Name : Mabini Padre
Type : Stern Trawler
Dimensions : L80 m, B12 m, DR6 m (approx)
Year Built : Unknown
Built By : Unknown

This wreck lies northeast of Kuraman Island and is 34 km from Labuan. It gets its name from the very clear ‘blue’ waters it lies. Of all the wrecks, this one has the best visibility. The wreck is the ‘MABINI PADRE’, a large Philippines fishing trawler, which caught fire and sank in 1981. It is an interesting site for divers as it is completely intact. It also supports a wealth of marine life like soft corals, grouper and bat fish.

Name : MV Tung Hwuang
Type : Freighter
Dimensions : L92 m, W15 m, DR7 m
Year Built : Unknown
Built By : Unknown

The “TUNG HWANG” is a freighter that sank while transporting cement to Brunei for the Sultan’s new palace. It hit the Samarang Bank and sank as it tried to reach Labuan for repairs. Fortunately, no lives were lost. The wreck now lies east of Kuraman Island and just 21 km from Labuan. It has settled in an upright position. It is the easiest wreck to navigate, making it ideal for training in wreck diving. Divers can swim around in the cargo hold and docks. There is a great variety of marine life to be found here including barracuda, turtles, lion fish and reef fish. Soft and hard corals grow on the surface of the wreck, which makes this the best Labuan wreck for underwater photography.

Divers Testimonial

Name : USS Salute
Type : US Navy Minesweeper
Dimensions : L184 ft, B33 ft, DR9 ft
Year Built : 1943
Built By : Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Co. Seattle, Washington DC, USA

This wreck lies south-east of Rusukan Kecil Island, 1.4 km away from the Australian wreck and about 24 km from Labuan. It is the “USS SALUTE”, a US Navy Minesweeper built in Seattle, Washington in 1943. It was first put into service in Hawaii in 1944 escorting convoys between Pearl Harbor and several ports in the Far East. Later it was involved in intense action, providing protection for anti-aircraft vessels and submarine, as well as minesweeping. After several minesweeping operations in the Philippines, the ship began operating in Brunei Bay where it struck a mine in 1945. Nine US sailors lost their lives when she sank.

Name : SS De KLERK
Type : Cargo/Passenger Steamer
Dimensions : L85 m, B12 m, DR6 m (approx)
Year Built : 1900
Built By : Unknown

This wreck lies south west of Rusukan Besar Island about 23 km from Labuan and is anything but Australian. It is the wreck of a cargo and passenger steamer originally named SS De KLERK, built in Amsterdam in 1990 and plying what was then the Dutch West Indies. During World War II the Dutch scuttled the ship to prevent it from falling into Japanese hands. But the Japanese salvaged the ship and renamed it the ‘Imbari Maru’. In 1949 while on a voyage to Manila it struck a mine off Labuan and sank. 339 passengers lost their lives, mostly workers and prisoners of war. The wreck lies on the sea bed under 21 meters of water. Experienced divers will enjoy exploring the interior of the wreck. Others will appreciate the variety of marine life around it, including soft corals, lion fish and seldom-seen frog fish. It is a good subject for underwater photography.

Area: 95 sq. km.

Land Use: 56% developed.

Population (2000): The Population of Labuan is 76,067 comprising 40,837 males and 35,230 females.

Religion: Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. Freedom of worship is guaranteed. Places of worship for Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists are available.

Language: Bahasa Malaysia is the national Language (Mostly in Kedayan-Brunei Slang). However English, a variety of Chinese dialects and Tamil are widely spoken.

Telecommunication: Two ground satellite connection 217 countries, International toll free service to Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, USA and China. Fibre Optic cable network with 32,000 lines capacity and only 13,474 subscribers.

Education: The Island has 41 Pre-Schools, 46 Kindergartens, 17 Primary Schools, 11 Religious Schools (Primary), 9 Secondary Schools, 1 Technical Training Institute, 1 Matriculation College, 1 University, 1 International School and 1 International College.

Healthcare: 1 Hospital with 109 beds; 11 Rural Clinics, 12 Private Clinics and 4 Dental Clinics.

Hotel Rooms: 1,126 rooms. (Refer to Labuan Accomodation List)

Resource taken from www.labuantourism.com.my