Sipadan: The Mecca of Walls and Turtles

What Sipadan Actually Is

Sipadan is a small island — 12 hectares — rising 600 metres from the floor of the Sulawesi Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. It has no permanent civilian population. The accommodation that existed on the island was demolished in 2004 when the Malaysian government restricted access to 176 dive permits per day. Divers now stay on nearby Mabul or Kapalai islands and take boats to Sipadan for permitted dives.

Jacques Cousteau dived Sipadan in 1989 and called it 'an untouched piece of art.' The reef wraps the island in a complete circle, dropping from the surface to over 600 metres on all sides.

Barracuda Point: The Tornado

The site most divers come for. Barracuda Point is on the northeast corner of Sipadan, where the current meets the reef head-on and creates a compression zone that aggregates schooling fish. Chevron barracuda — hundreds of them — school in a rotating column, spiraling upward and outward in a formation divers call 'the tornado.' A tube of metallic silver fish 10 metres across and 20 metres tall, slowly rotating.

Grey reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks patrol the perimeter. Bumphead parrotfish in groups of 50 forage across the reef top.

Turtles: Uniquely Dense

Sipadan has the highest density of nesting green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) of any site in Southeast Asia. On a single dive, it's common to encounter 20-40 turtles. They sleep in the sea fans on the wall; they forage in the coral gardens at the top; they ascend past divers to the surface to breathe.

Other Dive Sites

Turtle Cavern: A submerged cave on the island's east side with an eerie interior lined with turtle skeletons — animals that became disoriented in the dark and drowned. Entry is for experienced cave divers only.

South Point: The most pelagic site on Sipadan — open water, strong current, large schools of jack and barracuda, and regular hammerhead and thresher shark sightings.

Permit System and Logistics

176 permits per day. Permits are allocated through the dive resorts on Mabul and Kapalai — book your resort and confirm Sipadan permits at the same time. Popular months (July-September) book out 6-12 months in advance.

Fly into Tawau (TWU) from Kota Kinabalu. Transfer to Semporna town, then boat to your chosen resort.