Meet Sipadan - the real island of Robinson. Around borneo

Scuba diving in Sipadan Island (Malaysia) is amazing. Fish life is in full swing here, and you have the opportunity to face in the underwater world with all the sea creatures that you ever dreamed of meeting. Turtles and reef sharks are very common in the coastal waters of the island. Plus, if you're lucky, you can spot leopard sharks, gray sharks and even hammerhead sharks. Manta rays (the largest rays in the world) can also fly around you, however they are not so common. The waters around Sipadan extend deep into 600 meters and attract all pelagic species of marine animals and plants. Watch this video to see what it looks like underwater!

For macro lovers, there are many varieties of nudibranchs, frogs, leaf fish, dwarf seahorses and more, just call them! The corals are ancient and untouched here. The coral gardens are shallow and very colorful and will turn your stop into a wonderful moment of enjoyment. Deeper, you'll find a sea of ​​gorgonians and barrel sponges along the steep walls. Sipadan is also the world's premier underwater photography destination with great potential at every dive site.

The island was first explored by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who described it: “I saw other places like Sipadan ... 45 years ago. Now we have found again an untouched work of art. " You can watch his movie! Crazy!

Photos from the island of Sipadan

The best diving spots in Sipadan

All dive sites are excellent, so it is difficult to choose. Let's say the best places are:

Barracuda point
Coral garden
Hanging Gardens
Sipidan Midreef
South point
Staghorn crest
Turtle cavern
Turtle patch
Turtle tomb
Whitetip avenue

In a typical week in Mabula or Sipadan, you will dive no more than 4 times, the rest of the dives will be in other diving sites. There is very high competition among dive operators. Many diving resorts offer All Inclusive packages which can be very interesting. When there are no dives around Sipadan, you will still find interesting diving sites such as around Kapalai Island or Mabul, especiallyWreck dives will be interesting. Therefore, it is worth going for at least 4 days and 3 nights.

How to dive in Sipadan? Diving rules

• Only 120 divers per day
• A swimming permit is required
• No gloves policy
• Diving deeper than 40 meters is not allowed

Best time to dive in Sipadan

Diving is great here all year round!

Still, the best time to dive will be from April to December with good conditions at sea. April to early June - high season so book your diving and resort permit strongly in advance! Heavy rains may occur from January to March and visibility may be reduced.

Recently, however, the weather has changed from year to year, so it is difficult to predict the seasonality.

Conditions for scuba diving

The visibility of the water here ranges from 15 to 40 meters, depending on the season and the depth to which you dive. Diving around Sipadan is easy and the currents will not be a problem here. However, in some dive sites, such as the popular Barracuda Point, the currents can be quite strong. But it is in this place that you can find the famous huge tornado of thousands of barracudas!

Scuba diving here is suitable for almost all divers, but many places are used only for professionals. There are also special places protected especially for diving instructors, such as the Turtle Cave or the Turtle's Tomb, where skeletons of turtles can be seen that did not find their way and descended here. Cave diving should only be done with very experienced divers using special equipment.

Snorkeling in Sipadan

The island is great for snorkelling. There are magnificent and colorful coral gardens. You can board a dive boat that will take you to the island so you can swim there. However, since the number of seats is limited, it is better to negotiate in advance.

Diving safety

If you are planning a diving trip or a trip to Sipadan, then insurance is a really good investment because you never know what might happen or when you might need it (and accidents do happen!). I recommend which you can buy below in shape as they offer global coverage and diving up to 50 meters deep as well as scuba diving and many other types of water activities.

Where is the best place to stay?

Sipadan Island is a closed area, all resorts are located on the neighboring islands of Mabul and Kapalai.

Mabul Island resorts

• Mabul Water Bungalows
• Sipadan Water Village
• Sipadan-Mabul Resort
• Borneo Divers Mabul Resort
• Seaventures Dive Platform

Kapalai island

• Kapalai Resort

Mataking Island

• Mataking- The Reef Dive Resort

How to get to Sipadan Island and what you need to know?

