House Reef

House Reef is a muck dive site located directly in front of the jetty at Mabul Island, Malaysia, in the shallow waters just below the pier. The reef has been enhanced by artificial structures — wrecks and metal constructions — installed by local dive operators, which have encouraged a dense concentration of marine life and led the site to be compared to a miniature version of Sipadan.

The site runs from 5 m to 25 m depth, giving Open Water-certified divers a broad range of the water column to explore. Visibility is typically around 10 m. The bottom combines the artificial reef structures with the surrounding muck-dive environment, making it equally rewarding for shallow critter hunting and slightly deeper exploration.

Marine life at House Reef is notably varied for its size. Macro subjects include frogfish, harlequin shrimp, seahorses, porcelain crabs, squat lobsters, nudibranchs, leaf fish, and ghost pipefish, while blue-ringed octopus are present and should be treated with caution. Larger animals include giant morays, sea turtles, giant stingrays, and large schools of trevally. The site is productive year-round and is considered an excellent destination for underwater photographers.