Great Blue Wall - Sabah's Hidden gem
Published on: Sunday, September 03, 2023
By: Mohd Izham bin Hashim
The Blue Wall of Darvel Bay; remnants of a deep-water shipping point used by the British to store harvested timber logs. Picture courtesy of Ashgive TV.
Kota Kinabalu: Besides breathtaking dive sites and rich marine life, the Great Blue Wall of Darvel Bay is another unique manmade attraction set to become the next tourist hotspot on the east coast of Sabah.
Called “The Great Wall” by local fishermen who frequent the area, the mysterious manmade pathway, perched on a rocky outcrop between Bohayan and Tanah Islands that extend into the azure waters of the Sulu Sea, is a relic of Sabah’s logging heritage dating back to the British colonial rule.
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“This place is more than just a unique landmark; it is inextricably linked to Sabah’s logging legacy, since it was built by the British as a deep-water shipping point to store ready-for-export timber logs as large ships were unable to approach the shore due to shallow waters,” said senior lecturer of Universiti Teknologi Mara Sabah, Dr Spencer Mogindol.
According to him, this hidden gem has the potential to be promoted as a new ecotourism attraction in Darvel Bay which boasts many unique dive sites, including the breathtakingly beautiful Madai limestone cave systems.
He said the “Great Wall”, which can be viewed from Google Earth, is actually located at the Tabawan cluster of islands.
“In fact, this place is unique because it’s a manmade structure that is steeped in history,” said Dr Spencer while presenting his research paper on ecotourism potential of Darvel Bay during the Scientific Seminar on Mamut and Darvel Bay recently.
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During the expedition to the Wall, he noted the research team learnt the boulders used to construct the Wall came from Silam quarry, but further study is needed.
Dr spencer presenting his research paper.
The “Blue Wall” location between Bohayan Island and Pulau Tanah seen from Google Earth.
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Interestingly, he pointed both Lahad Datu and Kunak districts are high prized for logging activity since the British colonial rule until present day.
“So, vast quantities of harvested timber logs were brought to the Wall where they were stockpiled until they were collected by large foreign ships from Japan, Australia and more,” said Dr Spencer.
Also, he said, there were even historical photographs of how logs were collected by steam tugboats belonging to the British Borneo Timbers operating at Bohayan Island in 1952 at Darvel Bay.
He said the importance of the facility to logging activities during the era was further reinforced by photographs of Japanese vessels arriving at Bohayan Island to collect harvested timber logs.
“We hope tourism players and relevant agencies can explore opportunities to promote Darvel Bay’s underwater Blue Wall as a new tourist attraction,” said Dr Spencer.
Expanding further, he said tour operators and the local community should also be equipped with the necessary information to promote the Blue Wall as a new tourism product.
While Darvel Bay has strong potential for ecotourism, Dr Spencer underlined the sector is still hampered by limited tourism infrastructure and services, limited accessibility for international visitors, overfishing and littering as well as marine littering.
He said the presence of crocodiles is also a major concern, with 12 crocodile attacks which resulted in eight fatalities between 2020 and 2022.
“While managing wild crocodiles is difficult, preventative measures can be implemented to minimise human-croc conflict such as setting up sufficient warning signs, designated safe zones for water activities or relocating crocodiles from tourist areas,” said Dr Spencer.
He also suggested Darvel Bay attractions be linked with more popular destinations such as Semporna as a tour package to attract more tourists.
In expressing his appreciation, Dr Spencer thanked Sabah Parks and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the opportunity to be part of the research expedition to Darvel Bay.
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