Lying just off the northeast coast of Borneo is Sipadan, Malaysia's only oceanic island. The magical isle was made famous by renowned French oceanographer, Jacques Yves Cousteau, in his documentary 'Ghosts of the Sea Turtle'. Indeed, Sipadan offers more than just turtles; it guarantees that every dive is a memorable experience. Few island in the world offer such prolific marine and coral life.
At the Drop Off, five metres of white, soft sand in knee-high water suddenly gives way to a precipitous drop of discovery. Follow the vast wall around as you drift with the current,exploring the corals that inevitably form refuge for the fish. Bumphead parrotfish often rumble past in bison-like hordes. A night dive here may yield a chance encounter with these large fish as they sleep.
Bumphead pamafish weave a transparent cocoon before they sleep to keep their scent from predators, and this nocturnal sight is as impressive as the one in daytime. The reef life is always varied. Porcupine pufferfish, clown triggerfish, unicornfish and Moorish idols call this drive site home. Giant moray eels lurk in their grottos, observing the traffic going past while huge gorgonian sea fans protrude like the plume of a proud peacock.
More often than not, you will enjoy the spectacle of Barracuda Point, What starts out as a drift dive will soon turn into a head-on encounter with hundreds of these fearsome-looking creatures. As they move left and right, a gray wall forms from their sheer weight of numbers. It is a sight you will never forget. Don't miss out on the other delights too. Leaf fish and the odd-looking crocodile fish have been spotted here.
At Turtle Cavern, those with cavern-diver certification can explore the same mysteries that Cousteau and his crew did 30 years ago. Keeping your buoyancy good, you will enter the opening and soon encounter a macabre chamber of skeletons. They belong to turtles and some dolphins that were lost in the labyrinth of tunnels, become disorientated and drowned. Divers are often warned during their first orientation dive that they are not allowed to enter the cavern for their own safety.
At Hanging Gardens, you will enjoy the sight of crowded corals in a riot of colours. Both soft and hard corals intermingle seamlessly, while shoals of reef fish keep it a lively dive site. Another interesting sight will be the bumphead parrotfish roaming ffor its favourite food, corals. Batfish, Moorish idols, hawkfish, groupers and coral trout are other inhabitants you are likely to spot. Of course, you will find plenty of anemones here, hosting playful clownfish.
The coral variety repeats itself at Whitetip Avenue. Large black corals, gorgonian sea fans and barrel sponges vie for attention with gigantic soft tree corals. It is almost a parade of underwater divas!
Here, you will also find whitetip reef sharks and gray reef sharks going about insouciantly.
On all dives, you should see healthy numbers of green turtles and whitetip reef sharks. The lure of Sipadan is that divers can observe these two species thriving in harmony. The menagerie of fish life, including rare and peculiar species, will keep divers spellbound at all times.
Accommodation is no longer allowed on the island, However, divers can still experience the wonders of Sipadan on day trips from nearby Pulau Mabul. There are regular weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau, the nearest airport. From the latter, it is a 90 minute drive to the port of Semporna and a 40 minute boat ride to Mabul.
