Sipadan Island Malaysia. Sipadan Island is a unique diving spot in Malaysia. Conditions for scuba diving

Sipadan is a small island of oceanic origin, measuring no more than 12 hectares. You can get around this Malay tropical paradise in just 25 minutes, seeing beautiful sandy beaches, framing the rain forest located in the depths. You won’t be able to get acquainted with representatives of the forest flora and fauna up close: local authorities prohibit tourists from moving deeper into the island. However, as eyewitnesses testify, monitor lizards and other living creatures sometimes roam along the shore. In addition, Sipadan is a nature reserve - home to many birds, more than three thousand species of fish, hundreds of species of corals, green turtles and Hawksbill turtles.

The marine splendor of Malaysia's only oceanic island is created by numerous corals that grew on the top of an extinct volcano. This process took hundreds of years. Sipadan is located at a distance of about 700 meters from the bottom.

Divers all over the world talk about Sipadan with aspiration. In the late 80s, the legendary Jacques Cousteau visited the island, authoritatively recognizing it as one of the best diving places on earth (read more about dive sites in the article “Diving on Sipadan”). There are schools of barracudas and tunas, patrols of hammerheads, millions of coral fish and dozens of sea turtles “soaring” above all this abundance.

Story

Sipadan is located near port city Semporna, part of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. However, in in this case proximity to civilization in the form of the huge island of Borneo rather played a bad role in history. The fact is that Sipadan has been disputed territory, which Indonesia, which owns more than 70% of Borneo, and Malaysia tried to appropriate. At the end of 2002, by decision of the International Court of Justice, Sipadan was transferred to the Malay side along with Ligitan. Previously, the Philippines claimed the island, but their claim was not satisfied.

One of the most tragic pages in the history of Sipadan is associated with Filipino terrorists who took 21 victims hostage on the island, 11 of whom were ordinary tourists.

Underwater world of Sipadan

How to get to Sipadan

Getting to Sipadan is not that easy.

By plane

There are several options. The first step is to get to the city of Tawau, the third largest settlement State of Sabah. For this you need or domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu (two and a half hours), and then a flight from the state capital to the city of Tawau (about 50 minutes), or a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur, which is much more convenient and faster. Another option with transfers is a flight from the main Malay city to Sandakan, and then from the latter to Tawau (about 40 minutes).

Tawau International Airport International Airport) is the second largest in Malaysia and mainly serves Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.

By taxi

The second stage of the journey is a trip from Tawau to the port of Semporna, located 35 km from the island of Sipadan. The most convenient way, but not the cheapest, is a taxi from the airport. Travel time varies from one to two hours.

On the boat

After arriving in Semporna, depending on your accommodation, you either go directly to Sipadan by speedboat, or travel by water to Mabul Island, which will serve as the starting point for future trips to the diving paradise. Travel time from Semporna to Sipadan is about an hour, from Semporna to Mabul Island - about 30 minutes.

Mabul Island is one of the closest “points” to Sipadan. Divers from all over the world also come here, and unlike Sipadan, the tourist infrastructure is developed here. Mabul itself is extremely small. The entire territory consists of sandy beaches, artificially expanded; numerous coconut trees planted on the site of destroyed jungle, and hotels designed for different budgets.

Search for flights to Tawau (the nearest airport to Sipadan)

Sipadan Hotels

Since Sipadan is a nature reserve, the number of divers simultaneously on the island is limited (this is how the authorities are trying to protect the unique local reefs). No more than 120 dives can be carried out during the day. Accordingly, it will not be possible to live on the island either: tourists are usually accommodated on two nearby islands - Mabula and Kapalaya, where comfortable chalets are built.

Cuisine and restaurants

You won't find a cafe in Sipadan. You must take food and water with you.

Shopping and shops

Sipadan Island is not a place for trade, but a nature reserve. This is its beauty. Souvenirs can be purchased in Semporna or on other islands such as Mabula or Kapalai.

