Ribbon Valley, Mabul, Sabah

Site Overview
Dive Centres
Site Type: Scenic natural reef with lots of nooks and crannies
Depth: Top: 5M Bottom: 18M

Ribbon Valley Mabul is a gently shelving natural reef with an amazing biodiversity: all kinds of reef fish, bubble coral shrimps and hairy squat lobsters, plus worms (Christmas Tree Worms) and nudis,  – though probably named for the Ribbon eels – we did see a male, and a couple of juveniles.

Ribbon eel male diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

We also saw a Leopard wrasse – not exactly your everyday wrasse – well not where I’m from!

Leopard wrasse diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

The Hairy squat lobster is referred to locally as the orang-utan lobster. If you look top right you’ll also see a bubble coral shrimp.

Hairy squat lobster left; bubble coral shrimp right diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

“Make mine a double” – my first ever whiptail and a Double whiptail toboot!

Double whiptail diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

 

Sixth species so far: the six fingered seastar.

TBI six fingered seastar diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

And seventh: Christmas tree worms

Christmas tree worms diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

The diversity of this site is amazing. Most blennies sit quietly on the sand, this one- the Striped Fangblenny – is an ambusher – strikes from nowhere and takes a bite out of its prey. Doesn’t kill the host through, so …

Striped Fangblenny diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

Kubaryana’s Nembrotha: as pretty slugs go … quite a catch. Why aren’t land slugs this pretty? Maybe because there are no birds in the ocean.

Kubaryanas Nembrotha diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

Ocellated Phyllidia on steroids.

Ocellated Phyllidia diving Ribbon Valley at Mabul Sabah Malaysia by Diveplanit

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