The area should not, however, be ignored. In the first few metres, shrimp larvae swarm in the low evening tides of Summer and form a useful catch for the local fisherman. Jellyfish are also occasional visitors with occurrences of Semaeostomiae or.,  throughout the year. The Portugese Man o'war, Siphonofora or., can appear in their hundreds in the early north-east monsoon months of the year. Box jellyfish, Cubomedusa or., are rare but occasionally are found both free swimming and washed up onto the beach where they still represent a serious danger.

Ampa Patches

The old Ampa Light was the site of BSP's first offshore exploration well in 1959. This reef is far better than Chearnley. The corals are more diverse with huge bommies and plate corals. There are many more reef fish as well and roaming schools (25+) of brown parrot fish were observed (12th May 2007). If the pictures' colours look a bit forced, that was simply to rid the scene of the green hue caused by the thin but effective layer of Baram water washed over in the SW monsoonal drift.

Ampa Light was one of Brunei's first artificial reefs placed as a warning beacon on the extensive Ampa Patches. Near the beacon are the remains of the drilling derrick.

Ampa Light, guardian of the Ampa Patches

Chearnley Shoals

A glance at the map below reveals the disposition of the reefs accessible to Panaga Divers. It also explains why diving on the platforms is so popular. They are phenomenal artificial reefs; and compared to the natural reefs, they are half the distance from KB, which makes for far easier trips. Nevertheless, there was a period when diving on the platforms was temporarily prohibited and the club was forced to explore the reefs in greater detail than before.

One of the most striking features about the reefs, is how different they are from the platforms situated only 16 km to the west. The reefs are covered in a healthy diversity of hard corals, however, apart from fusilier fish, schools of which are common, there is a distinct lack of fish and the species distribution is quite different.

On the platforms, both reef fish and pelagics are seen in abundance, however, hard corals are limited to the Tubastrea sp.

Chearnley Scenery on the 10m plateau

Nevertheless, Chearnley makes for a pleasant dive. It has an extensive 10 km2 plateau top lying between nine and 11 metres, and if the divers are dropped with consideration to the current a long, shallow drift dive may be enjoyed.

White tips (left; Otterspool Rock - 1994) and nurse sharks are rare but sometimes glimpsed as they vanish just beyond the edge of visibility. On one dive, a nurse shark was seen hiding beneath a table coral. Joking we entered a location called 'shark' on our GPS. On the next visit to Chearnley, several days later, the shark was till there!       

South of Chearnley Shoals, lie a number of subsidiary, deeper ridges peaking at about 20 metres in the extreme south (Marlin Reef) to13 metres closer to the main body of the shoal.

Their presence on the echo-sounder can be observed as the boat approaches Chearnley. About a mile from the body of Chearnley you pass over a ridge that rises from 30 metres abruptly to 26 and then up to around 19 - 20 metres. The ridges are only a few hundred metres long and are far more like the Terumbu's Kecil, than Chearnley itself. Each of these reefs have their own character.

Marlin Reef  (4^o 49.678’ N  114^o 18.394’ E) is characterised by gorgonian fans and whip corals (right). The reef is intersected by numerous sand gullies.

Marlin Reef

Fairley Patches lies a lengthy 21 miles from the Fairway Buoy, lying to the south-west of Ampa Patches. It is a typical Brunei reef, with good and diverse corals, but not many fish.

It certainly has its own character. It is about two miles long and a few hundred metres wide. The shallowest areas lie in typical Chearnley-style plateaus at 11 - 12 metres (HW), there being two distinct areas north and south with a deeper reef in between. At the edges, the reef has far more topography than Chearnley with channels and some quite steep drop-offs of five metres or so. A sandy bottom surrounds the reef at about 27 metres. Towards the edges, there are gorgonian fans but very few whip corals. The example on the right is a dead gorgonian, colonised by Dendronephthya on top and Acanthagorgia beneath. It lies right at the NE corner of the southern reef area.

There are patches of stag-horn coral (Acropora sp.,)covering bomb damage that looks to be old.

Fairley Christmas Tree

1st May 2005:

Judging by reports from the divers on the 1st May 2005, the trip is most definitely worth the journey !!! 

Look at these stunning shots from Steve Holyoak, whose camera battery sadly expired just before (apparently) even better shots could be taken.

The offshore platforms of the Brunei Shell are, of course, well documented artificial reefs and at 'Two Fathom Rock' up beyond Jerudong, lies BSP's first disposal area for platforms. This amazing resting ground hosts half a dozen large structures and is a magnet, as was intended, for the local fishermen and divers. The platforms' upper surfaces are covered in dendronephthya soft corals, and reef fish can be found in abundance. To the north of the structures lies a real coral reef and this can be seen from the platforms. The whole affair is a giant playground for divers!

This reef has more fish life than it's neighbour, we saw a black-tip reef shark in 2003. Even a clown triggerfish was photographed. A pair of marbled rays were observed in April 2005. Blue-spotted stingrays have been logged on all dives. The reef drops to 37 metres at its edges, the northern of which is quite steep and a useful spot for some early season depth experience. Gorgonians and whip coral abound, but not in the same abundance as Utara.

With the exception of Layang Layang, the club has visited all of these areas. The trip must not be underestimated since the furthest reef, Dogtooth, lies 150 n.miles offshore (nearly a third of the way to Vietnam). The only shelter lies in the lee of the three oceanic reefs that just break the sea surface. 

On returning to KB, the powers-that-be told us that 'Hamidah' was unsuitable for such a voyage. In view of her present state, perhaps they had a point.

The 17 metre Zoe looks more suited for a Thames cruise than a voyage across 3 km deep oceans; but it can be done with careful study of the weather, and at the right time of year. 

One anchor remains and the visibility and coral is as stunning as ever. The fish life is not over abundant, however, reef sharks were seen on most dives despite the depredations of the previous years.