Sipadan ("Pulau Sipadan" in Malay) is an island off east coast borneo islands, leads the Malaysian state of Sabah. The island is considered one of the best diving spots in the world.

Short description

Sipadan Island is located 35 km south of Semporna on southeast coast Sabah state (Malaysian part of the island of Borneo), 5 degrees north of the equator in the Sulawesi Sea. Sipadan is located in the Indian-Pacific region, one of the richest areas of marine life in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species are classified in this rich ecosystem. Manta rays, hammerhead sharks, whale and reef sharks, schools of barracudas decorate its underwater kingdom. The marine flora and fauna here is incredibly diverse. The island is regularly ranked among the top 10 dive sites in the world.

Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, that is, it is not connected to any continental shelf. 600m high (measured from the sea floor), it was formed by living corals that grew on top of the cone of an extinct volcano over many thousands of years.

Short story

1933 . Britain declared Sipadan a Bird Sanctuary.

1964. Sipadan Island is included in the Sabah Turtle Nature Reserve.

1989. Jacques Cousteau's documentary Borneo: Ghost of the Sea Turtle brought the island international fame. In this film, the charismatic French sea explorer, in particular, mentioned: “. . . I saw other places like Sipadan 45 years ago, but now there are no such places anymore. We found an untouched piece of art." Entrepreneurial tour operators picked up this saying and still use it as an advertising slogan to attract divers from all over the world. Unfortunately, the influx of tourists has made this work of art “less untouched.”

1990 . There are five resort complexes open on the island, which is 500 meters long and 200 meters wide.

1992 . Representative of the British Royal Society Elizabeth Wood began continuous monitoring in the area of ​​Sipidan Island. There has been an obvious deterioration in the condition of the reefs over the past few years as a result of diving and snorkeling activities.

1996. Sipadan was hit by Tropical Storm Greg, which destroyed the shallow part of its reefs. The corals failed to recover due to further global warming and rising water temperatures (which led to coral bleaching in 1998). Another sign of the worsening situation was the discovery of signs of untreated sewage flowing into the sea from the island's resorts.

1997 . The fact of the threat to natural beauty The Malaysian government recognized the islands and imposed restrictions on the number of tourists visiting the island. Unfortunately, it was not possible to organize effective monitoring of compliance with this resolution.

2000 . On April 23, 2000, the Islamic extremist group Abu Sayyaf took 21 tourists and resort staff hostage. Most of them were held captive for a year; subsequently all the hostages were released. Divers avoided the island for a long time after this incident. Since then, the area has been regularly patrolled by the Royal Malaysian Navy.

2002 . Sipadan Island is the subject of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. The issue has been submitted to the International Court of Justice. At the end of 2002, the International Court of Justice announced a final decision in favor of Malaysia over Indonesia.

2004 . By its decree, the Malaysian government ordered the relocation of all resort complexes from the island until December 31, 2004. From now on, everyone who wants to dive on the island of Sipadan is forced to stay at the resorts of the nearby islands of Mabul and Kapalai.

The long-term goal is to list Sipadan Island World Heritage UNESCO. This application is supported by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the Malaysian government and tourism industry operators to ensure a higher level of funding and protection environment. Hopefully, the future of Malaysia's pearl will be less cloudy than its past.

How to get there

Most tourists fly to Tawau from either Kuala Lumpur (3 hours) or Kota Kinabalu (50 minutes).

Air Asia (www.airasia.com) flies direct to Tawau daily;

Malaysia Airlines (www.malaysia-airlines.com, Mas Wings airline webpage) flies to Kota Kinabalu with connecting flights to Tawau daily;

2. From Kota Kinabalu.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is excellent around the entire island. A wide variety of corals, small fish and, with a little luck, sharks, barracudas and turtles can be seen from the surface without diving into the depths. The safest and potentially most interesting snorkeling area around the island is marked by buoys. Dive operators organize special snorkeling trips. The price of such tours is not too different from the cost of diving.

