambal-with-the-kick
(photo by CM)

Our rooms were simple and clean. OQ has choices of room for 2 or 3 or 4 people. All rooms are air-conditioned. Only thing is there is no attached bathrooms. We all used the common bathrooms, which some were equipped with water heater and shower foam. Most of the time, I opted to have cold showers as the piped water was already warm enough from the blazing hot sun. OQ also provided each guest with a clean towel.

Room for 3

The dive centre is also catered to divers who do not have own equipment, such as fins, mask, BCD, octopus. We rented the BCD and octopus from the centre and suffice to say, we were happy with the condition of the equipment.

Equipment room

We ended our first trip to Brunei with a drive through the city centre on the way to airport, courtesy of OQ owner, Steven. We were so in awe of memorable trip that it had us in for a second dive trip there... and a third.

With Steven, owner of OQ

So, who say Brunei is boring? Not if your plans is EAT, SLEEP and DIVE!!!



Some links to and reviews of Oceanic Quest if you decide your next dive trip is to Brunei.
Oceanic Quest
Trip Advisor - my review
World Diving Review
Oceanic Quest Facebook

Spending World Oceans Day in Perhentian with MNS Marine SIG

As the night approached the hour, the excitement in me was eagerly bursting to meet up my fellow members. Finally, we spotted the car and its owner. Without wasting a second, we loaded up our bags (with mine super heavy such that I felt the car sort of let out a muff of a grunt.. "whoa, heavy load"). Making a few detours, we were finally out and on our way across the to east coast in the dark of the night. With such entertaining fellow members, there was never a dull moment in the car. What more, a bond of friendship was formed and one that will last, hopefully, a life time.  Sharing with all, the memories and experiences of World Oceans Day at Perhentian.

Marine SIG celebrates World Oceans Day, in Perhentian

By JelliButz

  

Pulut Sambal Ikan - Breakfast at K.Besut, after 10 hours car ride
Photo by W L Wong

Laksa - Breakfast at K.Besut, after 10 hours car ride
Photo by W L Wong

Pulut Panggang  - Breakfast at K.Besut, after 10 hours car ride
Photo by W L Wong

Finally, after a 10-hour car ride and 30 minutes on a speedboat, we finally landed on Pulau Perhentian Besar. What a welcoming sight it was! Organised by MNS Marine SIG (Selangor Branch), this annual dive-snorkel-beach clean-up (June 2—5) is one activity I finally got to participate in. Organisers Hon Yuen and Wee Liem got down to the business of settling us in. A small team we were, just the six of us, a cozy bunch.

Perhentian Islands

Photo ©wylpics

After lunch, each of us got into our respective modules, be it the snorkelers or the divers. I got drawn in with a group of leisure divers and off I went for my first dive on the very same day. The abundance of marine life in pristine waters literally took my breath away! It was a different world altogether, with fishes and corals right before my eyes, within an arm’s length away.

Corals garden of the sea
Photo ©wylpics

Cushion starfish
Photo ©wylpics

Being the sole leisure diver in the group did not give me immunity from the assignment given by our organisers – to identify what marine life we had seen and to present to the group. It was a night of discovery. We learned from each other as well as about each other, for example, a talented artist and a passionate beach-comber (who enthusiastically led the group on a beach-combing night-walk along the tide-receded beach).

Assignment time
Photo by H.Y. Leong

Crab found during night beach-combing
Photo by Steven Lim

Scorpion fish found during night beach-combing
Photo by Steven Lim

To celebrate World Oceans Day (June 8), both Marine SIG and Alu Alu Divers (and guests of Bayu Dive Lodge) participated in clean-ups over two days. We were briefed on the do’s and don’ts of the reef-dive clean up initiated by the dive centre. It was another first for me. We came up with numerous plastic bottles, aluminum/tin cans, fan belts, polystyrene, a kettle, a pot, etc from the sea. It was heart-wrenching to find such rubbish in these pristine waters in a protected marine park.

Rubbish under the sea
Photo by/of Samuelal Beer (Alu-alu Divers)

Alu-Alu divers in reef clean up
Photo by Samuel Beer

The beach clean-up by Marine SIG was another eye-opener. The beach was systematically measured into 100 10-metre wide transects, and we collected and logged the rubbish in 30 randomly selected transects. This technique was based on a system by Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) to determine an index for the beach cleanliness. It was another heart-wrenching sight to see the kind of rubbish we recorded, amongst the many – baby diapers, cigarettes butts, cans, plastics, etc. Though we were disgusted with the apathy of many beach-goers, it is heartening to know that there will be a group of eco volunteers who are willing to put aside their time for a clean-up.

Measuring 10m wide transect
Photo by Steven Lim

Marking of transect #89
Photo ©wylpics

Beach Rubbish
Photo ©wylpics

Beach clean up, filling up the coastal cleanliness index form
Photo ©wylpics

Rubbish collected in beach clean up
Photo by H.Y. Leong

Time zipped by too fast, and it was time for us to be at the jetty again for the boat back to the mainland. The weekend had been an eye-opener to us all, and not to forget a great camaraderie that will go a long way in years to come. 

Cozy bunch
Photo by Mary

Now, let’s hear what the three course participants had to say about their experience:

Mary Chan, SSI Snorkel Diver: I wanted to join the trip, but the only non-dive package available was the Snorkel Diver course. I took the course even though I have snorkeled hundreds of times before! No regrets though; it was good to go through a systematic snorkeling course as they not only teach you the basics (which, of course, I already know) but also the safety and ecological side of being in the sea. On the practical side, I got to skin dive a lot (for a better view of corals and fish). That was some challenge! How deep can you go?! And how long can you hold your breath for?! I had expected a lot of other MNS members to come for this trip, but there were only 4 participants and 2 volunteer organisers. We had the chance to get to know each other much better this way! I’m definitely very glad that I joined this trip.

Colin (snorkel instructor) and Snorkel water babies
Photo by H.Y. Leong

Steven Lim, SSI Snorkel Diver: This was a good opportunity for me to give my support (to the environment) and at the same time learn a new skill. After all, how hard can a snorkelling course be? I learnt later that it wasn’t as simple as swimming with a life jacket and doing a theory test. It required swimming in open water and diving into the sea without wearing a life jacket! For two days we went through our theory lesson and snorkel practical in a confined water area near the dive centre. We practiced the kick, the method to dive into the water and the proper way of clearing the snorkel after submerging. It was a mixture of fear, fun and excitement. However, my fear of deep water did not vanish with these newly learnt skills. Fortunately my instructor Colin understood my concern and we started our “experiment” – swimming in shallow water to build up my confidence, and it paid off! The next thing I knew, I was swimming in open water without a life jacket. It was a great relief and a happy moment.

Sam revising BCD set up with Valle
Photo by H.Y. Leong

Valle Sinniah, SSI Ecological Diver: I signed up for this course mainly because I wanted to improve my buoyancy. Instead I got more than I hoped for. I learnt about fish, coral and other marine life and at the same time an opportunity to contribute something back to the reef. It is a well-known fact that most dive sites in Malaysia shows significant reef and ecosystem degradation. In that sense, the course has thought me the importance of being not only a better diver but also a responsible and caring one. I had to complete the Perfect Buoyancy and Underwater Naturalist specialty courses. The Perfect Buoyancy specialty course helped me to sharpen my skills in hovering and streamlining with emphasis on the finning technique and the Underwater Naturalist specialty course thought me to identify more of the many different species of marine life found. As part of the course I must also participate in one clean up dive which was so much fun. And I learnt another important lesson – ‘respect and stay close to your buddy’.