House Reef
House Reef is very good for muck diving.
You will be looking for camouflaged creatures: Ghost pipefish, Seahorses, leaf fish, etc.
Mabul's House Reef, just off the SMART jetty, is the island's always-open muck diving classroom: 5 to 25 metres of sand, rubble and structure where the game is spotting what's pretending not to be there. Ghost pipefish hanging like drifting weed, seahorses curled on whatever they can grip, leaf fish swaying with the surge — the roll call changes daily, which is exactly why guides dive it on their days off. The costs are set out on Mabul Budget Longhouse.
Ghost pipefish on tap: why the house reef matters
What makes a house reef valuable isn't glamour, it's access. This is where unlimited-dive packages earn their keep: an extra tank between boat trips, a slow solo-buddy wander at your own pace, the night dive that turns the same terrain into a different site entirely. Depth is whatever you choose, entries are trivial, and 10-metre visibility is plenty when nothing you're looking for is more than an arm's length away. If you need a bed on that side of the water, we have a page on Roach Reefs Resort.
Ask your guide: the cheapest upgrade on the island
Our tip for getting the most from it: dive it early in your stay and tell the guides what you found — then let them show you what you swam past. Every guide on this island keeps a mental map of the House Reef's current residents, updated daily, and it's the cheapest guiding upgrade you'll ever get.
Contact us about Mabul stays with house-reef access included — for muck divers it changes the maths of the whole trip.
Contact us to dive at House Reef
- Depth
- 5-25 metres
- Visibility
- 10 metres (33 feet)
- Location
- Just off the Smart Jetty.
| Dive site | Min depth | Max depth | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocodile Avenue | 5m 16ft | 20m 66ft | OW |
| Lobster Wall | 25m 82ft | 40m 131ft | OW |
| Ray Point | 5m 16ft | 15m 49ft | OW |
| Seaventures | 12m 39ft | 18m 59ft | OW |
| House Reef | 10m 33ft | 15m 49ft | OW |
| Eel Garden | 5m 16ft | 25m 82ft | OW |
| Froggy Lair | 5m 16ft | 10m 33ft | OW |
| Paradise | 5m 16ft | 10m 33ft | OW |
Divers: book your Sipadan permits in advance!
