A paradise that sings to a tune of the waves beating the stilts of the hardwood-built resort, the moment you set foot on this Giligan’s island, you want to be marooned forever. The last island before the international border of Philippines, Mataking is made up of Mataking Besar and Mataking Kecil, roughly three times the size of Sipadan, which means, to take a stroll around the island would take about 2 hours. It’s only a 40 minutes boat ride away from the town of Semporna in Sabah.
Coming here with the expectation of finding the weirdest of critters and chancing upon unusual nudibranchs (brightly coloured sea slugs), I took to my underwater macro set up as soon as I had checked in. Walking through this real estate on a path paved with stones, lined with Pandanus and deciduous trees, the tranquil tropical island is a home to the terrestrial hermit crab called the Coconut Crab (Birgus latro). I knew there was something else to sustain my interest in between dives! The largest kind of hermit that grows to about 40cm in length with pincers so big, it can pry open the hardest of husks!!!
The scheduled three boat dives a day to Mataking, Mataking Kecil, Pandanan, Bohayan or sometimes Bohaydulang would be more than sufficient to tire you out as you drift with the currents in the channel, whizzing pass whips, fans and outcrops. With almost excellent visibility, Feather Stars and sponges thrive here with the ample supply of nutrients flowing through the water. These crinoids come in every colour of the spectrum and it’s such a sight to behold when the spread its arms making it look like a circular target.
Looking around this beautiful island, I couldn’t help but be enraptured by this feeling of being stranded. The thought of not having to wake up to a mad rush allowed me to anticipate the day with our dive plans.
I wanted to take a stroll across to Mataking Kecil and prepare to spend 6 hours being marooned when the tide rises to inundate the connecting sand ridge only to decide against the idea, as I would be missing my dives. Then I thought of paying a visit to the Peacock Sanctuary to see the magnificent feathers of these birds. The gleam on the feathers shining against the setting sun would be a perfect sight. However, I was too taken in by the breathtaking sight of this isle that I never made it pass the beach. The soft white sand was just too inviting to be doing anything else at that moment. If you do happen to go, you ought to grab your binoculars to watch other birds that seek shelter rest here. If you remain still, they might even let you get closer to take your identity shots.
The diving here is rather interesting as the Alice Channel brings more than just zooplanktons to feed the colonies. It has been known that even whale sharks swim in these waters right up to the jetty to check out a curious videographer. Once we immersed into the depths, we were immediately taken by the swift current to skirt the wall, a world of charm and colours beckoned me to capture them. Nudibranchs came in different shapes and sizes, some so big, you could not hold it with one hand. In the midst of wafting through walls, I found the rare Pikachu nudibranch from the Pokemon cartoon. It was barely half a centimetre. This yellow little fellow resembled all of the cartoon character, Pikachu. That really made my day.
With the advantage of prior sightings of certain critters, it was not very difficult to spot mantis shrimps and gobies that guard the burrows manned by their sidekick shrimps. And on night dives, life metamorphose to adapt to the twilight zone, Sea Pens emerging from their sandy abode, looking ever ready to be dipped in ink and written on paper, crabs forage for food and Crocodile Fish turn black to accommodate the darkness.
The abundance of food sustaining the ecosystem here is amazing. Frogfish grow to the size of footballs and Pegasus’ are out in full glory without the fear of predators. Corals are sparse in some areas affected by bomb fishing but the recovery has enticed other inhabitants to take over this devastated substrate. The result is a surprise to those who love macro photography.
In March 2006, the resort sank an old cargo ship as part of their conservation programme. A mailbox was placed on the front of the Captain’s cabin of this shipwreck. Divers can now post their letter underwater with a watertight seal that you can obtain from the concierge and complete with stamps, just send off your greetings in the most unusual way to anyone you want around the world! Of the 30+ dive sites around Mataking, it has to be the exhilarating drifts that create such an impression in my photographs – the motion blurness. Taking pictures became such a challenge.
When spending your surface intervals, you can always compete in a telematch game for some action or try your hand at ‘coconut bowling’ competition when the guest services team at the resort have their recreational games. Whatever you do, you will have an experience of a lifetime on this isle of mystery! Trek through the jungle to find bugs and such or jog around the island to soak in the morning mist, if you are timely, you may just meet with the elusive coconut crab!
The guided tours go around the island when the day gets cooler in the late afternoons and a climb up to the watchtower would give you a view of the panoramic surroundings day or night. Test your culinary skills in a cooking class or learn a dance step or two to sashay away or try your hand at handicraft lessons.
With eight executive chalets 24 deluxe rooms, the resort can accommodate 70 guests comfortably. Divers with non-diving spouses or partner will find the jacuzzi spa services totally invigorating! Even then, with the many activities lined up to let you get lost on this isle of imaginings, the private verandah in your room is as inviting as sleep itself. The spacious rooms make you feel right at home. Much of the relaxation I felt was surprisingly in the restaurant where I could indulge and immerse in the wonderful view of sunset against the horizon. Mataking is truly magical once you set foot here and the sand your feet pick up would cause you to reminisce a tropical paradise that is unsurpassed long after you surface from the crystal blue waters..
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