Diving at Sipadan – Malaysia
The tropical waters of the Coral Triangle, the area between the east of Malaysian Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and East Timor, is one of the most diverse sea areas of the world. The area is also called the nursery of the water world because of the diversity in marine life. There are around 3000 species of fish, many dolphin and whale species and more than 605 coral species. A paradise, in short, for divers.
The coral reefs of Sipadan
Sipadan is located in the west of this famous area. It is home to turtles, sharks, manta rackets, barracudas and the little creatures like pygmy seahorses and tangerine fish. All this against a backdrop of an amazingly beautiful coral wall that slopes almost perpendicular to a depth of 600 metres. The island often wins prizes as one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful diving destination in the world. We have seen quite a bit of the underwater world but we found the coral at Sipadan some of the most beautiful we have ever seen.
Since 2005 you are no longer allowed to stay on the island in order to protect the ecosystem. You need a permit to dive. In fact, you only get this permit if you dive via a dive centre with a Sipadan licence. Only 120 divers a day are allowed to dive on the island so it is important to book a dive at your dive centre on time. Even then, it is not certain that you can go that way. Fortunately, there are many other beautiful dive sites in the vicinity. Bear in mind that, given the sometimes fairly strong current, you have to be an experienced diver and be in good condition.
Where to stay
Preferably you would want to stay in Mabul, where you have a relatively large provision of accommodation from budget to luxury, or the luxurious Kapalai, where we were allowed to stay despite our limited travel budget. Some travellers stay in the coastal village of Semporna. It’s a lot cheaper there, but remember you have long sailing times to get to the most beautiful dive sites.
NB: At this moment the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against travel to all islands off the coast of eastern Sabah from Kudat to Tawau, including Lankayan, Mabul, Pom Pom, Kapalai, Litigan, Sipadan and Mataking. Read the current travel advice for Malaysia here.
The tropical waters of the Coral Triangle, the area between the east of Malaysian Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and East Timor, is one of the most diverse sea areas of the world. The area is also called the nursery of the water world because of the diversity in marine life. There are around 3000 species of fish, many dolphin and whale species and more than 605 coral species. A paradise, in short, for divers.
The coral reefs of Sipadan
Sipadan is located in the west of this famous area. It is home to turtles, sharks, manta rackets, barracudas and the little creatures like pygmy seahorses and tangerine fish. All this against a backdrop of an amazingly beautiful coral wall that slopes almost perpendicular to a depth of 600 metres. The island often wins prizes as one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful diving destination in the world. We have seen quite a bit of the underwater world but we found the coral at Sipadan some of the most beautiful we have ever seen.
Since 2005 you are no longer allowed to stay on the island in order to protect the ecosystem. You need a permit to dive. In fact, you only get this permit if you dive via a dive centre with a Sipadan licence. Only 120 divers a day are allowed to dive on the island so it is important to book a dive at your dive centre on time. Even then, it is not certain that you can go that way. Fortunately, there are many other beautiful dive sites in the vicinity. Bear in mind that, given the sometimes fairly strong current, you have to be an experienced diver and be in good condition.
Where to stay
Preferably you would want to stay in Mabul, where you have a relatively large provision of accommodation from budget to luxury, or the luxurious Kapalai, where we were allowed to stay despite our limited travel budget. Some travellers stay in the coastal village of Semporna. It’s a lot cheaper there, but remember you have long sailing times to get to the most beautiful dive sites.
NB: At this moment the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against travel to all islands off the coast of eastern Sabah from Kudat to Tawau, including Lankayan, Mabul, Pom Pom, Kapalai, Litigan, Sipadan and Mataking. Read the current travel advice for Malaysia here.