The closest airport to the islands of Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai is Tawau Airport. Many guests arrive at Tawau airport, come by buses, minibuses or taxis from the northern cities of Sabah: Kota Kinabalu, Sandaktan, Sukau and Lahad Datu.

Private flights (relatively inexpensive) are also available from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau (2 hours 45 minutes) and from Kota Kinabalu (50 minutes).

If you would like to be transported to the island on the same day, then please make sure that your plane lands no later than 14.00. Once you arrive in Tawau, you will be transferred by ground transportation to the port city of Semporna (1.5 hours). From Semporna, you will be transferred to your accommodation on Mabul Island (45-60 minutes) by boat (check departure times).

Sipadan passes

In order to protect the nature of the island, since January 2005, there is no longer a single resort on the island of Sipadan (all resorts are located on the islands of Mabul and Kapalai).

Sipadan Island is open to divers and guests from 6 am to 4 pm.

Sipadan(Malay. Sipadan) - a small island (only half a kilometer in diameter, with an area of ​​12 hectares), a mecca for divers from all over the world.

The island is the tip of an underwater volcano, covered with corals for thousands of years. Sipadan covered in tropical jungle and bordered by sandy beaches.

Geographical location of Sipadan

Island Sipadan located in Sulawesi sea off the coast Borneo in the east of the state of Sabah.

Sipadan was the subject of a territorial dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, which included the Philippines, claiming all of North Borneo.

Diving

With nearby islands such as Mabul and Kapalai, Sipadan is one of the most popular diving regions in Southeast Asia. Sipadan is part of the Tunku-Abdul-Roman National Marine Park ( Tunku Abdul Roman Marine Park), the number of divers simultaneously on the island is limited for environmental reasons.

District Sipadana in terms of biological diversity, it is one of the most saturated regions in the world; more than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of species of coral are distinguished in the ecosystem.

Divers can spot green turtles and byss, barracuda, manta rays, eagle rays, hammerheads, whale sharks, and more.

Attraction Sipadana is the Turtle Cemetery - an underwater karst cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers filled with skeletons of turtles, which were lost and drowned here.

The most amazing place on the island is Barracuda Point - a body of water where giant flocks of barracudas, gathering in flocks of thousands of pieces, twist into spirals, creating fantastic patterns. On the other side of the island, the same flocks of quranks gather. Having swum inside the flock, you can observe this endless bizarre round dance, emitting a silvery glow.

Sipadan Hotels

Actually on Sipadane overnight stays are prohibited, so tourists are accommodated on neighboring islands Mabule and Kapalai.

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We do not always have time to publish on our website descriptions of all the hotels with which we work. For details, contact your manager by phone. +7 495 938-92-92

Sipadan is a small island of oceanic origin, no more than 12 hectares in size. This Malay tropical paradise can be bypassed in literally 25 minutes, along the way to see the beautiful sandy beaches framing the rain forest located in the depths. It will not be possible to get acquainted with representatives of forest flora and fauna up close: local authorities forbid tourists to move inland. However, as eyewitnesses testify, monitor lizards and other animals sometimes roam along the coast. In addition, Sipadan is a nature reserve - a habitat for many birds, more than three thousand species of fish, hundreds of coral species, green turtles and Byssa turtles.

The maritime splendor of Malaysia's only oceanic island is created by the numerous corals growing on top of an extinct volcano. This process took hundreds of years. Sipadan is located at a distance of about 700 meters from the bottom.

Divers all over the world talk about Sipadan with a breath. In the late 1980s, the island was visited by the legendary Jacques Yves Cousteau, who authoritatively recognized it as one of the best diving places on earth (read more about diving sites in the article "Diving in Sipadan"). There are schools of barracuda and tuna, patrols of hammerheads, millions of coral fish and dozens of sea turtles "hovering" over all this abundance.

