Kota Kinabalu is a perfect dive location for those who love macro! The diving here is very easy & you won’t need to go too deep to search different species of macro. Have you ever wondered what macro critters we have here? We have listed down 5 fascinating macro critters you can find diving off Kota Kinabalu.
Frogfish can be found when diving at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. They are considered one of the strangest looking fish in the water, however, they are also a master in hiding underwater. They camouflage themselves very well & are very good at adapting to their surroundings. They are able to hide from predators using their amazing disguise ability. Frogfish come in different shapes, colours & skin textures according to the surrounding environments that they live in. Some even resemble the coral or rock so very much that you won’t be able to tell the difference! Their amazing chameleon-like camouflage ability is useful when it comes to hunting. The potential prey like small fish will just swim past them without noticing the well-hidden frogfish until it’s too late.
As for divers, you will need to have a pair of eagle eyes to spot them! Having a dive guide who is familiar with the surrounding sea condition will come in handy in this situation. It is definitely a treat to be able to see frogfish underwater. The colour of frogfish can be varied throughout their lifecycle. Frogfish have contrasting colour, together with their weird-looking face, it makes them one of the popular photography subject for divers.
Blue-ringed octopus are small in size, however, they are definitely not as harmless as they look! This tiny creature can even fit into the palm of a human hand, but the venom that they carry is enough to kill a human and until now, there is no antidote for it. It is considered one of the most dangerous animals in the ocean. The blue-ringed octopus gets its name from the bright blue rings that appear when they are threatened.
Although the blue-ringed octopus is venomous, there have been very few reports of divers being bitten by them. They are usually hidden away in the morning and awake at night. It is perfectly safe to dive with them as long as you don’t go and provoke them. We often find them hidden among coral reefs, small stones & sandy bottoms.
The islands around Kota Kinabalu city are definitely some of the best spots for those who are nudibranch lovers! We can find many different types of nudibranch when diving around here.
Nudibranchs are one of the most sought-after subjects for underwater photography. This is because nudibranchs have very vibrant colours and come in different unique shapes. They move very slowly through the water however you often see them stationary, so divers have more time to photograph their beautiful side from the best angle. There are even some divers who head out to dive especially to find nudibranchs so that they can take pictures of them, and add into their collection!
When it comes to what creature is the hardest to spot, the seahorse is surely on the list! The types of seahorse that we find here are generally very tiny. Spotting a seahorse is like playing a searching game underwater. Seahorses live in shallow areas and often in seagrass beds.
Seahorses have a very unique appearance, they have a horselike head, prehensile tail, independently moving eyes, and brood pouch. As they are not very good swimmers, divers are still able to get that perfect shot of them even when they are super small.
The cuttlefish is another macro critter that you can see when diving at Kota Kinabalu. Cuttlefish will release a cloud of ink when they feel threatened, which gives them some time to escape. Besides, cuttlefish is another king of camouflage. They often bury themselves into the sandy bottom, leaving only their eyes exposed. Other than that, cuttlefish can change colour too according to their surroundings, which makes it harder for us to find it! You can easily miss them if you are not being cautious. But no worries, our expert dive guides will show you exactly where to find them when you are diving with us.
Do you want to explore the macro diving around Kota Kinabalu? Contact us today!