Popular diving spots

Barracuda point considered one of the 5 best diving spots in the world and the most popular place diving in the area of ​​Sipadan island. Huge schools of thousands of barracudas often form something like a tornado in this place. If you're lucky, you can see schools of barracuda forming a spiral-shaped wall of fish circling in a continuous whirlwind. This is the most interesting moment for any diver. You may also see green bumphead parrotfish, dozens of turtles and reef sharks circling the area. Sometimes hammerhead sharks may suddenly appear. Barracuda point consists of a sheer wall, often with very strong currents. After moving slowly with the current, you will end up in shallow water coral garden. Enjoy it incredible place for diving! Barracuda Point is a 3-minute boat ride to the right of the pier. Level: for advanced divers. Immersion depth: 5-40 m.

South Point is a special diving site in the Sipadan area. South Point consists of a wall, followed by a ledge about 20 meters underwater, and then a sudden drop down. The steep walls are completely covered with beautiful corals. There are many pelagic fish, schools of barracuda, cavalla and many turtles. Manta rays can often be seen. An experienced diver can descend to more deep depths early morning and, if you're lucky, spot dozens of hammerhead sharks swimming together. Rare sharks such as the hammerhead shark and fox shark can be found at a depth of about 40 meters. If you don't dive to great depths, you can see a lot of turtles and whitenose sharks. Please note that this dive is only for those with technical diving skills and special equipment. South Point often experiences strong currents and is located a 15-minute boat ride from the pier. Visibility: more than 30m. Level: for advanced divers. Immersion depths: 20-40 m.

Mid-Reef is located 10 minutes by boat from the pier. The emphasis here is on corals and small fish. Like diving around the island of Kapalai, here you can see fish from the clown family, stone fish (also called wartfish), octopuses, mandarin fish, mantis crayfish, lobsters, nudibranchs. Mid-Reef is famous for the small seahorses hiding in the coral. This area sometimes has strong currents. Recommended for night diving. Visibility: more than 20 m. Level: for advanced divers. Immersion depth: 10 -25m.

Turtle Cavern- a special diving site incomparable to any other in the Sipadan area. Cave diving enthusiasts should definitely try their hand at this labyrinth of underwater tunnels. The entrance to the cave is located at approximately a depth of 18 m. After the entrance to the cave there is another tunnel, from which side tunnels with dead-end endings branch off. You can walk up to 200 m from the cave entrance. During the dive, be careful not to stir up a thick layer of dust on the cave floor and reduce visibility to zero. During the dive you will discover the skeletons of turtles, dolphins, and marlin. Legends say that turtles come to this cave to die. In fact, having gotten lost in the labyrinth of passages, they died. Please note that Turtle Cavern is for advanced divers only, with specialized equipment and an experienced guide with extensive knowledge of the caves. Level: for advanced divers. Immersion depth: 17-23 m.

Hanging Gardens. Named after the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the topography of the Hanging Gardens consists of a 2-meter reef that terraces down to a depth of about 70 meters before plunging into the abyss. The wall is covered with a large variety of colorful hard and soft corals, sponges and gorgonian corals. Along the wall you can find a number of damselfish fish, sweetlip fish, clown fish, and lobsters hiding in the cracks. It is sometimes possible to observe dozens of turtles in one dive! A good place to observe reef sharks. Quite strong currents are often observed. Immersion depth: 5 – 40 m.

Coral Gardens. Located on the southern side of Sipadan Island, Coral Gardens is a very shallow diving site with many coral reefs next to a beautiful beach. Ideal place snorkeling to see the rich undersea world corals and fish. Level: for beginner divers. Immersion depth: 10 - 23m.

Turtle Patch similar to Coral Gardens, good place for swimming with turtles, reef sharks, schools of scarfish. An easy dive on a shallow reef ideal for beginner divers. Immersion depth: 5-12 m.

