SABAH’S UNIQUE BIG RIG
–
The east coast of the Malaysian state of
An ex-oil rig accommodation platform, the Seaventures Dive
Rig is one of the best dives sites in the area; however you can also stay on
this rig as it is also a dive resort, the only one of its kind in the world. The
rig has been positioned 500m off
Getting to the Seaventures Div
e Rig sounded difficult while planning our trip in
November 2010, but we were actually in the water, under the rig, in less than 24
hours after leaving home in
As we got closer to Mabul we got our first glimpse of the rig, a huge
structure, bright orange and blue in colour and rising like a ten storey
building above the waterline. Pulling up beside the rig a hydraulic lift lowered
to the waterline to collect us, as the main deck sits 6m above the water.
Once on board we met the manager of the rig, Daniel White, and a handful
of his fifty staff that keep the resort running smoothly. A quick tour of the
main deck showed us that this is where all the action happens. The dive section
has tank racks, gear storage, wash tubs, hanging space, showers, toilets and a
board with the daily dive destinations. The rest of the main deck consists of a
bar, buffet eating area, lounge areas, office and library. The rig can
accommodate 51 guests in 25 rooms. Our room was basic, but quite comfortable,
with our own bathroom and thankfully air-conditioning.
After quickly assembly our underwater cameras we were off for our
orientation dive – right under the rig. Seaventures have four dive boats and
offer daily trips to Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai and a new site Siamil, and
unlimited diving under the rig. Staying on the rig was more like being on a huge
liveaboard boat and we managed between three to five dives daily.
With our dive brief out of the way we geared up and walked over to the
hydraulic lift for our ride to the dive site. What a way to start a dive, with
mask and fins on we were lowered straight into the water and just swam off and
descended.
The sandy/rocky bottom under the rig is 18m deep and packed with colourful
corals, artificial reef structures and home to an amazing array of marine life.
In the 12m visibility we saw gropers, schools of stripy snapper and fusiliers,
sweetlips, rock cod, lionfish, squirrelfish, angelfish, rabbitfish, batfish,
trevally and bumpheaded parrotfish to name but a few. Ben and Lori, our guides,
also pointed out a range of nudibranchs, mantis shrimps, ribbon eels, leaf
scorpionfish and more than a dozen crocodilefish. We had heard that the dive
under the rig was one of the best in the area and it certainly lived up to this
reputation.
Over the next week we dived under the rig many times, and each time seeing
something new, including a lovely red painted anglerfish, turtles, barracuda,
moray eels and even a stargazer on a night dive.
After the dive the lift was lowered for us to swim on and get transported
back to the main deck – just brilliant. There the dive staff took control of
our dive gear, changing tanks ready for the next dive. We hung up our wetsuits,
stored our mask and fins and headed straight over for lunch. The meals on the
rig were just superb, a range of Asian and western dishes served buffet style so
you could eat as much as you like.
With lunch consumed we explored more of the rig, checking out the rear
heli-pad - which is setup as a huge sundeck, the games room – with pool table,
table tennis, darts and other games and also a shop. The rig also has a very
strong Wifi signal, so you can keep in touch with the world – not much point
when you are in such a divers’ paradise.
We had a fantastic time on the Seaventures Dive Rig and did some
incredible dives around Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai and Siamil – but more on them
in the next issue of Dive Log. The rig is certainly rustic, and a little rusty
in places, and may not be to everyone’s taste, but we found it to be the
perfect platform to explore the wonderful dive sites of east
Article appeared in Dive Log No.270 January 2011