Introduction
This website aims to cover shipwrecks located from Kuching to Kudat that have either been dived the author, Terry Dukes, himself or by people whom he trusts well enough not to give false or misleading information to other divers who wish to explore these wrecks.
Accurate GPS coordinates will be provided for the wrecks using the WGPS84 system. This may annoy some divers or dive shop owners who wish to keep their wreck locations a secret, but I have built have built this website in order to share information and help others who have an independent desire to explore and are fed up with people telling them “oh no, there are no wrecks around here”, or being told how difficult it is to find certain wrecks! In this regard, I would greatly appreciate information from anyone who dives a wreck in North Borneo that I have not mentioned, or better still, an invitation for me to dive the wreck myself!
Even though this website intends to cover wrecks from Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan Federal Territory and Sabah, my main knowledge is of Brunei and wrecks near Kota Kinabalu, but my research of this area (North Borneo) shows it's surrounding seas to be littered with wrecks especially from the World War II era. They can be found in such places off Kuching, Bintulu, Miri and Kudat and range from Dutch Submarine “K-XVI”, which was sunk after it had sunk “IJN Sagiri” whilst defending Kuching from Japanese invasion on December 24th 1941, to the illusive Japanese IJN Long Lancer, “Shinonome” sunk by Dutch bombers somewhere off Miri. These are but a few wrecks that people have looked for but never found... yet! Or maybe they have and just aren't telling.
Currently residing in Kota Kinablau, I wish to continue my exploration, research and diving of known wrecks and trying to find new ones, bringing together and sharing a wealth of information which could help other divers and promote wreck diving in this area.
Any information you may have regarding a North Borneo Shipwreck would be gratefully received and credited. Please contact me at terry_dukes@hotmail.com