Drawing the shipwrecks of Brunei

When it comes to unusual tasks, Anuar Abdullah’s work might be at the top of the list.

The Malaysian artist and coral preservationist has spent recent months exploring the waters off Brunei, sketching the remains of sunken vessels.

Last year, Poni Divers in Brunei commissioned Abdullah to capture the haunting collection of over 30 shipwrecks scattered across the waters.

From the 1942 Australian Wreck – a Dutch steamer sunk by a Japanese mine – to the 1945 American Wreck, a casualty of World War II, each site offers a distinctive diving adventure.

“Southeast Asia truly stands as the diving hub of the world – people travel from all corners of the globe to dive in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia,” says Thye Sing Wong, founder of Poni Divers, to Dinogo.

“Most people aren’t aware that Brunei offers diving opportunities. But some of the world’s finest dive sites are right here.”

An underwater adventure

From shallow wrecks to massive sunken giants at depths of up to 230 feet, the shipwrecks scattered across Brunei’s seabed reveal the rich maritime history of the sultanate.

“Many of these wrecks are natural, with deep historical significance from World War II (when Brunei Bay was a battleground between US and Japanese ships),” says Wong. “We also have a sunken oil rig, a joint effort between local fisheries and Brunei Shell Petroleum to decommission it.”

The sketches, he explains, serve to promote Brunei as a premier diving destination while also acting as underwater maps, helping his team provide divers with clear briefings on the submerged areas they will explore.

“At well-established dive destinations, you’ll always find maps of the dive sites on display,” says Wong.

“This allows you to clearly explain where to enter the water, where the wreck is located, and how to safely return to the surface.”

This process is particularly crucial for divers in Brunei, where underwater visibility can be limited due to brown waters from silty rivers flowing into Brunei Bay.

On a good day, divers in Brunei may have visibility up to 66 feet, while in the Philippines, visibility of 150 feet is common.

Artist at work

This isn't the first time Brunei’s shipwrecks have been captured in sketches. In the 1980s and 90s, some of the more famous wrecks were illustrated by the Brunei Sub Aqua Dive Club.

Brunei Facts

Almost 25 years later, Wong decided it was time to refresh the artwork.

Meet Abdullah, a Malaysian sketch artist and the founder of the coral restoration initiative Ocean Quest Global. This seasoned diver began sketching shipwrecks earlier this year.

So far, he has sketched around six shallow wrecks. Each piece takes approximately two days to complete. During this time, he dives, takes notes on a waterproof slate, captures underwater photos for reference, and drafts a preliminary sketch.

“You can only capture a small part at a time. You can’t tell if you're at the front, back, or middle of the wreck because the structure is so vast.”

To get his bearings, Abdullah traces an edge until he spots a unique feature – such as an anchor, propeller, or rudder – to guide him.

“I have to estimate the size. Using a measuring tape isn’t feasible, as it takes too long. Especially during deep dives, time underwater is precious.”

From there, he begins with a basic outline and refines the details on his following dives.

“For instance, I’ll add the ship’s frame – they resemble ribs. I need to count how many are visible and how many are hidden to ensure accuracy,” explains Abdullah.

“When someone dives, they’ll know there are eight ribs. The drawing reflects that precisely.”

In the world of scuba diving, any depth greater than 98 feet is classified as a “deep dive.”

This year, Abdullah began charting the deeper wrecks for the first time – some of which lie as deep as 230 feet beneath the surface.

With these deeper dives, the most time-intensive aspect is the gradual ascent needed to equalize pressure and purge excess gases from the body.

“It’s not difficult to stay underwater, but surfacing is another challenge,” says Abdullah. “It takes about three hours to return to the surface from 230 feet (70 meters). Decompression alone takes around two hours, and the ascent takes an additional hour.”

Beautiful tragedies

The wrecks are stunning, he says, gesturing towards the 302-foot-long Cement Wreck, which sank in the 1980s.

Carrying a shipment of cement intended for the construction of the Sultan’s Istana Nurul Iman palace in Bandar Seri Begawan, the ship wasn’t brought down by warfare but by a deadly sandbank.

With its multiple decks, labyrinthine interiors, and vibrant marine life, this wreck offers one of the area’s most intriguing dives.

Another popular site is the Blue Water Wreck, known for its relatively clear waters. Located about 22 miles off the coast, this 262-foot-long vessel sank in 1981 due to an onboard fire.

Today, it’s home to barracudas, giant batfish, and occasionally, white-tip sharks – a smaller species of reef shark.

“I adore the Blue Water Wreck because it allows me to piece together its entire history – from the way it sank to what it once looked like. It’s the most complete story I can uncover.”

It’s not just an underwater dive, it’s a journey back through time.”