Sipadan, located 30 km off Semporna on the East Coast of Sabah is rated as the world's top dive sites. For the true diving enthusiast, the island needs no introduction. Sipadan rises 600m from the seabed to provide spectacular wall dives and underwater garden. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystem.

 

This oceanic island rises as a pristine coral mount from the floor of the Sulawesi Sea to give awesome 2000 foot wall dives, just 50 feet from the shore. Lying five degrees north of the equator off the mainland of Borneo, Sipadan Island is covered with a luxuriant, untouched rain forest surrounded by pristine sandy beaches.

 

Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles which gather there to mate and nest. It is not unusual for a diver to see more than 20 turtles on each dive at Sipadan Island. Another unique feature is the "Turtle Tomb", underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that became disoriented and then drowned.

 

Barracuda Point is where a diver may experience the thrill of swimming amidst schooling barracuda and big-eye trevally, which gather in thousands forming spectacular tornado-like formations. With the possibility of seeing pelagic such as mantas, eagle rays and hammerhead sharks, each dive at Sipadan is a highly anticipated event.

 

The diversity of the abundance of marine life found at Sipadan gives it the reputation of being one of the best dive locations in the world

 

Best time to visit Sipadan

April through October is the best time to visit Sipadan Island. The rainy season is November to March. The water temperature ranges from 79 to 86 degrees (26C to 30C) year round