| Reputably one of the best diving spots in the | | | | hawksbill and green turtles that have lost |
| world, the uniqueness of Sipadan Island lies | | | | their way in the caves and subsequently |
| in its geographic makeup. Lying on top of a | | | | drowned. Visibility is low in the far reaches |
| volcanic seamount, Sipadan Island is the only | | | | of the caves, which is why only advanced |
| oceanic island in Malaysia. As this volcano | | | | divers should enter the cavern. Accompaniment |
| rises steeply over 1600 feet from the seabed, | | | | of a local diving master is necessary when |
| many of the dive sites here consist of steep | | | | venturing into this maze of interconnecting |
| walls or drop-offs. In addition, the entire | | | | tunnels. |
| reef area of 513 acres functions as the | | | | |
| habitat for soft and hard corals, as well as | | | | As one of Sipadan's most treasured sites, |
| home to over 3000 species of fish. Hawksbill | | | | Barracuda Point is where schools of |
| and green turtles are common in Sipadan. In | | | | barracudas and jacks swirl around as the |
| fact, it is not surprising for divers meet to | | | | strong currents here bring food to their |
| 70 turtles on each dive! | | | | midst. Of course, the large volume of fish |
| | | | also attracts the presence of Grey Reef |
| Due to the size of the island, dive sites | | | | Sharks and the Hammerheads. Here, it is |
| around Sipadan are close to one another. | | | | common for divers to drop down lower along |
| Altogether, there are 11 marked dive sites | | | | the wall. However, the northern point of this |
| around Sipadan: | | | | site should be avoided as strong currents |
| | | | here may bring divers further away from the |
| The Drop-Off is the most popular dive site | | | | island. |
| here and has won the island the Best Beach | | | | |
| Dive Award in the world. Located just 20 feet | | | | The highlight of the Sipadan Midreef Dive |
| from the beach, the sea water turns indigo | | | | would probably be the strong currents that |
| blue as the depth of the sea drops steeply to | | | | drift divers north or south from their start |
| a staggering 2800 feet. The circling tornado | | | | points. As they scale along the wall, throngs |
| of barracuda or jacks typically found in | | | | of marine life such as triggerfish, unicorn |
| brochures, books or magazines are easily | | | | fish, hawk fish and gobies are visible here. |
| visible overhead when a diver enters the | | | | At times, divers may even be pushed upwards |
| water. Corals and sponges growing at the side | | | | by the current, only to be stopped by hard |
| of the wall attract small reef fishes. White | | | | flat corals at the top of the reef. |
| tip sharks and green turtles are also amongst | | | | |
| the creatures living along the cliff. This is | | | | Other dive sites in Sipadan include the Coral |
| also a popular location for night dives, as | | | | Garden, the Hanging Gardens and the Staghorn |
| shrimps and crabs can be seen peering out | | | | Crest, perfect locations for underwater |
| from the crevices along the wall at night. | | | | photography due the unique topography and the |
| | | | abundance of colorful marine life. On the |
| Next up is the Turtle Cavern, with the | | | | other hand, the South Point and Whitetip |
| entrance located about 65 feet below the | | | | Avenue dive sites are great locations to |
| surface. | | | | observe the rarer shark species such as the |
| | | | Whitetip Reef Sharks and the Hammerheads. |
| Within these chambers lie the remains of | | | | |