Sipadan is the best time. Sipadan Island is a unique diving spot in Malaysia. How to get to Sipadan Island and what you should know

This island attracts lovers of exotic things, unusual landscapes, experienced and novice divers and snorkeling enthusiasts. The area of Sipadan is about 13 hectares. The island is washed by the waters of the Sulawesi Sea, it itself is covered with jungle, bordered along the perimeter by sandy beaches.

Sipadan is famous for its rich underwater world: the island is one of the top 5 best diving spots in the world. The coastal zone is home to several thousand species of fish and several hundred different corals, but the island is famous for its turtles that come to this place during the breeding season. During diving you can see up to hundreds of turtles.

The climate of this island, as well as other nearby islands, can be described as equatorial, that is, sunny and hot throughout the year. Infrequent rains and ocean breezes bring relief from the eternal heat. The average air temperature is + 30-35 degrees, the water heats up to 30 degrees.

Attractions

Besides the most beautiful natural places The island has a number of other attractions of miraculous origin. One of them is the rain forest, located in the central part of the island. Local authorities prohibit entry into its territory in order to preserve the pristine nature of this place.

Another feature of Sipadan is its diverse fauna. Excursions to the island are organized daily to familiarize tourists with the birds, turtles, fish and corals of the area. Of interest to travelers is the underwater cave, which has the terrifying name “Turtle Graveyard”. The cave consists of numerous chambers and intricately woven tunnels: they are filled big amount turtle skeletons that were once lost in this underwater labyrinth.

Sipadan has an amazing place called Barracuda Point, which is an expanse of water where barracudas often gather to form large schools. They create fantastic patterns in the water, twisting in spirals. A similar spectacle can be seen on the opposite side of Sipadan, where trevally trevally gather in similar flocks.

Entertainment

Diving is considered the main entertainment of Sipadan Island. Divers from all over the world strive to get to this small island to explore its underwater world, which is often compared to the Galapagos. Sipadan's dive sites consist of many walls and rocks overgrown with sponges and corals. Underwater diving is allowed from April to early December, but the best time is July-August, when favorable conditions for diving occur: the water temperature reaches 30 degrees, visibility under water is up to 45 meters. The diving depth ranges from 5 to 55 meters. There are 12 dive sites near the island, located close to the shore. Diving is possible with bots or coastline. The most popular diving spots are presented below.

North Shore:

South coast:

East Bank:

Turtle Cave (Turtle Cemetery). The depth near this reef is up to 23 meters, visibility in some parts can be zero. It is a cave-labyrinth where the skeletons of lost turtles remain. Dives are only possible when accompanied by local divers.
Wall. The depth in this place reaches 38 meters. An interesting reef wall is overgrown with sponges and corals. Night diving is carried out in this area.

Diving is also developed in neighboring islands– Mabule and Kapalai. Muddy water diving is popular in Mabul and is suitable for macro photography of marine life.

How to get to the island?

To come to the island, you will have to go through a difficult journey. First of all, you need to get to Tawau - one of the largest towns in Sabah. Tawau has flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, followed by another flight from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau. Travel time will be about three and a half hours. There is a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur, which will save a lot of time.

Vacation prices

Since Sipadan is a closed island, its infrastructure is not developed: there are no cafes, restaurants, or hotels. When visiting this place, you should buy food in advance and take it with you. Tourists usually stay on two neighboring islands - Kapalai and Mabula, where good chalets are built. They are three-star hotels consisting of two parts - a chalet in the jungle and a bungalow on the water overlooking Sipadan Island. Holiday prices in 2020 per night in a room will start from 4 thousand rubles.

The Malaysian island of Sipadan is a real paradise, surrounded by the azure waters of the sea. Holidays on the island are suitable for active people who love the water element and sports related to it.

Javascript is required to view this map

Island Sipadan is one of the most exotic and romantic places on the planet. It belongs to the state Malaysia and is a fragment of an extinct volcano, formed by the formation of corals in its upper part over many hundreds of years. The distance from the ocean floor to the surface of the island is about 700 meters, while the piece of land itself can be walked up and down in just half an hour. His central part it is saturated with rain forest and tourists are strictly prohibited from entering there, due to the fact that the country’s authorities are concerned about maintaining the high ecology on Sipadan, minimizing to the limit the possibility of its violation.

