Panglima Reef, Mabul, Sabah

Site Overview
Site Type: Scenic natural reef with plenty of small critters
Depth: Top: 5M Median: 15M Bottom: 21M
Location: Just south of the western tip of Mabul's fringing reef

Panglima Reef is a gently sloping dive site with an enormous variety of marine life. It varies from a coral covered reef top down to a rocky and sandy slope with coral clusters and sponges. Expect to see everything from the biggest turtle to tiniest nudi.

At the top of the reef it looks a bit like this:

School of cornetfish diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

It’s the kind of place you could find a big old Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill Turtle diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

Right next to a Streaked Chromodoris

Streaked Chromodoris diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by DiveplanitStreaked Chromodoris diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

On the reef itself you’ll find coral next to sponge next to tunicates.

Reef scene with sponge tubes diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

Camouflaged in their own special way and usually just lying there in plain sight, you’ll find a Crocodile flathead

Crocodile flathead diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

Or a slender or clouded lizardfish.

A slender or clouded lizardfish diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

This is what the Lined Nembrotha looks like when he’s out and about.

Lined Nembrotha diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

As this is a pair of Lined Nembrotha concentrating hard on something else (by the looks of it).

Pair of Lined Nembrotha giving a high five diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

I caught this pair of Fire Dartfish just as the first had decided to make a break for his sandy hole.

Pair of Fire Dartfish diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

This female Solor Boxfish was hoping I’d pass by without me noticing.

Female Solor Boxfish diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

I was, at first, too busy with the Cockscomb Oyster just above her.

Cockscomb Oyster diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

Meanwhile nearby, this sponge, a quite simple lifeform, was creating a modern art in tubes.

Modern art in tubes diving Panglima Reef at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit