Diving at Sipadan Island

No other spot on the surface of this planet has more marine life than Sipadan. 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... the Richest Marine Habitat in the World

What makes diving at Sipadan so special? First of all, its geographical position: Sipadan Island is in the center of the richest marine habitat in the world, the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in these ecosystems.

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.

Macro life at Sipadan Island

The macro life at Sipadan is equally mesmerizing; garden eels, leaf scorpion fish, mantis shrimps, fire gobies and various pipefish are guaranteed at various dive sites. Sipadan also boasts a rich variety of corals; both soft and hard, among these Dendronephyta in delicate pastel colors and feather stars of all shades and hues. The most popular dive spot to view these at Sipadan Island is the Coral Gardens.

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.

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