For divers from all over the world this unique island is the embodiment of their underwater dreams. A huge number of species of marine life, including two-meter sharks and giant turtles, move daily along the shores of the exotic resort, being a constant target for cameras of hunters for the beauty of the underwater world. The legendary Jacques Cousteau, having visited these places, paid tribute to Sipadan, calling it one of best places for diving on the planet. At one time, several world powers waged a real political struggle for the possession of this tiny piece of land. of this region, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, which eventually got it.

The path to Sipadan is quite long and difficult. The first destination for any traveler heading to the island is the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. There, from the local airport you should go towards the main city of Sabah - Tawau. The flight takes about three hours. Further, from Tawau, the route goes to the port of Semporna, located about 35 kilometers from the fabulously wondrous island. In the harbor, tourists are always waiting for a speedboat, which can take you to the island in just an hour Mabul, where there are numerous comfortable bungalows with all amenities. From there, in 15-20 minutes, the same boat takes those interested to Sipadan. The fact is that this unique diving paradise is considered national reserve and does not involve placement on an island territory. Therefore, all vacation spots, including bungalows and campsites, are located on nearby islands, Mabule And Kapalae. In addition, due to the already mentioned environmental concerns on the part of the authorities, access to Sipadan is limited to the number of tourist applications to 120 people per day. At the same time, per visit paradise There is a charge per person. As for food and drink, you should take all the relevant paraphernalia with you, since there are no restaurants, cafes, or shops on Sipadan, only the sea, fish and corals.

Despite the fact that tourists are strictly prohibited from moving deeper into the island, they can see many land representatives of flora and fauna right on the sandy beaches of the resort. Local monitor lizards especially often pay attention to guests; they are striking in their size, boldly crawling out onto the sandy coast, even if there is a boat or boat near the shore. Apparently, the feeling of one’s own diplomatic immunity is taking its toll. In addition, thousands of exotic birds nest on Sipadan, a considerable proportion of which are listed in the Red Book. Also, sea turtles sometimes crawl ashore, as do monitor lizards, which are distinguished by their impressive dimensions.

The coral reef surrounding the island has high walls against which many divers compete to reach the depth of their dive. Today, the record is considered to be 113 meters, under diving conditions with ordinary compressed air. In the same place there is a multi-level underwater cave with mysterious passages. It is recommended to visit it only for experienced divers and only accompanied by a guide, since it has not yet been fully studied and can pose a danger to people who have never dived here.

Most tourists coming to Sipadan prefer to stay on Mabul Island, which is part of the Malay Archipelago and part of the Ligitan Islands. Its maximum length is 750 meters with a width of 430 m. Locals, the total number of which does not exceed 2000 people, have chosen sites on the northern and southern parts of the island. More than 70% of them are employed in the tourism sector, the rest are engaged in fishing and growing coconuts. People regularly enter the local port from the mainland sea vessels with tourists on board. The entire coastline is lined with bungalows that blend perfectly with the turquoise waves of the Sulawesi Sea. For vacationers, there are several restaurants and souvenir shops for every taste.

Five kilometers southeast of Mabul there is another tourist island this region, Kapalay, also part of the Ligitan Islands group. It is even smaller than its neighbor and very similar to it in structure. The main attraction for tourists here is hotel Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort, all of whose buildings are installed on special piles, which are supported directly by the coral reef itself. There are practically no normal ones here sandy beaches, but perfectly organized transport connection with Mabul and Sipadan, where there are all the attributes that Kapalay lacks sea holiday. The coastal waters of the Sulawesi Sea are traditionally rich in fish and invariably attract fishing enthusiasts.

All the islands in this region have a humid equatorial climate. average temperature The air here throughout the year exceeds +30 degrees, often reaching +40. Precipitation occurs in moderate amounts throughout all twelve months. Summer is characterized by monsoons with Indian Ocean. Tourists visit Sipadan all year round, and in terms of the number of repeat visits, the island ranks one of the leading places in South-East Asia.

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, and 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. Standing 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 Nature reserve Sabah turtles.

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 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 slowly moving with the current, you will end your dive in a shallow 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 south side of Sipadan Island, Coral Gardens is a very shallow diving site with many coral reefs next to a beautiful beach. Ideal place for snorkeling to see the rich underwater world of 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 famous place diving due to the abundance of sharks, stingrays and turtles are often found. 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 (diving into 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 for visiting

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. The best time for diving is 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.

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 makes up one of the most popular diving regions in Southeast 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.

