The Diving
Most people come for the world-famous Sipadan Island—home to thousands of turtles, schooling sharks, swirling barracuda, and awe-inspiring coral walls dropping more than 2,000 meters straight down to the sea floor. Sipadan is frequently voted as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world, but the diving doesn’t stop there. Mabul, just a twenty minute boat ride from Sipadan, is one of the best macro-dive sites in the world. In fact, the term “muck-diving” was invented at Mabul, where you’ll encounter untold numbers of weird and amazing critters including blue-ringed octopus, harlequin ghost pipefish, dwarf stonefish, seahorses, nudibranchs, and many more. Or perhaps you’d like to visit Sibuan, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful islands in Sabah with empty white sand beaches, coconut palm trees, and azure blue waters. Frogfish are virtually guaranteed here, as are pygmy seahorses, mandarin fish, scorpion fish, crocodile fish, or encounters with eagle rays out in the blue. In short, there's something here to meet every diver's taste.
Daily Schedule
If You are based in Mabul:
To Dive at Sipadan Island you need to be staying at our Mabul Beach Resort. The boat for Sipadan departs Mabul at 0630 and by 7 am you’re suiting up and performing buddy checks for the first dive of the day. All of our dives are guided by experienced professionals who will ensure your dive is safe and that you see as many of the exciting species in the area as possible. After the first dive we will have a light breakfast followed by another 2 dives before lunch. A buffet lunch will be served on Sipadan Island and after that you will have time to relax on the beach and digest your lunch before the 4th dive that will start around 2pm. For all the other dive trips from Mabul Beach Resort-Mabul, Kapalai, SiAmil, Manta Point, Borneo Barrier Reef, Ligitan, Boheyan, and roach reef our boats depart from our Mabul Jetty at 9 am. For these trips we do 3 day dives a day. There is an optional night dive at Mabul which we highly recommend as its one of the best night dives in the world! After your final dive of the day your guides will do log books with you and explain to you all the amazing marine life you have seen.
If you are based in Semporna:
Our 400 horsepower speedboats leave daily at 8 am and by 9 am you’re suiting up and performing buddy checks for the first dive of the day. All of our dives are guided by experienced professionals who will ensure your dive is safe and that you see as many of the exciting species in the area as possible. Two morning dives are followed by a relaxing lunch on the beach while enjoying the tropical paradise. The third and final dive of the day takes place after everyone has had enough time to digest lunch, usually around 2PM . After the final dive, our speedboats shuttle you back to Semporna while you snooze in the late afternoon sun, and are dropped back at the dive shop by 4:30PM for hot showers, cold beer, and tasty pizza.
Daily Diving & Snorkeling Prices
| Activity | Price | |
|---|---|---|
|
Price includes all equipment rental and lunch. All prices quoted are in Malaysian Ringits and are subject to change. |
||
| 4 Dives Sipadan | RM 500.00 | |
| 3 Dives Sipadan | RM 450.00 | |
| Snorkeling At Sipadan | RM 450.00 | |
| 3 Fun Dives At Other Islands | RM 300.00 | |
| 2 Fun Dives At Other Islands | RM 250.00 | |
| Night Dive | RM 100.00 | |
| Camera Rental | RM 100.00 | |
| Snorkeling At Other Islands | RM 100.00 | |
| Mabul Transfer (if not diving that day) | RM 50.00 | |
| Sipadan National Park Fee | RM 40.00 | |
Diving more than 1 day? Contact us and ask for you multi-day discount packages!
Reservations
We recommend that everyone coming to Semporna book ahead in order to guarantee space on the boat at Sipadan and other islands. Because Sipadan is a protected marine reserve, permits are required in order to visit the island. We usually need at least a few days to secure a permit for you. It’s worth stating here: you must book Sipadan a few weeks ahead in order to guarantee a spot upon arrival. The other islands do not require permits but we are busy year-round so it’s worth booking ahead if you’re on a schedule. If you plan on diving for a few days, we strongly recommend doing a couple of days at the other islands in addition to Sipadan. This is especially true if you haven’t dived in a while as currents can be strong at Sipadan and it’s good to be tuned-up before your first dive there.
We realize that Semporna is becoming well known on the backpacker circuit, and we pride ourselves in catering to travelers arriving on short notice from Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, and elsewhere. If you show up unannounced, we can most likely get you on the boat if you’re willing to wait a few days.That being said, the only way we can guarantee you a space on the boats is by letting us know you’re coming
Don't Forget To Book Ahead
As you may already know, in 2005 Sabah National Parks instituted a permit system on Sipadan in order curb environmental impact from tourism. Currently, 120 people are allowed on the island each day. As such, space is limited at and it is highly recommended that you book ahead of time in order to guarantee you'll be able to dive when you first arrive. While permits are not required to dive at any of the other islands, it still suggested that you make reservations as we are busy year round.
For more info on diving at Sipadan Island check out our friends below to read what other divers have to say.
