ABOUT SIPADAN

The Sipadan Island, in Malay we called Pulau Sipadan, is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystems.

Frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan: green and hawksbill turtles which mate and nest there, enormous schools of barracuda in tornado-like formations as well as large schools of big-eye trevally, and bumphead parrotfish. Pelagic species such as manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks also visit Sipadan. A turtle tomb lies underneath the column of the island, formed by an underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that become lost and drown before finding the surface.

Sipadan is not easy to visit; As there is no accommodation on Sipadan Island itself, you can only stay at the surrounding islands Mabul, Kapalai, Semporna or even a totally different experience to stay in Seaventures Dive Rig (a dive platform and resort based near Sipadan). The permits these days make it even harder to dive at Sipadan; because only a handful of people per day may dive at the small island. So it is important to get your Sipadan diving permit in advance. To get your permit, you have to book a diving package to Sipadan Island and min. entry level for diving is Advanced Diver Level.

Apart from diving in Sipadan Island dive sites, you can also dive in other dive sites depends on the surrounding islands or dive resorts you stay. For example, Mabul, Kapalai, Timba-Timba, Mataking etc.

We DS Dive Team is the agent representative for Sabah Semporna Islands, you may contact us for more details on the resort booking procedures or join in our trip to go for snorkeling or diving.