Sipadan is the home of some of the most amazing diving in Borneo. It is known for its spectacular diving, which includes massive schools, green turtles, schooling sharks, and spiraling barracudas. It was a privilege to spend 3 months diving hundreds of times in this amazing area. I hope you find the following guide useful or inspiring. Jacques Cousteau once said that he had seen Sipadan 45 years ago but not now because he was so captivated by this area.
Perhentian islands are an excellent choice for island holidays with gorgeous beaches, great snorkeling, and decent scuba diving.
What is so special about Sipadan?
The island is a volcanic cone covered in coral that drops 600 meters to the sea floor. It is difficult for you to describe the diversity of marine life on this island without exaggerating. Many large green turtles and hawksbills swim all over the place, starting in shallow waters. However, hundreds of enormous bumphead parrotfish, including numerous hawksbill turtles, can be seen swimming in-line. Photographers are kept busy by passing sharks, and resident schools with thousands of jackfish. Sipadan’s famous resident schools o barracudas that form a vortex around you. This is a typical day, you can run into just about anything on the sea mount.
Sipadan island and Komodo island are special dive spots that I recommend. I have scuba dived in both of these beautiful places numerous times.
Pulau Sipadan off the coast of Malaysia Borneo was made famous by Jacques Cousteau who, as a diver and ocean explorer, described it as one the top diving spots in the world. If you are planning to visit this area of Borneo, this is the best item on your Sabah travel plan.
Sipadan Island cannot be rented. Instead, the majority of resorts can easily be reached via boat from Mabul and Kapalai islands. For diving around the island, a permit is required. Armed guards strictly enforce this policy. The options are to either stay in Semporna Town, which has very cheap accommodation, or to go to Kapalai (which is more expensive) and dive from there.
You can go on many dives around Mabul or Kapalai each day and then head to Sipadan for a full day. The diving around Mabul, Kapalai, and other nearby islands is excellent. They are very different to Sipadan, but still offer world class diving.
Sipadan was the best place to dive in Indonesia twelve years ago. It’s only 20 metres from the main shore to the top reef wall. Up to 2004, Sipadan Island was home to most of the resorts. You could get out of your room and gear up to jump into Drop Off.
While this may seem unbelievable for divers, research showed that the stress caused to too many divers meant that the reefs and other marine life could not cope. The Malaysian Government made it a priority to protect the reefs. In 2004, all resorts were asked to leave Sipadan Island. Divers who want to dive around the island have to obtain a permit since 2006.
Sipadan: How do you get there?
The first thing you need to do is get to Semporna. It is located on Borneo’s island and is well-known as the gateway to the islands. The most popular way to get here is by flying from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu or Kota Kinabalu (IATA.BKI) into Tawau ( TWU. WBKW), Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia which operate daily flights. Tawau can be reached by land from Semporna. Public bus service is also available from Kota Kinabalu and Semporna.
The 90 minute transfer from Tawau and Semporna takes. It takes 45 minutes to get to Mabul Island by resort speedboat.
How to get Sipadan diving permits
Twelve resorts are issued with permits each day. Larger resorts will receive more permits. Each permit allows the diver to dive for one day on Sipadan Island.
During peak seasons when resorts fill up, there can be more than 500 guests. 120 permits are not sufficient for most days. Permits do not go out on a first come, first serve basis. Instead, permits are issued by a rotational system.
These are the top tips for obtaining a permit.
Stay longer in the resort (more then 3 days), as long as you can.
Make sure to book as soon as possible
Avoid peak seasons
My main tip: If you didn’t have a confirmed permit to dive, inquire at all the resorts. Ignore anyone who tells you they can’t get permits on such short notice. I was informed by my first resort that there were no permits available. I went around Mabul with them, then returned to Semporna. From there I walked to all the dive centers. I was offered a job at one of the dive centers, which allowed me to select from three options. It was also the beginning of my 3 month journey as a Mabul dive instructor.
Sipadan permits can be used at dive resorts or schools.