Story

Sipadan is located near the port city of Semporna, part of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Nevertheless, in this case, the proximity to civilization in the form of the huge island of Borneo rather played a bad role in history. The fact is that Sipadan was a disputed territory for a long time, which Indonesia, which owns more than 70% of Borneo, then Malaysia tried to appropriate. At the end of 2002, as a result, by the decision of the International Court of Justice, Sipadan withdrew to the Malay side along with Ligitan. Previously, the Philippines claimed the island, but their claim was not satisfied.

One of the most tragic pages in the history of Sipadan is associated with the Filipino terrorists who took 21 victims hostage on the island, of which 11 were ordinary tourists.

Underwater world of Sipadan

How to get to Sipadan

Getting to Sipadan is not so easy.

By plane

There are several options. The first step is to get to the city of Tawau, the third largest settlement in the state of Sabah. This requires either an internal flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu (two and a half hours), and then a flight from the state capital to the city of Tawau (about 50 minutes), or immediately a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur, which is much more convenient and faster ... Another option with transfers is a flight from the main Malay city to Sandakan, and then from the latter to Tawau (about 40 minutes).

Tawau International Airport is the second largest in Malaysia and is mainly served by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.

By taxi

The second stage of the journey is a trip from Tawau to the port of Semporn, located 35 km from the island of Sipadan. The most convenient way, but not the cheapest, is by taxi from the airport. Travel time varies from one to two hours.

On the boat

After arriving in Semporna, depending on your accommodation, you either go directly to Sipadan by speedboat, or get on the water to Mabul Island, which will serve as the starting point for future trips to diving paradise. Travel time from Semporna to Sipadan is about an hour, from Semporna to Mabul island is about 30 minutes.

Mabul Island is one of the closest “points” to Sipadan. Divers from all over the world also come here, and unlike Sipadan, the tourist infrastructure is developed here. Mabul itself is extremely small. The whole area is artificially extended sandy beaches; numerous coconut trees planted on the site of a destroyed jungle, and hotels designed for different budgets.

Search for flights to the city of Tavau (the nearest airport to Sipadan)

Sipadan Hotels

Since Sipadan is a nature reserve, the number of divers simultaneously on the island is limited (this is how the authorities are trying to protect the unique local reefs). No more than 120 dives can be performed during the day. Accordingly, it will not be possible to live on the island either: tourists are usually accommodated on two nearby islands - Mabule and Kapalai, where comfortable chalets are built.

Cuisine and restaurants

You will not find cafes in Sipadan. You must take food and water with you.

Shopping and shops

Sipadan Island is not a place for trade, but a nature reserve. This is its beauty. Souvenirs can be purchased in Semporn or on other islands such as Mabula or Kapalai.

Island Sipadan according to the ratings of numerous publications, it is included in the five best dive sites in the world. Takes leading positions in the categories "Dive site wherever you come back again", "The best place for advanced divers", "The best shore diving", "The best diving along the sheer walls". In 1989, legendary explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau described the site as "an untouched work of art."

The island is the top of a huge seamount formed from a volcanic cone and living coral. The steep cliffs supporting Sipadan, like columns, plummet to a depth of 600 meters. A rare place on earth can offer such biodiversity, with over 200 species of fish and over 70 species of coral polyps. In terms of species diversity, the marine life at Pulau Sipadan is comparable to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Some divers sometimes jokingly refer to Sipadan as the "Fish Capital of the World".

Briefly about Sipadan:

What is good: one of the best spots in the world for watching big fish and big flocks, drift diving, wall diving, great conditions for experienced divers.

Encountered species: the number of species is huge, it is not possible to list everything, but mainly, Sipadan is famous for the fact that here you can see huge flocks of thousands of barracudas and many sea turtles.

