Sipadan Island Diving
"The Best Shore Dives in the World"
Ever since diving celebrity Jacques Cousteau raved about Sipadan's diversity of marine life, this dive mecca has been indisputably the most famous scuba destination in Malaysia. It is located off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia's eastern most state, and lies on the north-eastern corner of Borneo, the world's third largest island.
Turtles are literally everywhere at Sipadan - photo courtesy of ScubaZoo
The Sipadan diving legend has passed through the world's dive community to the extent that all divers with an interest in visiting the best sites in the world, have this small island near the top of their wish list.
Pulau Sipadan Island was at the top of Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine Gold List for 'The Top Dive Destination in the World'. In fact the island shared its top spot with two other destinations known for the amazing diversity of their marine life - the Galapagos Islands and Truk in Micronesia.
The list of attractions is quite staggering and all the more exceptional as it involves plenty of big fish encounters - at Barracuda Point you can find yourself surrounded by a spiralling vortex of barracudas, so large that the sunlight is often clouded out. At South Point there are scores of reef sharks, large schools of passing trevally and herds of massive marauding bumphead parrotfish. This is one of the big fish capitals of the world!
When diving in Sipadan everywhere you turn you'll see turtles, munching on the sponges and algae, or lazing on the wall ledges. If you take the time to look closely at the walls you'll see a wealth of macro life and fish species to rival most destinations, although this is often overlooked due to the other major attractions vying for your attention.
• Sipadan Island tourist information
• Sipadan Island history
• Map of Sabah - BorneoOpens in a new window
How to Dive Sipadan
For environmental reasons this tiny island has now closed its resorts. This means the best way to dive here is by staying in on one of the resorts on the nearby islands of Mabul or Kapalai.
The resorts also boast some excellent macro-diving which is a great complement to the breathtaking big fish action of Sipadan Island.
Diving Season
You can dive here all year round. Overall, the best conditions at Sipadan Island exist from April to December, especially July and August. January to March can see some unsettled weather and a decrease in visibility but the resorts still see plenty of guests at this time as the diving can still be fine.
Reef Basics
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 Sites
More detailed information on Sipadan scuba diving sites:
• Barracuda Point • Coral Garden
• The Drop Off • Hanging Gardens
• Sipidan Midreef • South Point
• Staghorn Crest • Turtle Cavern
• Turtle Patch • Whitetip Avenue
Dive The World Recommendations: South Point, Turtle Cavern and Barracuda Point.
Other sites that can be dived together with Sipadan Island:
• Mabul Island
• Kapalai
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