KOTA KINABALU: There are at least 70 shipwrecks in Sabah’s northern Tip of Borneo that can become tourism draws for wreck diving in the area, dive operators believe.

       Blue Fin Surf and Dive founder Camuel Tsen said the wrecks are believed to have historical value as based on reports, at least 35 of them were from the 10th to 20th century.

       He added that dive operators were keen to assist in developing wreck diving as one of the state’s tourism products.

       He said wreck diving could be another added attraction for the Tip of Borneo, which has gained popularity for diving and surfing.

       Prior to Covid-19 lockdowns, it was the annual venue for the Sunset Musical Festival.

       Tsen said he and fellow divers often heard talk from residents and read reports about wrecks in the northern waters, which served as the main South-East Asia maritime route via the South China Sea and Sulu Sea for over 1,000 years.

       “There are a lot of stories of wrecks in Kudat but they are only stories. They have not been explored properly and no photos or video evidence have been seen until now.

       “Finding wrecks would greatly boost the diving potential of Kudat and turn it into a prominent diving destination for Sabah,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       Last week, Tsen, along with divers from Blue Fin and Tommy’s Place, found part of a crane vessel off Batuan Mandi island near Tindakon Dazang Beach.

       The team took a 30-minute boat ride from the Tip of Borneo to reach the site.

       With standard air tanks, they could only explore the wreckage for about 10 minutes at a depth of 30m.

       Tsen said the wreckage, which is about 25m long, was covered by nets and huge fish were found swimming within the structure.

       He said they learnt about the wreck from local residents who had seen another part of it at a 10m depth while they were fishing. The residents said the structure sank about 20 years ago.

       “With the help of the sonar system from our boat, we managed to locate the wreckage,” he said, adding that he believed other parts would be nearby.

       Tsen, who is also a diving instructor, said March and early June would be the best time to do an exploration as the weather is better, the sea is usually calm, and there is good water visibility.

       It would take about two weeks to obtain comprehensive data about a wreck.

       He added that they were hoping for funds, which would enable them to continue exploring and discovering other wrecks.