Depths: 5 - 40 m.; Visibility: 10 - 30 m.; Currents: can be quite strong. Water temperature: 26 - 30 ° C; Class diver: Intermediate - advanced. Number of dive sites: 12 ;

Best time to visit: from April to December, especially July and August. From January to March, some deterioration in weather and visibility is possible, however, a visit to Sipadan can be recommended all year round, since almost all the time conditions are acceptable here.

How to get there: Since 2004, living in Sipadan has been prohibited. Divers are accommodated on the neighboring islands - Mabul and Kapalai (about 30 minutes by boat). You can get to the islands of Mabul and Kapalai as follows: a flight to the airport of the city of Tawau (Borneo, Sabah state) with a direct flight Kuala Lumpur - Tawau, or with a transfer through the capital of the state, Kota Kinabalu. Next, transfer 1.5 hours to the city of Semporna, and then transfer by boat from Semporna to the island of Mabul or Kapalai for about 40 minutes.

IMPORTANT!!!

Diving in Sipadan is limited to 120 people per day. The permit is issued the day before the intended dive.

Several films about Sipadan:

Map of major dive sites

Barracuda Point - Cape Barracuda
Coral Garden - Coral garden
Whitetip Avenue - Whitefin Avenue
Mid Rif - Medium reef
Turtle Patch - Turtle Patch
South Point - South Cape
Staghorn Crest - Antler
Lobster Lair - Lobster Lair
Hanging Gardens - Hanging Gardens
West Ridge - West Ridge
North Point - North Cape
The Drop Off - break
Turtle Cavern - Turtle Cave

Cape Barracuda

Depth: 10-50 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Intermediate - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 15-20 minutes from nearby islands

There can be quite strong currents here, so it's best not to dive too deep, otherwise you may find yourself far from the island. But thanks to these currents, there are so many fish here. Gray reef sharks patrol the perimeter in search of food. Walk down the wall and you will see a huge number of parrotfish and turtles peeking out of secluded crevices in the reef. At some point, a real barracuda tornado can pick you up. This is a pretty impressive sight. Many divers, coming to Sipadan, do the largest number of dives on this site. Among other things, here you can see eels, triggerfish, blend dogs, mantissa shrimp and even leaf fish.

Coral garden

Depth: 14-22 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: calm
Level: for all levels
Season: all year round
Distance:

Despite being very shallow on this site, it is a real paradise for underwater photographers. There is a huge variety of corals and you can find almost any animal that is found on other sites. Turtles are everywhere here, they swim and feed on corals, rest or even pose for photographers. There are dog fish, wrasses and even barracudas.

Whitefin Avenue

Depth: 16-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 13 km (27 minutes) south of about. Mabul and 11 km (20 minutes) southwest of the island. Kapalai

It is easy to guess from the name what awaits you on this site and who these mysterious owners of white fins are. On this site, you can find entire schools of white-tailed reef sharks, which you can immediately recognize by the white triangle on the tail and fin. But this is not yet the most amazing thing that awaits you. The reef starts at a shallow depth and goes down 600 m. Diving here inevitably leads to unexpected collisions. You may find yourself surrounded by a flock of big-eyed travelly or giant pine cone parrotfish. On the wall there are a huge number of terraces, crevices, ledges, on which you will find sponges of all shapes and colors, colonies of black corals and gorgonians. These rich coral thickets are home to a huge number of reef fish. Watch out for angelfish, parrot fish, sea bass, scorpion fish and butterfly fish.

Middle reef

Depth: 5-40 m
Visibility: 10-25 m
Currents: calm
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 25 minutes south of about. Mabul and 17 south-west of about. Kapalai

On this site there is a descent along the wall. There are real thickets of soft corals on the ledges where you can meet gobies. Schools of red-toothed dogfish and unicornfish race along the wall. Like some other Sipadan dive satas, there are strong currents that can push you up. This happens when cold water rises from the depths. Small schools of imperial wrasses can swim past you. The six-meter thick coral at the very top of the reef is an ideal stopover for pine cone parrotfish. Eating their way through dense underwater bushes, these amazing fish swim somewhere on their own business, and you just have to admire them.

