Scuba Diving at Sipadan Island
Sipadan Island is a small rainforest covered tropical island rising from a depth of more than 600 meters from the bottom of the Celebes Sea. It is the only oceanic island in the region. The island is the top of a long-lost lava chimney from a prehistoric volcano. The very famous late French underwater explorer and filmmaker, Jacques-Yves Cousteau once remarked about Sipadan Island “I have seen other places like Sipadan… 45 years ago. Now we have found again an untouched piece of art.” Although that was many years ago, it is still true today. The island is arguably the top dive destination in the world.
The island is about 45 minutes from Semporna town by speedboat in calm seas. Other nearby islands include Mabul Island and Kapalai Island. All within just a short hop by speed boat ride from each other.
Sipadan Island Dive Sites
So what do you expect to see? Lots! And if you enjoy seeing pelagic fishes and underwater creatures, then this is where you should be spending your diving vacation. Some of the popular dive spots around the island include:
- Barracuda Point
- Coral Gardens
- Drop Off
- Hanging Garden
- Lobster Lair
- Midreef
- South Point
- Staghorn Crest
- Turtle Patch
- Turtle Tomb
- West Ridge
- White-tip Avenue
There’s a reason why the place is called the Drop Off. Imagine just kneeling down in shallow water and looking straight down into the abyss 600 meters away at the edge. Really scary and exciting at the same time! During your dives at the Drop Off, you might see (or maybe bump into, if you don’t see where you are going) a couple of Manta Rays playing nearby.
Chances are very good that you will encounter a big swirling school of thousands of chevron barracudas and also see packs of patrolling grey reef sharks at Barracuda Point.
If you are lucky, you can spot the largest shark species, the Whale Shark gliding by in the current off South Point during it’s migration.
Encounter a living wall of hundreds of Hammerhead Sharks rising like ghosts from the deep, glowing in the open blue water at the Hanging Gardens.
In the course of your dive vacation, you will also likely come across a glinting and shimmering rolling ball of hundreds of jacks, a herd of very large giant bumphead parrotfish grazing on the reef top, scores of white tip reef sharks, and at least a dozen or so turtles of two different species: the Hawksbill Turtle and the Green Turtle.
