The ultimate Guide to Diving in Sipadan, Borneo.

There are a few treasured places that will make divers’ hearts beat faster: Galapagos, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Palau… it seems the more remote, the harder to get to, the better the diving. And then there is diving in Sipadan. 

What and where is Sipadan, you may ask. The tiny island off the northeast coast of Sabah, Borneo is regarded as one of the best dive destinations in the world but somehow in a very understated way. Jacques Cousteau gave his endorsement in the movie The Ghost of the Sea Turtle: “I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art.”

For better or worse, it seems that the piece of art has been forgotten in the proverbial attic. Sipadan has fallen off the radar for many divers and is often ignored for the other hard-hitters in the area. I was lucky enough to have dived there twice and have just confirmed: diving in Sipadan is as good as it gets. You should book your flight now and don’t wait!

THE INS & OUTS OF DIVING Sipadan

What makes Sipadan so special?

Sipadan is not a region as such, but rather an island in the northeast of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah. It lies in the Celebes Sea and has been a marine park governed by Sabah Parks since 2004. Since then it has also been closed for tourists who can only visit when diving or snorkeling here. 

Sipadan is Malaysia’s only volcanic island and was formed by living corals that sit on top of an extinct volcano. The island is surrounded by ocean plunging 2000 m down and sits in the Indo-Pacific. Thanks to strong current and this location, the biodiversity is as big as it gets. Countless of fish species and hundreds of corals have been discovered here.

What makes diving in Sipadan so special is not only the diversity of marine life but also the sheer numbers. Dozens of green and hawksbill turtles on a single dive are considered normal as are the groups of bumphead parrotfish marching through. Then there are the famous barracuda and jack tornados and various shark species including scalloped hammerheads, leopard sharks, and white tips. In addition, a variety of rays and of course countless colorful reef fish. If you are looking for a dive site that delivers both quality and quantity, Sipadan is the place for you. 

The best Dive Sites in & around Sipadan

I use the term dive sites in Sipadan loosely as people who come here will most likely dive around the islands of Mabul, Kapalai, and Si Amil as well.

Sipdan dive sites

Honestly, diving in Sipadan is everything. Why not more people mention it in the same sentence as Raja Ampat and Komodo I do not know. Sipadan is about 45 minutes by boat from Mabul, depending on conditions. Once you arrive every guest has to register at the local office and you will need to show your passport – a phone copy is sufficient. After, your guide will give you a brief history about Sipadan and what diving entails. 

Once you have done your first dive you will have snacks at one of the sheds on the island and meet divers from the other dive centers. There are also a cute bunch of cats around. After the second dive you will have your lunch there, get to use the cool barracuda toilets, and head back to Mabul for your third dive. Walking around Sipadan is unfortunately not allowed due to the presence of the military, and what I consider more important – nesting turtles. 

There are a total of about 12 dive sites dotted around Sipadan. Once you have checked in at the office, it is usually a quick ride as they are quite close. On most dives, we actually went to two dive sites on one dive.

Staghorn Crest & South Point

We started our first Sipadan dive at Staghorn Crest and were greeted by a huge tornado of jacks. The amount of fish is one of the things in Sipadan that mesmerized me the most. We did a quick swim into the blue looking for hammerheads but eventually returned to the reef for a good drift. There were plenty of reef sharks and turtles before we made our way to South Point. 

We had been instructed before by our guide Matt to look out for leopard sharks and to bark not squeal should we see one. It was me who saw it first and instead of shyly hiding which they like to do it swam a huge circle around us. It was an absolute highlight to hang out with such a beauty!

Drop Off & Barracuda Point

For our second dive we went looking for schools of bumphead parratfish or a herd as I like to call them as they are quite very cow-like. We got unexpectedly lucky as we jumped in at Drop Off and were immediately greeted by them. I didn’t get many good pictures but they were so fun. One was turning on his own achses as he was swimming – he really looked like it was just doing it to amuse himself. 

We followed the wall and while I am usually not a fan of wall dives, this was a stunner. In our group were 2 biologists who worked with turtles and counted the turtles we saw on this dive: 59 green turtles and 3 hawksbills. Wow. And then there was the amount of batfish which was insurmountable. 

The only downside was no barracuda tornado but just 3 giant barracudas when we got to Barracuda Point but honestly – I didn’t care. 