Turtle pig

Depth: 10-40 m
Visibility: 15-35 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 15 minutes from Mabul Island

This is a typical dive site for Sipadan, primarily known for its huge number of turtles. Here you can see 20 turtles at the same time. Some fish are found here, which, however, can be found almost anywhere in Sipadan, but the owners here, of course, are turtles.

South Cape

Depth: 20-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 30-35 minutes from Mabul Island

This is the farthest site from the island. Here the plateau is 3-5 meters, and then there is a soft descent. As divers note, this site, unfortunately, is full of dead corals, but it is a favorite spot for hammerhead sharks, leopard sharks that like to stop here at a depth of about 40 meters. You can often find a large school of barracudas that move against the current, and if you manage to get close to them, they will allow you to swim alongside you. If you dive often on this site, you can see the shark mating ritual.

Antler

Depth: 20-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Intermediate - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: about 20 minutes from the nearby islands

At this site, diving begins with a gradual descent, during which you will see the thickets of Staghorn corals. Underwater photography enthusiasts note that the lighting here is very good for photography. On the wall there are a huge number of ledges, cracks, which the sea inhabitants have turned into their home. Red and black corals grow along the slope, where reef fish, sea angels, shrimps, dog fish are found. Due to the strong currents that this site can have, it is best for beginners to stay close to the dive masters. However, those who are confident can sail 30 meters from the wall and see, with luck, a stingray, a hammerhead shark, a fox shark and a leopard shark.

Lobster Lair

Depth: 10-25 m
Visibility: 10-15 m
Currents: can be strong
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: about 15 minutes from the nearby islands

Despite the site's name, there are very few lobsters here. There is shallow water here. You can investigate cracks in the wall where living creatures can hide. You can also find parrot fish, lion fish, scorpion fish.

Hanging gardens

Depth: 5-40 m
Visibility: 20-30 m
Currents: calm enough
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: about 25 minutes from the nearby islands

Divers love this site for the beauty of the corals that grow on the slopes or hang from the walls like bunches of grapes. The reef starts at a depth of about 6 meters and then goes down steeply. Naturally, there is a huge number of reef fish: sea angels, butterfly fish and many others. Shrimps hide on the ledges, and sometimes lobsters look out. It is home to rare fox sharks, which are distinguished by an unusually long upper lobe of the caudal fin. If you're lucky, you can see how with a blow of the tail she stuns her victim.

Western mountain range

Depth: 10-40 m
Visibility: 05-25 m
Currents: calm enough
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance:

This is another shallow area. It is best to dive here during the day, when light penetrating the waves illuminates the rich thickets of coral. Turtles, anemones, wrasses and other small animals are found here.

North Cape

Depth: 10-40 m
Visibility: 05-25 m
Currents: calm enough
Level: Beginner - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 10 minutes from nearby islands

The wall here has several ledges where fish can hide. Diving during the day is especially interesting here, when the sunlight shines on pink, red and yellow soft corals. You can see sponges, anemones and, of course, turtles.

Break

Depth: 0-600 m
Visibility: 15-35 m
Currents: calm enough
Level: Intermediate - advanced
Season: all year round
Distance: 20 minutes from nearby islands

This site is considered one of the best shore diving sites in the world. Just 10 meters from the coast and right in front of you a cliff with a depth of 600 meters. During the dive, you can meet green turtles, reef sharks. A huge number of corals and sponges grow on the wall itself, and shrimps are hiding in numerous cracks. The place is very suitable for night diving.
Unfortunately, according to divers who dived on this site in December 2006, a significant part of the coral reef was demolished by a barge with building materials for the diving life. It is very difficult not to notice these destruction, although the "Obryv" site is quite large, and you can still see a lot of interesting things here.

