The marine park is a cluster of islands comprising Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sulug, It covers an area of 4,929 hectares of which two thirds is sea. The Park lying from 3-8 kilometer off Kota Kinabalu and all only 10 ‑ 20 minute speedboat ride from the city of Kota Kinabalu. The five islands of the Marine Park are characterized by shallow waters, sumptuous coral gardens and all boast splendid white sandy beaches.

The reefs lie in shallow waters with little current making it an ideal location for novice divers, however, the diverse and sometimes rare marine creatures also make it an interesting dive location for experienced divers and underwater photographers. To dive on the marine park you must contact one of the local dive centers based in Kota Kinabalu who also offer a full variety of PADI courses rangingfrom Discover Scuba to Instructor.

Amongst the sandy seabed a good variety of marine life can be found such as scorpionfish, blue‑spotted rays, cuttlefish, mantis shrimps and the occasional green or hawksbill turtle. At some locations, rare creatures such as harlequin ghost pipefish and mandarinfish can be found especially with the help from local dive guides.

During the cooler months from November to February, plankton blooms attract krill which in turn attract whale sharks, the worlds largest fish. At times the density of the krill can be so thick, in these murky conditions underwater encounters with these colossal animals can be exciting as they suddenly appear out of the gloom.


History

In 1882 there was a trading settlement on Pulau Gaya set up by the British North Borneo Chartered Company which was later moved to the mainland, now known as Kota Kinabalu. In 1974, the major part of Pulau Gaya and the whole of Pulau Sapi was gazetted as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, covering an area of 8,990 acres (3,638 hectares). In 1979 it was increased to 12,185 acres (4,929 hectares) with the inclusion of the 3 nearby islands Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sulug.


Climate

The islands can be visited all year round. Temperatures are between 23.8 - 29.4 degrees Celsius and humidity remains relatively high throughout the year.


Geology

The islands, underlaid by folded sandstone and sedimentary rock, are part of the Crocker Range Rock Formation of the western coast od Sabah. Towards the end of the Ice Age about a million years ago, changes in sea level occurred, resulting in portions of the mainland being cut off by the sea, thus forming the islands as we know today. Exposed sandstone outcrops still feature the coasts of most of these islands forming cliffs, caves, honeycombs and deep crevasses along the shore.