Snorkelling at Manukan
clown anemonefish (nemo)
One of the best activities at Manukan island is of course snorkelling, and it is also very affordable. All you need is a few equipment like mask, snorkel and fin, and you are ready to jump into the sea and snorkel away. For those who want to be more cautious, just put on a life jacket and it will help you to float and ease your swimming effort. If you don’t have these equipment, no worry, they can be rented at the various jetties in Kota Kinabalu, namely Jesselton Point, Beach Bums, and Sutera Harbour, while on your way to the island.
Manukan Island has a big coral area, the size of a football field, at its north east corner. With clear sea water, shallow coral reef, and the warm weather, you can snorkel for hours here looking at the many interesting tropical fish and corals. Just watch out for the strong sun, sunburn is not fun. At any given day one can spot as many as 30 species of tropical fish. If you are lucky enough you might spot one or two turtles on the outer skirt of the reef. Some of the popular and colourful residential fish at Manukan are clownfish (nemo), butterflyfish and parrot fish. To find the clownfish, one has to look for the sea anemone a kind of coral. Clownfish live among the tentacles of the sea anemone, the only fish that not get stung by the sea anemone tentacles.
