Diving in Sipadan Island
The Dive Legend of Borneo
Pulau Sipadan - The jewel in the crown of diving in Malaysia and with good reason. Sipadan is a tiny oceanic island less than an hour from the mainland where rich currents bring food which brings fish, which brings bigger fish, which brings more and more fish, sharks and turtles. The dive sites are peppered around the island and none is more than a short speedboat ride away. And although they are all different they all offer one thing: lots to see!
It is easy to understand how Jacques Cousteau got so excited about diving at Sipadan when he visited and declared it "an untouched piece of art". Tourism has made it less than untouched but it remains a fabulous experience to find yourself diving here. It is often hard to believe that you are not diving in an enclosed environment such is the array of species and overwhelming biomass of the marine creatures that choose to live here.
Highlights
Being around Sipadan is a highlight in itself: Blue skies, clear waters, convenient dive sites and tropical scenery, but it is below the surface where this island really excels:
South Point - This is a dive site typical of Sipadan Island - colourful abundant walls, sharks, turtles and schools of fish in big numbers and all the while the possibility of seeing something really exciting such as hammerheads or thresher sharks. Cruising along you won't be sure whether it is a better idea to poke around in the wall or keep an eye out for the bigger stuff. As with many of the other Sipadan sites, there is no hanging around in the blue doing a boring safety stop. Instead you will want the use of every breath of air in your tank as you spend the last few minutes hovering over coral gardens with as much colourful life and activity as anywhere.
Barracuda Point - One of the favourite dive sites here. Hordes of turtles, vast schools of jacks, bannerfish and snapper are merely bit part players on this site. A variety of sharks are also likely to be spotted but the real stars of this show are the eponymous barracuda. Find yourself in the eye of the hurricane that is the enormous vortex of barracuda here and you will be simply awestruck.
Turtle Cavern - This is a site not dived as much these days as it was before the closure of the resorts based on Sipadan Island itself, but it is well worth doing as it is unlike any of the other sites. Before approaching the cave entrance you may well be stunned to see a marauding horde of huge bumphead parrotfish charging past you as you sink down the wall. The cavern itself is large and intriguing. Turtle skeletons rest on the sea-bed - apparently having met their doom in the confusing passageways of the cavern. Don't worry - those passageways are much too small for you and this is an easy and interesting dive to add to the other excellent sites.
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How to Dive Sipadan
There are several excellent nearby resorts from which to dive here. There are no liveaboards worth considering. The closest resorts are on Mabul and Kapalai. See more in our Malaysia Resorts section.
Diving Season
The Pulau Sipadan diving season is year round and most normally expressed as having the best conditions between April and December, especially July and August. The rainy season tends to be between January and March where unsettled weather may result in a decrease in visibility, however in recent years however the timing of the rainy season has been less than certain.
Reef Summary
Great for: Large animals, wall diving, drift dives and advanced divers
Not so great for: Wrecks, beginner divers and non-diving activities
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 10 - 30m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be choppy
Water Temperature: 26 - 30°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 12
Distance: 12 km (25 minutes) south from Mabul, and 10 km (18 minutes) southwest from Kapalai
Access: Diving from Mabul and Kapalai resorts
Recommended length of stay: 5 - 14 days, including the nearby islands
Dive Site Descriptions
For more information on the detailed Sipadan dive sites:
• Sipadan Island tourist information
View a map of:
• Sabah - Borneo - Malaysia Peninsula
• Scuba diving vacation enquiries
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