Sipadan, a tiny island that can be walked around for half an hour (diameter ~ 500 m), stands on 600-meter cliffs of limestone. The visibility under the water here is from 18 to 40 m. The nearest town is Symporn in the state of Sabah, located just 35 km from the island.

There are more than 70 genera of coral polyps and 200 species of marine fish. It is best to observe the sea inhabitants of Sipadan at the shallows at a depth of 3 - 25 m. Prepared divers can explore underwater caves. Entry to the island is limited: no more than 120 people in one day. Season: all year round.

Sipadan dive sites:

• Cape Barracuda Point
• Coral Garden
• Hanging Gardens
• Lobster Lair
• Middle Rif (Mid Rif)
• North Cape (North Point) ±​​$ • South Cape (South Point)
• Stag Horn Staghorn Crest)
• The Drop Off
• Turtle Cavern
• Turtle Patch
• The West Ridge
• White tip Avenue

Cape Barracuda

This is the most popular dive site of Sipadan. Depth: 10-50 m Visibility: 20-30 m. Level of preparation: intermediate - advanced. Distance: 15-20 minutes.

Sea world: tuna, parrotfish, turtles, fish surgeons, black-marble stingrays daziatis, butterfly fish, sea bass, sharks: white-nosed, leopard and gray reef, leaf -fish, sea angels, sea dogs, nudibranchs, spinors, garden acne. At a depth of 6-10 m: gubans and fusiliers. Up to 30-40 m: soft and black corals, barrel-shaped sponges.

Coral garden

This dive site is suitable for divers of any level. The shallow water zone is located above the crest of the seamount on the north side. Visibility: 20-30 m. Current: calm. Depth: 14-22 m. Located in 13 km (27 minutes) south of Mabul and 11 km (20 minutes) from Kapalai.

Sea world: coral fields, shishkolic parrot, turtles, dogfish , gubans, barracuda. ​​

Hanging Gardens

Dive on this site is better to plan after dinner, so that at depth there was enough sunlight. The reef begins at a depth of about 6 meters, and then drastically goes down. Depth: 5-40 m. Visibility: 20-30 m. Level: beginner - advanced. Distance: 25 minutes.

Sea world: soft corals growing from ledges in the wall in the form of cauliflower or grape bunches. Bulls, shrimps, lobsters, butterfly fish, sea angels, squirrelfish, boxing fish, nudibranchs, fox sharks.

Lobster Lair

Reef is 15 minutes from Sipadan, suitable for underwater hunting . Depth: 10-25 m. Visibility: 10-15 m. Level: beginner - advanced.

Sea world: lobsters, parrotfish, scorpion fish, frogfish, lionfish, scorpion fish, seahorse, sea needle, leopard shark.

Average reef

Here you can descend along the wall of a reef over thickets of soft corals, but there are places with strong currents that can easily push out. Depth: 5-40 m. Visibility: 10-25 m. Level: beginner - advanced. Located 25 minutes south of Mabul and 17 km from Kapalaya.

Sea world: bull-calves, imperial jaws, red-toothed dogfish, unicorn fish, shishkoloby parrot fish.

Northern cape

One of the most closely located dive sites in Sipadan (10 minutes). It is better to dive in the afternoon, when the sun "tinted" pink, red and yellow soft corals. Depth: 10-40 m. Visibility: 5-25 m. Level: beginner - advanced.

Sea world: sponges, anemones and turtles.

Southern cape

This is the most remote point of immersion. But here you can see the ritual of mating of white-nosed sharks (~ 40 m). Depth: 20-40 m. Visibility: 20-30 m. Level: beginner - advanced. Located 30 minutes from the island of Mabul.

Sea world: on the left side of the reef at a depth of 25 meters of the gorgon, barracudas, sea bass, ribbons, rays, manta rays, hammerheads, white-nosed and leopard sharks, , groupers.

Deer horn

Begin the dive very smoothly, past the reef wall, where there are a lot of red and black corals. The wall is covered with cracks, protrusions and irregularities, the currents are quite strong, so you need to be very careful and watch the lead. Depth: 20-40 m. Visibility: 20-30 m. Level: Intermediate - advanced. 20 minutes from the nearby islands of Sipadan.

Sea world: dogfish, sea angels, shrimp, 30 m leopard sharks, sharks-hammers, sharks and fishes. $$

Cliff

This is one of the best places in the world for diving. Already 10 meters from the island begins a cliff, a depth of 600 m. Some of the coral reef was demolished by barges with building materials to equip the dive center. But even so, the "Cliff" is very deep and contains a lot of interesting things. Depth: 0-600 m. Visibility: 15-35 m. Level: Intermediate - advanced.

Sea world: green turtles, reef sharks, sponges, shrimp.

Turtle Cave

The cave is in the north of the island, right under the huts. An ancient legend said that turtles come here to die. In fact - this is their favorite place to rest, but because of the abundance of loopholes, turns and niches, they are simply lost and perish. The entrance to the cave is located at the level of 18 m. It is allowed to descend only to a mark of 20 m. At the bottom of the cave you can see the remains of turtles and even the skeleton of one dolphin. There are no corals in the cave. In the cave there are "air bags", it's deadly dangerous to breathe there! Depth: 14-22 m. Visibility: 0-15 m. Level: advanced Borneo divers only.

Sea world: accustomed to live in the dark shrimp and lobsters, frogfish, flute fish.

Turtle Piglet

As you can see from the name, here there is simply a huge congestion of turtles (at once you can see up to 20 friendly and curious specimens). In addition, here you can easily find yourself among a pack of white sharks. The dive site is located towards the "South Cape" and is the southernmost point of the dive. Depth: 10-40 m. Visibility: 15-35 m. Level: beginner - advanced. Located 15 minutes from the island of Mabul.

Western ridge

The western ridge is a shallow area for diving, so it's better to dive in the daytime. Depth: 10-40 m. Visibility: 5-25 m. Level: beginner - advanced. Located 10 minutes from the surrounding islands.

Sea world: anemones, turtles, bayan.

White fin ancestors

The reef begins at a shallow depth and leaves down to 600 meters. There are a lot of terraces, ledges and cracks, densely populated with sponges of all colors of the rainbow. And also fantastic settlements of black corals and gorgonias. Depth: 16-40 m. Visibility: 20-30 m. Level: beginner - advanced. It is practically the same place as the Coral Garden reef: 13 km (27 minutes) south of Mabul and 11 km (20 minutes) from Kapalai.

Sea world: white-tailed reef sharks, sponges, sea bass, sea angels, parrot fish, scorpion fish and butterfly fish.