 Interactive map of Mantanani Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 6°42′30″N116°20′45″E / 6.70833°N 116.34583°E /6.70833; 116.34583 |
| Administration | |
| State |  Sabah |
| Division | Kudat |
| District | Kota Belud |
TheMantanani Islands (Malay:Pulau Mantanani) are a group of three islands off the north-west coast of the state ofSabah,Malaysia, opposite the town ofKota Belud, in northernBorneo. The largest island is Mantanani Besar; the other two are Mantanani Kecil and Lungisan. It is a popular site forrecreational diving and is known for itsdugongs.[1]
The name of the island is a compound ofUbian word "manta" (blanket) and "Nani" (the name of a mighty man who fought the enemies that owned the blanket).[2]
Forbirdwatchers, the Mantanani Islands are great for seeing birds that usually nest on islands, because of their relative lack of terrestrial predators, and are rarely or unpredictably seen on the mainland. There are several trails through the centre of the Mantanani Besar island in addition to open beaches along the coasts where birds can be spotted. Mantanani Besar is the only place in Malaysia to see theMantanani scops owl. The islands are also home to four breeding pigeon species that include thepied imperial pigeon,grey imperial pigeon,pink-necked green pigeon andmetallic pigeon. TheNicobar pigeon andblack-naped fruit dove visit the island occasionally from the mainland.Emerald doves can also be seen on the island. Mantanani Besar is also home to thePhilippine megapode, which thrive in the coastal forests. Three species of sunbird have been recorded on the islands; thebrown-throated sunbird, thered-throated sunbird and theolive-backed sunbird. Theblue-naped parrot is locally extinct. Lungisan Island has a nesting cave colony ofGermain's swiftlets and is an important roost for three species offrigatebirds. Other seabirds that can be seen around the islands is thebrown booby and theblack-naped tern.[3]
The islands are accessible by a one-hourspeedboat trip from Kuala Abai jetty, Kota Belud, 80 km north-east ofKota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. Sometimes the islands can be inaccessible to tourists due to stormy weather. Mantanani Besar contains a number of small resorts, catering mainly toscuba divers, and Mantanani Kechil has a small dive lodge.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