Hanging Garden

Our second dive day started delayed and with some pretty bad weather. By the time the captain deemed it safe to head to Sipadan, we still had a pretty bumpy boat ride. Our first dive at Barracuda Point was a bit of a bust with horrible visibility, big swell, and no again, no barracudas. 

Luckily conditions improved afterward for our second dive at Hanging Garden. We saw a hammerhead in the blue at 20-25 m and though I couldn’t take a decent picture I was very excited for my first ever hammerhead sighting. 

The wall dive itself was beautiful with again countless turltes and batfish, a school of bannerfish, my favorite, and many cute red tooth triggerfish. The corals were also beautiful in shades of pink with different soft and staghorn corals. 

Dive sites in Mabul & Kapalai 

Mabul and Kapalai are the other islands in the area and are great for macro lovers. The jetty in front of Scuba Junkie is used for dive training as well as for sunset/ night dives. There is also an artificial reef where you can start your treasure hunt. Chances are you will find a frogfish, plenty of octopus, tiny shrimp, and blue dragons. If you keep your eyes peeled you may even find a cute juvenile razorfish (found by yours truly!). 

In general, the dives around south and north Mabul offer plenty of eels, shoals of batfish, turtles, stingrays, and so many crocodile fish. In addition, octopus, cuttlefish, crabs, and shrimps in various sizes. Let’s just say – diving in Mabul is quite an adventure especially if you like looking for small things. 

Kapalai is known for the Black Ray Channel, Panglima with its pygmy seahorse, and a dive site called Xiao Xiao which aptly means “small small”.

There is also a huge resident moray eel named Elvis in Kapalai that I am not keen to see again. Especially Black Ray Channel is great for small critters like dragon sea moths and ghost pipefish.

Diving Si Amil

Si Amil got a reputation for being a devil ray magnet. That said, when we dove there no devil rays were to be seen and overall the diving was mediocre. We covered Second Beach, Red Rock, and First Beach and did see some cool things like a yellow box fish, leaf fish, nudis, and Nemos with a log full of their eggs.

But I am not sure I would give it a second chance – it just wasn’t good enough without the devil rays for a spoilt diver like myself. And I was told that the probability of seeing a devil ray fever (fun fact: a group of rays is called a fever) is actually pretty small.

How difficult is diving in Sipadan?

Sabah Parks has declared that in order to dive in Sipadan National Park you will need at least an Advanced Open water certification. I can honestly tell you from my first dive trip in Sipadan – this may or may not be enough. While I was an AOW I had only 15 dives under my belt and was in over my head. I remember a dive guide having to share his air with me (wouldn’t do that again) and having some truly horrible visibility which made me almost swim into Elvis, the giant morray eel at Kapalai. 

In Sipadan dives are deep, there can be quite a few currents, and I think you will just enjoy it a whole lot more if you have some experience. 

A nice touch from Scuba Junkie: If you have not dived in a while, they offer a refresher dive at no extra cost. Regardless of which package you book, your first day in the water will not be in Sipadan so you can get find your feet underwater.

The best time to dive in Sipadan

When is the best time to go diving at Sipadan? Any time but in November as the Sipadan National Park closes for the month every year. 

Other than that you can dive all year long with conditions that are honestly a bit hard to predict. Temperatures hover around 25-30℃ during the day and the water temperatures never fall below 27℃. As Borneo is called “the land beneath the wind” it doesn’t really get a proper monsoon. However, it can get a bit windy and wavey – if you are prone to seasickness I recommend you take medication with you. Also, rain is common but it usually doesn’t last long. 

The seasons with the least swell and the best visibility tend to be February to June and October & November. 

The best dive center in Sipadan

There are a few good dive centers in Sipadan and the adjacent islands as well as in Semporna on the mainland. Most operate as dive resorts and thus offer dive & stay packages. While remote, Sipadan is not a liveaboard destination. There used to be a lone liveaboard many years back that I actually traveled with. All I shall say – I am lucky to tell the tale and I was much happier once I moved over to Scuba Junkie Sipadan. 

They are one of the premier dive resorts based on Mabul island and also offer diving in Kota Kinabalu, Sangalaki, Nusa Penida, and Komodo. The og dive center in Sipadan has won multiple awards over the years and environmental programs and awareness are a huge part of what they focus on. 

In addition to fun dive packages, they also offer a variety of PADI courses, both for recreational divers and if you want to become a professional. In fact, they are a PADI 5* IDC center.

