Paradise

Paradise (also referred to as Paradise 1 and Paradise 2) comprises two shallow sand-slope dive sites off the northern side of Mabul Island, Malaysia, located right off the water bungalows of the resorts there. The terrain at both sites consists of gently sloping sandy bottoms scattered with sunken wooden boats and thickets of staghorn coral. Paradise 1 is characterised by a relatively flat sandy bottom with scattered sunken wooden boats and staghorn coral gardens, with depths typically between 5 m and 15 m. Paradise 2's dominant feature is a 12-metre wooden boat intentionally sunk to create a reef base, now heavily encrusted with crinoids and surrounded by dense staghorn coral formations, sloping down to 21 m. Wreck penetration at Paradise 2 is strictly prohibited due to the boat's small size and degrading structural integrity.

Paradise 1 is best known for its resident mandarinfish population, which emerges most evenings around 17:00 from the staghorn coral branches to perform a twisting upward mating dance — a fixture for visiting photographers. By day, both sites yield frogfish, ghost pipefish, and octopus in the crevices, while the sandy stretches at Paradise 1 are frequented by blue-spotted mask rays and whiptail rays. At Paradise 2, a resident giant grouper is regularly found within the wreck structure, and ornate ghost pipefish and squat lobsters hide among the crinoids; schools of batfish and fusiliers congregate above the sunken boat. Nudibranchs are found across both sites.

Both sites are reached by a short boat ride from Mabul's resorts. At Paradise 1, divers arrive by boat for the evening dusk display and settle over a patch of staghorn coral ahead of the 17:00 emergence; the site can become busy with photographers from across the island simultaneously. Daytime dives are better suited for exploring the wreck at Paradise 2. Pointing sticks on living substrate are strictly prohibited across the island, and a slow frog kick is essential to avoid disturbing the fine volcanic sand and fragile corals.