Whitetip Avenue Literally translated from English it means "Boulevard of Reef Sharks". As the name suggests, this is a famous diving spot due to the abundance of sharks, and stingrays and turtles are common. The walls are covered with black and gorgonian corals. More experienced divers dive below 30m and can see many gray and whitenose sharks. Level: for advanced divers, diving depth: 17 – 40 m.

West Ridge Famous for turtles and groupers, there are many black corals. Reef sharks are often spotted. A good place for snorkeling and freediving (immersion in water without scuba gear or other breathing equipment). West Ridge is ideal for divers different levels. Level: for divers of different levels, diving depth: 18-40 m.

Drop Off is a sheer cliff going down to a depth of 600 m. Perfect place, to see many turtles, reef and gray sharks, parrotfish, as well as hundreds of barracudas, sometimes forming a giant tornado. Before the closure of all resorts on the island, Drop Off was considered the best scuba diving site in the world. Immersion depth: 5-40 m.

Climate and best time to visit

The climate of Sipadan and the surrounding islands can generally be described as hot and sunny throughout the year. average temperature+30 °C +32 °C. Water temperature: +27 °C +30 °C. There are no monsoons or typhoons.

Diving in the area of ​​Sipadan Island is practiced throughout the year. Best time for diving from April to December, but especially in July and August. This is peak tourist influx and you should book permits and resort accommodations well in advance (some resorts are fully booked months in advance). From January to March there may be heavy rains, which reduces visibility under water, but diving does not stop and the resorts on the nearby islands are not empty even at this time of year. Peaks of the tourist season:

July and August;
Golden Week (several holidays, combined with the weekend at the beginning of October);
Golden Week (several holidays combined with a weekend in early May);
Christmas and New Year;
Chinese New Year.

When you first meet the small island of Sipadan, which is located in Pacific Ocean, near the port of Semporna in the East Malaysian state of Sabah, comes to mind desert island Robinson Cruz. Sipadan rose from the depths of the ocean during the eruption of an underwater volcano. It grew thanks to the corals that, over hundreds of years, formed a delightful island on its crater. Nearby is the large Malaysian island of Borneo.

This small island (12 hectares), with white sandy beaches, with emerald green rain forest. With rich forest flora and fauna. He's rich, not only big amount different types birds, along its shores in the clear greenish water there are approximately 100 species of corals, 3000 species of fish, many Hawksbill turtles, as well as green turtles.

Visited the island in 1989 famous traveler Jacques Cousteau was fascinated by its beauty and rich underwater world. He noted that Sipadan is the best place in the world for diving.

There was a time when this unique island was almost destroyed: hotels were built for tourists, barbaric fishing was carried out with the help of dynamite, during which not only the fish, but also the unique corals were destroyed. However, in 1992, the authorities closed it to tourists and demolished the hotels. Only divers were allowed to visit the place and then no more than 120 dives per day. Sipadan Announcement national reserve, saved its unique nature from extinction.

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Accommodation here is prohibited; arriving tourists are accommodated on the nearby islands: Kapalae and Mabule. Excellent hotels have been built for them, there are souvenir shops and cafes where the food is very good.

Accommodation and meals can be selected to suit different budgets. The islands have good sandy beaches, and there are many planted coconut trees. The closest to Sipadan is Mabul.

Favorite place for divers

Divers from many parts of the world dream of going to Sipadan for scuba diving. The place here is truly unique. Its equatorial climate: during the day up to +34 degrees and high humidity up to 95%, is easily tolerated due to the constant ocean breeze.

Diving is carried out from high-speed boats or boats that have canopies installed to protect them from the scorching rays of the sun. They reach the dive site from Mabul in about 20 minutes. It all depends on the weather.

During diving, the underwater world, stunning in its abundance, opens up. There is so much to see here: damselfish fish, lobsters, mullet, sweetlips, crabs, whale sharks, thousands of colorful coral fish, fantastic-sized barracudas and many others. There are more than 70 species of coral polyps alone. But the most important thing here are the turtles. They are everywhere here, both in water and on land. There are a huge number of them here. These include green soup turtles and hawksbill turtles. They breed on this island.