Turtle cave

Depth: 14-22 m
Visibility: 0-15 m
Currents: calm enough
Level: Advanced Borneo divers only
Season: all year round
Distance: 25 minutes south of about. Mabul

At the first acquaintance with the small island of Sipadan, which is located in the Pacific Ocean, not far from the port of Semporn in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia, the uninhabited island of Robinson Cruise comes to mind. Sipadan rose from the depths of the ocean during the eruption of an underwater volcano. It grew thanks to corals that have formed over hundreds of years, a delightful island in its crater. Nearby is the large Malaysian island of Borneo.

This small island (12 hectares), with white sandy beaches, with emerald green rain forest. With rich forest flora and fauna. It is rich, not only in a large number of different species of birds, near its shores in the clear greenish water there are about 100 species of coral, 3000 species of fish, many Byss turtles, as well as green turtles.

The famous traveler Jacques Yves Cousteau, who visited the island in 1989, was fascinated by its beauty and rich underwater world. He noted that Sipadan is the best diving place in the world.

There was a time when this unique island was almost destroyed: hotels for tourists were built, barbaric fishing was carried out with the help of dynamite, during which not only fish, but also unique corals were destroyed. However, in 1992, the authorities closed it to tourists and demolished the hotels. The place was allowed to visit only divers and then no more than 120 dives per day. Declaring Sipadan a national reserve, its unique nature has subsided from extinction.

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Accommodation is prohibited here, arriving tourists are accommodated on the nearby islands: Kapalai and Mabule. Excellent hotels have been built for them, there are souvenir shops and cafes where they are very well fed.

Accommodation, food can be selected for different wallets. The islands have good sandy beaches, and there are many planted coconut trees. The closest to Sipadan is Mabul.

Divers' favorite spot

Divers from all over the world dream of getting to Sipadan for scuba diving. The place here is truly unique. Its equatorial climate: up to +34 degrees in the daytime and high humidity up to 95%, is easily tolerated due to the constant ocean breeze.

Diving is carried out from speed boats or boats, which are equipped with awnings from the scorching sun. It takes 20 minutes from Mabula to the dive site. It all depends on the weather.

During diving, the underwater world, stunning with its abundance, opens up. Who is there only: swallow fish, lobsters, red mullet, sweet lips, crabs, whale sharks, thousands of colorful coral fish, fantastic size barracuda and many others. There are more than 70 species of coral polyps alone. But the most important here are turtles. They are everywhere here, both in water and on land. There are a lot of them here. These are green soup turtles and bisse turtles. They breed on this island.

Due to the limited number of dives - no more than 120 per day, getting to the island is not easy. Permits are sorted out by large diving centers, they are ordered several months in advance. You can't just buy a dive in Sipadan, it is included in tourist tours with accommodation in a certain hotel and visiting additional places. It is necessary to pay attention to smaller diving centers, there are packages for Speedan for a lower price.

Attention! In Sipadan, diving is done to a considerable depth, there are strong underwater currents. So, for divers below the AOWD class, it is better to dive with an instructor.

Keep in mind that now tourists going on vacation to Malaysia will pay a tourist tax at the hotel per night in the amount of 10 ringtones - about 140 rubles (2 dollars).

How to get there

There are many flights from Moscow to Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) from Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Travel time on average with one change is 18 hours, with two - 1 day 10 hours.

Then by flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu (capital of the state of Sabah, travel time 2.5 hours). Then to Tavau (1 hour). From Tawau (Malaysia International Airport) half an hour by car to the pier of the port of Semporn, and by ferry to Sipadan 40 minutes, to Mabul Island (30 minutes).

There is no infrastructure in Sipadan, as it was written above, living on it is prohibited. It is necessary to stop on the island of Mabul or Kapalai.

It is very difficult to get here, but once you get there, you will never regret the time spent. Diving on the islands will give you a vivid experience.