Seaventures Tours and Travel
Sipadan Mabul Resort
Sipadan Water Village Resort
Borneo Divers, Seasport
Borneo Jungle River Island Tours
Dive Semporna
Bharman Silpadan Dive Safari and Seasport
Celebes Explorer Liveaboard
North Borneo Dive, and Seasports
Pulau Sipadan Resort
The Reef Dive Resort and Tours
Roach Reefs Resort
Can beginners dive Sipadan?
There are many myths around certification requirements to dive Sipadan. You don’t necessarily need advanced qualifications or to have completed a certain number dives. After completing your openwater course, Sipadan certification is granted. Barracuda point is one example of a drift dive. The water right next to the reef can be dangerous and the currents are strong. A poor buoyancy skill could cause damage to the fragile reef. Openwater diving permits you to go deep enough (18m) and see Sipadan’s most famous attractions, such as the barracudas.
An open water qualification qualifies you to dive this spot. You can use your judgment to determine if you are ready. Ask your instructor whether he believes you are. For inexperienced divers, it is safer to dive with a qualified dive leader in smaller groups. Some operators might require advanced qualifications or proof of 20 log dives. You should check with your school to confirm before signing up. Your advanced course can be taken after your open water dives. This gives you more practice and helps you gain valuable skills for specialty diving.
For more information on diving for beginners visit the Asia Diving Vacation website.
Package Sipadan Diving
Because of the limited supply of Sipadan permits, most dive centers require that you stay at their site for a couple days so that you can dive at different sites. Sipadan Diving Packs can be found at all resorts. These packages consist of Sipadan dives as well as accommodation. These days you’ll do Sipadan dives at Mabul and Kapalai, while Sipadan will be done one day, depending upon the length and availability of your stay.
We provide information about the length of stay needed to get a Sipadan permit for most resorts. These reefs boast some of nature’s most bizarre and extraordinary critters. These world-famous muck dive sites are home to many species of frogfish, ghost pipefish, ghost cuttlefish, ghost pistofish, ghost pipefish, sea horses, and other fish.
Sipadan Snorkeling
Sipadan is an excellent spot for snorkeling/freediving. Sipadan was popular for snorkeling, even before permits. The shallow portion of the reef near the island is less that 5m deep. This area has large green turtles, huge clams, and herds massive bumphead parrotfish. There are many reef sharks, large numbers of barracudas and huge eye jacks that swim close to the reef edge. If they come in to the shallow, you may be able to see them snorkeling.
If you’re a freediver and can go deeper into the wall, you might see sharks, huge jacks or other game fish.
Finding a snorkeling location is hard because of the limited permits. Divers and snorkelers both need the same permit. Also, since snorkeling is more lucrative than diving, many operators refuse to take snorkelers. Uncle Chang would often bring snorkelers along.
Marine Life around Sipadan
Sipadan is highly recommended by experienced divers. With over 3,000 fish species and hundreds of coral species, Sipadan is one the most protected dive spots in the world. On a typical dive, you will find many large green and hawksbill turtles. In fact, it is not uncommon to see more than 20 of these species.
You may not see sharks diving here every day. White tip reef sharks or grey reef are the most common. However with some luck, you might see scalloped hammerheads on spectacular wall dives. Devil rays or eagle-rays aren’t always visible, but they are common. Sometimes mantas will also be seen. Sipadan’s highlight diving spot is Sipadan. There are thousands upon thousands of barracudas, jackfish and barracudas that engulf you.
Barracudas rarely form the vortex. If you’re flying in the current, and the barracudas are passing by, you attach your reef hook to a hard rock. The barracudas will be swimming in the current as you hang there. I love to see the bumphead parrot fish swimming along the reef. These large fish can be seen eating coral at one end and then pooping at the other. This creates beautiful white sand. Mabul was the first place that I met a whale shark.
You can’t help but be amazed at the incredible coral, sea stars and moray eels that are found around Sipadan.
Whale Sharks are a dream dive for many divers. Sipadan is not a common place to see them, but some friends have been able dive with whale sharks at Sipadan. You should go to the Philippines to see whale sharks. Check out our Whale Sharks Philippines comparisons and our Whale Sharks Oslob article to learn more about swimming with these enormous filter feeders at this controversial spot.