Dear Sirs!
We do not always have time to publish on our website descriptions of all the hotels with which we work. For details, contact your manager by phone. +7 495 938-92-92

Island Sipadan According to the ratings of numerous publications, it is one of the five best dive sites in the world. Takes a leading position in the categories “Dive Site You Would Return to Again”, “Best Spot for Advanced Divers”, “Best Shore Diving”, “ Best diving along the steep walls." In 1989, the legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau described this place as "an untouched work of art."

The island is the tip of a huge underwater mountain formed from a volcanic cone and living corals. The sheer cliffs that support Sipadan, like columns, plunge sharply into the depths of 600 meters. Rarely can a place on earth offer such biodiversity: more than 200 species of fish and over 70 species of coral polyps are found here. The diversity of marine flora and fauna off Pulau Sipadan is comparable to Australia's Great Great Sea. barrier reef. Some divers sometimes jokingly call Sipadan the “Fish Capital of the World.”

Briefly about Sipadan:

What's good: One of the best places in the world for watching big fish and large schools, drift diving, wall diving, excellent conditions for experienced divers.

Species found: the number of species is huge, it is not possible to list everything, but mainly, Sipadan is famous for the fact that here you can see huge schools of thousands of barracudas and many sea turtles.

Depths: 5 - 40 m; Visibility: 10 - 30 m; Currents: can be quite strong. Water temperature: 26 - 30°C; Class diver: Intermediate – advanced. Number of dive sites: 12 ;

Best time to visit: from April to December, especially July and August. From January to March, there may be some deterioration in weather and visibility, however, visiting Sipadan can be recommended all year round, as conditions here are acceptable almost all the time.

How to get there: Since 2004, residence on Sipadan has been prohibited. Divers are accommodated on the neighboring islands of Mabul and Kapalai (about 30 minutes by boat). You can get to the islands of Mabul and Kapalai as follows: fly to the airport of Tawau (Borneo, Sabah) with a direct flight Kuala Lumpur - Tawau, or with a transfer through the capital of the state, Kota Kinabalu. Next, a 1.5 hour transfer to the city of Semporna, and then a boat transfer from Semporna to the island of Mabul or Kapalai for about 40 minutes.

IMPORTANT!!!

Dives on Sipadan are limited to 120 people per day. Permission is issued the day before the intended dive.

Several films about Sipadan:

Map of main dive sites

Barracuda Point - Cape Barracuda
Coral Garden - Coral Garden
Whitetip Avenue
Mid Rif
Turtle Patch
South Point - Southern Cape
Staghorn Crest
Lobster Lair – Lobster Lair
Hanging Gardens Hanging Gardens
West Ridge - Western mountain range
North Point - Northern Cape
The Drop Off - break
Turtle Cavern - Turtle Cave

Cape Barracuda

Depth: 10-50 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Intermediate - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 15-20 minutes from nearby islands

There can be quite strong currents here, so it is better not to dive too deep, otherwise you may find yourself far from the island. But thanks to these currents, there are so many fish here. Gray reef sharks patrol the perimeter in search of food. Walk down the wall and you'll see huge numbers of parrotfish and turtles peeking out from hidden cracks in the reef. At some point, you may be caught by a real tornado of barracudas. It's quite an impressive sight. Many divers, when coming to Sipadan, do the most a large number of dives on this site. Among other things, you can see eels, triggerfish, blennies, mantissa shrimp and even leaf fish.

Coral Garden

Depth: 14-22 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: calm
Level: for all levels
Season: all year round
Distance:

Even though this site is very small, it is real paradise for underwater photographers. There is a huge variety of corals here and you can find almost any living creature that is found on other sites. Turtles are everywhere here, they swim and feed on corals, rest or even pose for photographs. There are dogfish, wrasses and even barracudas.

Avenue of the White Fins

Depth: 16-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 13 km (27 minutes) south of the island. Mabul and 11 km (20 minutes) southwest of the island. Kapalay

It’s not hard to guess from the title what awaits you on this site and who these mysterious owners of white fins are. At this site you can find whole schools of white-tailed reef sharks, which you will immediately recognize by the white triangle on the tail and fin. But this is not the most amazing thing that awaits you. The reef begins at shallow depths and descends 600 m down. Diving here inevitably leads to unexpected encounters. You may find yourself surrounded by a whole school of big-eyed travelly fish or giant bumpy-faced parrotfish. On the wall there are a huge number of terraces, crevices, ledges, on which you will find sponges of all shapes and colors, colonies of black corals and gorgonians. Among these rich coral thickets there are a huge number of reef fish. Don't miss angelfish, parrotfish, groupers, scorpion fish and butterfly fish.