Due to the limit of dives - no more than 120 per day, getting to the island is not easy. Permits are sorted out by large dive centers and are ordered several months in advance. You can’t just buy a dive on Sipadan, it’s included in tourist tours with accommodation in a specific hotel and visits to additional places. You should pay attention to smaller dive centers, they offer packages for Spidan at a lower price.

Attention! On Sipadan, diving occurs to considerable depths, and there are strong underwater currents. So, for divers of a class below AOWD, it is better to dive with an instructor.

Keep in mind that now tourists going on holiday to Malaysia will pay tourist tax at the hotel per night in the amount of 10 ringtones - about 140 rubles (2 dollars).

How to get there

There are many flights from Moscow to Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) from Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Travel time on average with one transfer is 18 hours, with two – 1 day 10 hours.

Then take a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu (the capital of Sabah, travel time 2.5 hours). Then to Tawau (1 hour). From Tawau (Malaysia International Airport) half an hour by car to the Semporna port pier, and by ferry to Sipadan 40 minutes, to Mabul Island (30 minutes).

There is no infrastructure on Sipadan, as was written above, living on it is prohibited. You need to stop on the island of Mabul or Kapalai.

Getting here is very difficult, but once you get there, you will never regret the time spent. Diving on the islands will give you vivid impressions.

A very small and inconspicuous, but incredibly beautiful island of Sipadan is located 30 km from famous island Borneo is on its eastern side and is part of the state of Sabah. A long time ago it was a volcano, but now all that remains is its peak, covered with dense tropical forests. It’s not easy to find a piece of land only 500 by 200 meters on a map.

Sipadan Island on the map

• Geographic coordinates 4.114713, 118.628595
• Distance from the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1900 km
• Distance to the nearest airport Tawau is about 60 km
• Before international airport Juwata International Airport Tarakan 150 km

Until quite recently, almost until the end of the last century, few people knew about this tiny island. But in 1989 one of the most famous Frenchmen of all times Jacques-Yves Cousteau. And he didn’t just visit, but filmed the scientific film “Borneo: The Ghost of the Sea Turtle.” After the release of the film, the island gained worldwide popularity. Divers have flocked here from all over our beautiful (still) planet.

The main attraction of Sipadan Island is its rich and incredibly diverse underwater world, which is what divers of all stripes come here for. The climate here is also in perfect order.

Sipadan is also called Turtle Island, because it became famous thanks to the turtles, about which Cousteau shot one of his masterpieces. When shooting underwater, two, three, or even more turtles get into the frame. These ancient creatures live here in countless numbers, of any age and several species. Not far from the island there is a “turtle cave”, where there are a huge number of turtles and their skeletons. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that turtles swim into the cave to take a break from the rays of the sun. Alas, poor creatures get lost in the night and, having lost their way, cannot find a way out. Soon they run out of air, and the bottom of the cave is replenished with one more future turtle skeleton. The cave is also unique in that it has many passages, but only one exit.

For a long time the island was considered abandoned, and it is still deserted (with the exception of a small handful of people living here on the border between past and present). They obtain food by fishing. It is truly a mesmerizing sight when very tiny boats, in comparison with the huge ocean, go towards the sun at sunset, in search of best place for fishing. Hotels had to be located on nearby islands, because almost all the divers in the world come here. Besides Sipadan Island, there are also Mabul and Kapalai. The island of Sipadan itself is not developed. Tourist facilities are located on other islands. Despite the houses being built on stilts over the water, a hotel had to be built on an abandoned oil platform. Night diving takes place near this platform.

A wide variety of fish can be found in the surrounding area. The surrounding corals are home to pygmy skates, shrimp, crabs, and moray eels.

The island also has its disadvantages. One of them is strong currents. Some are so strong that divers have to hold on to the bottom topography so as not to be carried away by the current. Many inexperienced divers, carried away by the same current, were picked up far in the ocean. But it's worth it!

