Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

Saving Kota Kinabalu’s underwater refuge - SilverKris

"A compact marine reserve teeming with snorkelling and diving life, noted for colourful coral formations and abundant fish — from clownfish and sergeant majors to parrotfish, moon wrasse, fusiliers and occasional larger visitors such as reef sharks, rays and the odd whale shark or barracuda. Its reefs are easily accessible from the nearby city by a short boat ride, making day trips popular, but proximity to urban development has brought threats including sunscreen pollution, illegal fishing, discarded refuse and river run-off. Management and community efforts have stepped up in response: regular reef monitoring, rubbish collection, reef-restoration projects, daily patrols and marine-education programmes aim to protect habitats, and recent state and NGO initiatives target destructive fishing and unsustainable shark-product consumption." - Sanjay Surana