Level: Resort nearby
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Last updated on October 14, 2024
Police Beach is one of the most visited snorkeling spots on Gaya Island. This extensive location offers several snorkeling areas, mainly accessible during boat tours. The seabed is rocky rather than coral, but a large number of reef species can be observed at shallow depths.
Gaya is an island off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. Several boat shuttles take visitors to the island, with the option of stopping before or after on Pulau Sapi. The shuttle costs around RM25 for 1 island, and RM35 for 2 islands.
The swimming area near Padang Point landing stage, where the shuttle drops visitors off, is not really suited to snorkeling. The seabed is sandy, and visibility is poor. On the other hand, Police Beach, in the north of the island, is one of the best places in Gaya for underwater exploration.
To go snorkeling at Police Beach, you have two options:
You’ll enter the water either from your boat (if you’re visiting this spot by boat) or from Police Beach (if you’re staying at the Bungaraya Island Resort).
Police Beach Bay can be divided into 3 snorkeling areas. Zone 1, near the beach, is reserved for Bungaraya Island Resort guests. If you’re taking part in a boat trip, the guards won’t let you into this one.
Zones 2 and 3, on either side of the bay, are often visited by boat tours around Gaya.
The depth is shallow near the beach, but varies between 10 and 33 feet/3 and 10 meters on the reef zones far from the shore.
Police Beach corals are in average condition. The seabed is predominantly rocky, especially in areas away from the beach. In places, the rocks are colored with magnificent crinoids.
This spot is home to numerous anemonefish in their anemones, schools of parrotfish, several types of butterflyfish and groupers.
Pufferfish and porcupinefish are also abundant in the reef areas. On the rocks, octopus and lobster can be found well hidden in the scenery.
Small blacktip sharks also frequent the bay, but they are usually very shy.
This spot does experience episodes of jellyfish, but these are generally localized to small areas.
This spot is the house reef of the Bungaraya Island Resort. Lunch is generally included in day trips.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
