Beach Reef

Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Borneo Island, Malaysiashore

Explore more dive sites in Malaysia

Conditions & tides

Satellite view of Beach Reef

Beach ReefGaya Island

Good · 5/5

© Esri

conditions visualisation

Good5/5

Calm and diveable right now — best window today 8 AM–6 PM.

Wind6 kn ENE

Current~0.3 kn W · model

Swell

0.3 m · 5s · WNW

Water

31 °C

Conditions through the day

7 AM7 PM

Calmest current near slack — 04:15 PM & 03:00 AM local

Sunrise 06:04 AM · Sunset 06:10 PM local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.3 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Beach Reef sits off Gaya Island, part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu on Borneo's northwest shore. It is a shore dive reached within the sheltered waters of the marine park, a short boat ride from the mainland. Divers here have reported an unusually wide range of macro subjects, including flying gurnard, ghost pipefish and ornate ghost pipefish, hairy frogfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, seahorses, and both mimic octopus and octopus more broadly, making it a spot worth slowing down on for critter hunting.

AI overview

Marine life here

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

Mimic octopusMimic octopusReported here · unconfirmed
OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
Ornate ghost pipefishOrnate ghost pipefishReported here · unconfirmed
ScorpionfishScorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
Flying gurnardFlying gurnardReported here · unconfirmed
Hairy frogfishHairy frogfishReported here · unconfirmed
Ghost pipefishGhost pipefishReported here · unconfirmed
SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed
LionfishLionfishReported here · unconfirmed
Ocellaris AnemonefishAmphiprion ocellarisReported here · unconfirmed
Spine-cheek ClownfishAmphiprion biaculeatusReported here · unconfirmed
Scissortail SergeantAbudefduf sexfasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
Moon WrasseThalassoma lunareReported here · unconfirmed
Greenblotch ParrotfishScarus quoyiReported here · unconfirmed
Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
Zebra LionfishDendrochirus zebraReported here · unconfirmed
Eightband ButterflyfishChaetodon octofasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
Blackspotted PufferArothron nigropunctatusReported here · unconfirmed
Floral Maori WrasseCheilinus chlorourusReported here · unconfirmed

Diver notes

Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.

No notes yet. Dived here? Be the first to leave a tip.

Contribute to this site

Share a write-up or a photo. Submissions are reviewed before they appear on the page.

0/4000 (min 40)

Nearby dive sites

Sapi ReefSabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Borneo Island, Malaysia0.3 km Nudi GardenSabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Sinjataan, Borneo Island, Malaysia0.5 km Ron's ReefSabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Sinjataan, Borneo Island, Malaysia0.6 km Gps PointSabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Sinjataan, Borneo Island, Malaysia0.7 km Ev GardenSabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Borneo Island, Malaysia0.7 km Turtle HouseSabah, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island, Borneo Island, Malaysia0.8 km

Shops that dive here

No shops have listed this site yet.