Middle Reef

Depth: 5-40 m
Visibility: 10-25 m
Currents: calm
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 25 minutes south of the island. Mabul and 17 southwest of the island. Kapalay

At this site there is a descent along the wall. There are real thickets of soft corals on the ledges where gobies can be found. Whole schools of redtooth dogfish and unicornfish race along the wall. Like some of Sipadan's dive sites, there are strong currents that can push you upward. This occurs when cold water rises from the depths. Small schools of emperor wrasses may swim past you. The six-meter thick coral thickets at the very top of the reef are an ideal stop for the big-headed parrotfish. Eating their way through dense underwater bushes, these amazing fish swim somewhere about their business, and all you can do is admire them.

Turtle Piglet

Depth: 10-40 m
Visibility: 15-35 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 15 minutes from Mabul Island

This is a typical Sipadan dive site, primarily known for its huge number of turtles. Here you can see 20 turtles at a time. There are some fish here, which, however, can be found almost anywhere in Sipadan, but the owners here, of course, are turtles.

Southern Cape

Depth: 20-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 30-35 minutes from Mabul Island

This is the site farthest from the island. There is a plateau of 3-5 meters, and then there is a gentle descent. As divers note, there is unfortunately a lot of dead coral on this site, but this favorite place hammerhead sharks, leopard sharks that like to stop here at a depth of about 40 meters. You can often find a large school of barracuda moving against the current, and if you manage to get close to them, they will allow you to swim next to them. If you often dive at this site, you can see the mating ritual of sharks.

Antler

Depth: 20-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Intermediate - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: approximately 20 minutes from nearby islands

At this site, diving begins with a gradual descent, during which you will see thickets of Staghorn coral. Fans of underwater photography note that there is very good lighting here for photography. There are a huge number of protrusions and crevices on the wall that Marine life turned it into your home. Red and black corals grow along the slope, where reef fish, angelfish, shrimp, and dogfish are found. Due to the strong currents that can occur at this site, it is best for beginners to stay close to the dive masters. However, those who are confident can swim 30 meters from the wall and, if they are lucky, see a stingray, hammerhead shark, fox shark and leopard shark.

Lobster's Den

Depth: 10-25 m
Visibility: 10-15 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: approximately 15 minutes from nearby islands

Despite the name of the site, there is very little lobster here. It's shallow water here. You can explore cracks in the wall where living creatures may be hiding. You can also find parrot fish, lion fish, and scorpion fish.

Hanging Gardens

Depth: 5-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: quite calm
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: about 25 minutes from nearby islands

Divers love this site for the beauty of the corals that grow along the slopes or hang from the walls like grapes. The reef begins at a depth of about 6 meters and then drops steeply. Naturally, there are a huge number of reef fish here: angelfish, butterfly fish and many others. Shrimp hide on the ledges, and sometimes lobsters peek out. Rare fox sharks are found here, which are distinguished by an unusually long upper lobe of the caudal fin. If you are lucky, you will be able to see how it stuns its prey with a blow of its tail.

Western mountain range

Depth: 10-40 m
Visibility: 05-25 m
Currents: quite calm
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance:

This is another shallow area. It is better to dive here during the day, when the light, penetrating through the waves, illuminates the rich thickets of corals. Turtles, anemones, wrasses and other small animals live here.

Northern Cape

Depth: 10-40 m
Visibility: 05-25 m
Currents: quite calm
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 10 minutes from nearby islands

The wall here has several ledges where fish can hide. Diving during the day is especially interesting here, when the sunlight illuminates the pink, red and yellow soft corals. You can see sponges, anemones and, of course, turtles.

Break

Depth: 0-600 m
Visibility: 15-35 m
Currents: quite calm
Level: Intermediate - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 20 minutes from nearby islands

This site is considered one of the best shore diving sites in the world. Just 10 meters from the shore and right in front of you is a cliff 600 m deep. During the dive you can meet green turtles and reef sharks. A huge number of corals and sponges grow on the wall itself, and shrimp hide in numerous cracks. The location is very good for night diving.
Unfortunately, as divers who dived at this site in December 2006 say, a significant part of the coral reef was demolished by a barge with building materials for the divers' living arrangements. It is very difficult not to notice these destructions, although the “Cliff” site is quite large, and you can still see a lot of interesting things here.

Turtle Cave

Depth: 14-22 m
Visibility: 0-15 m
Currents: quite calm
Level: Advanced Borneo divers only
Season: all year round
Distance: 25 minutes south of the island. Mabul