Pulau Sipadan is the legendary island of the turtles. The geographic position of the island puts it in the centre of the richest marine habitat in the world. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystems. Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles which gather there to mate and nest and it is not unusual for a diver to see more then 20 turtles on each dive. Another unique feature to dives visiting Sipadan in the turtle tomb, an underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that became disoriented and then drowned.
The residential schooling barracuda and big-eye trevally are one of the highlights on every diver's wish-list which often gather in thousands forming spectacular tornado-like formations. With the possibility of seeing pelagic such as mantas, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks, each dive at Sipadan is a highly anticipated event.
Getting There
By-flight - AirAsia operate daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau Airport. Alternatively, you can choose Malaysia Airlines which fly from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and then get a connecting flight to Tawau.
Once at Tawau, you can hire a taxi to get to the coastal town of Sempurna, which usually takes about 1 hour, followed by a 45 minute speedboat ride to Sipadan.
Accommodation
Due to the government action to preserve the island, divers are now no longer allowed to stay on Pulau Sipadan. Divers can choose to stay on the nearby island, Pulau Mabul or Kapalai.
Pulau Sipadan Dive Sites - Click on the dive site for more information
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