In the morning, after sunrise, you can watch schooling parrot fish swim along the coast, with growths on their foreheads in the form of a bump and simply enormous sizes, and beautiful platax gracefully maneuver between the currents. These waters, full of living creatures, were not spared by sharks. Small reef sharks have chosen the underwater beach, and now it’s theirs favorite place. Thanks to the constant current, they do not need to swim all the time, which gives the sharks some rest. However, the number of cases of attacks on humans is scanty, and even then only due to the carelessness of divers. Every diver going underwater must remember the rules of behavior and relationships with sharks. Like any other predator, a shark does not like sudden movements, so you should not swim in a panic and wave your arms and legs. All movements must be smooth. You shouldn't be afraid either. After all, sharks will sense this well and attack. Solo diving is also not recommended.

One cannot ignore the huge school of barracudas that appears here. It is impossible to forget how a huge number of different species of fish take off and spin into a real tornado.

The island of Sipadan rightfully occupies a place in the top ten best for diving.

• For a long time, three nearby states (Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines) disputed its ownership. The Philippines almost immediately found itself out of luck. But the dispute between the remaining two countries continued until 2002, when the International Court of Justice recognized the island as part of Malaysia
• Since 1964, Sipadan has been part of Nature reserve Sabah turtles
• on the island there are not only hotels and hotel complexes, but there isn’t even a single cafe or shop. So tourists are forced to bring all their provisions and water with them.
• then, back in 1989, Jacques-Yves Cousteau said the following words about Sipadan: “We have discovered an untouched work of art.” With this he characterized the natural and pristine state of the island. But now, when crowds of tourists plunge into its coastal waters, the environmental situation has deteriorated significantly. Since 1997, the government has been trying to limit the number of tourists visiting the area around the island. For example, on January 1, 2005, a system of restrictions was introduced. Now, to visit Sipadan Island you need a permit, which is issued by the Sabah Park Authority. The total number of visitors should not exceed 120 people. Staying on the island is allowed from 6-00 to 15-00, so all diving centers try to meet the allotted time.

• Until 2004, the island had some tourist infrastructure, but the government decided to completely clear Sipadan of traces of human presence. Now there is only a small pier on the island
• on the island you can find huge monitor lizards, more than a meter long

Sipadan Island photo

Sipadan(Malay. Sipadan) is a small island (only half a kilometer in diameter, with an area of ​​12 hectares), a mecca for divers from all over the world.

The island is the tip of an underwater volcano, covered in coral over thousands of years. Sipadan covered with tropical jungle and fringed by sandy beaches.

Geographical location of Sipadan

Island Sipadan is located in sea ​​of ​​Sulawesi off the coast Borneo in the east of Sabah.

Sipadan was the subject of a territorial dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, which also included the Philippines, which claims all of North Borneo.

Diving

With nearby islands such as Mabul And Kapalay, Sipadan constitutes one of the most popular diving regions South-East Asia. Sipadan is part of the national marine park Tunku-Abdul-Roman ( Tunku Abdul Roman Marine Park), the number of divers on the island at one time is limited for environmental reasons.

Area Sipadana In terms of biological diversity, it is one of the most rich regions in the world; the ecosystem contains more than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of species of corals.

Divers can see green and hawksbill turtles, barracudas, manta rays, eagle rays, hammerheads, whale sharks, etc.

Landmark Sipadana is Turtle Graveyard - underwater karst cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers filled with the skeletons of turtles that got lost and drowned here.

The most amazing place on the island - Barracuda Point - a body of water where giant schools of barracudas, gathering in schools of thousands, twist in spirals, creating fantastic patterns. At the other end of the island, similar flocks of trevally trevally gather. Swimming inside the flock, you can observe this endless whimsical round dance, emitting a silvery glow.

Sipadan Hotels

Actually on Sipadan overnight stays are prohibited, so tourists are accommodated on neighboring islands Mabule And Kapalai.

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