The dive center is built over water and it is here where you will arrive with your boat from Semporna. There is a small bar/ cafe and plenty of seating areas, a huge deck to gear up, showers, and various docking points where the boats to the dive sites depart. The boats are aptly named after some of your favorite marine animals. There is also an office, filling stations, and gear storage. 

From the dive center, you make your way over a jetty to Mabul island. After the security guard, they have a turtle conservation station and a small beach area. On the other side of the jetty is the local village. 

When staying at Scuba Junkie your meals are included in your packages and they have a big communal restaurant as well as a cozy bar on top. Each day, the diving schedule including location and boat is put up next to the kitchen so you can get excited for your dives to come. And know whether you need to set an alarm or not. 

Tip: There are limited shopping options on Mabul and the bar at Scuba Junkie only offers a few snacks. Bring anything with you that you may need or want during your stay. 

How much is diving at Sipadan?

There is no way around it – diving in Sipadan is expensive. As with many remote places, the cost of living is already higher, getting there takes time and money, and on top – Sipadan requires a permit.

There are only a set amount of permits per day for visitors in Sipadan (I was told it is currently 176 but this can of course change). They are distributed between dive resorts in the area.  Each permit currently costs RM450 for non-Malaysian divers and RM100 for snorkelers. This does not include the money you need to spend on your actual dives but is just the permit fee. 

As permits are high in demand most operators will require you to book a certain number of days to get one guaranteed dive day at Sipadan. Scuba Junkie offers various Sipadan scuba diving packages that will range anywhere from 3D/2N with 1 day diving in Sipadan to 7D/6N where you get a total of 5 days of Sipadan diving. The more dive days in Sipadan you want, the more expensive the packages are.

I went for a 6D/5N diving in Sipadan package: 2 days Sipadan, 1 day Si Amil, and 2 days non-Sipadan which means diving in Mabul and Kapalai. It was definitely a treat but one I don’t regret. You will get a discount for bringing your own gear, if you are a dive professional and/or have previously dived with them at one of their other locations like Kota Kinabalu. 

My tip: if you are coming from halfway around the world, make sure you book more than one day at Sipadan. You could feel unwell or the weather might not play along. Our second day at Sipadan was on the cusp of getting canceled as the weather had turned rough. We ended up heading over a bit delayed and were still able to dive but the visibility wasn’t the best. I was so happy that I had booked 2 days to see Sipadan in all its glory. If you are spending this kind of money you might as well book a second day just in case. 

Also, while a regular dive day with Scuba Junkie includes 3 dives, you can only do 2 dives at Sipadan. 

Important: You cannot just rock up on Mabul island and expect to go diving. Permits need to be booked with your name and passport number in advance. While you can book extras like night dives and such once you arrive, you need to sort your permits for diving in Sipadan beforehand with your dive resort. The same goes for accommodation as both are so high in demand.

Equipment for your Sipadan dives

Most divers are fine with a 3mm shorty though I always go for a long 3mm because I get cold easily. If renting from Scuba Junkie note that they only have closed-heel fins. While you don’t really need them, I personally find open-heel fins with booties more comfortable. 

As always, make sure to check with them about available sizes for all your gear especially if you tend to be smaller or bigger than the average. When in doubt, pack your own gear. After all, you will want to be extra comfortable when diving in a location like Sipadan. 

That said, this might not be the place to try new gear and if you do, pack a familiar backup. While I dove with sidemount, it is a setup that I am now very familiar and comfortable with. 

Scuba Junkie’s tanks are regular 12l aluminum with yoke though they have adapters if you need one. They also have a few 15l tanks. Nitrox is available though only for the 12l tanks. 

If you are bringing your own gear you will get a cubby at the dive center. They mark whether you want your gear set up or if you prefer to not have it touched and sort it yourself, something I really appreciated. 

My tip: Bring a little save-the-dive kit (also for your camera) and take not only spare o-rings but also spare hair ties. Pack it all in your day pack when heading out to the dive site. There is always someone who seems to need an extra hair tie. 

How to get to Sipadan

Getting to Sipadan is all part of the fun. Or rather, this will show your true determination and how much you want it. Just like Raja Ampat, getting there is a lengthy process. 

First, you have to get to Borneo. There are no direct flights from Europe or the US. You will most likely fly to Kuala Lumpur first. From there can board a direct flight to Tawau, the closest airport in East Sabah. There are also direct connections from Sandakan and Johor Bahru and I expect that the region will see more flights from China in the years to come. 

Alternatively, you can take a flight to Kota Kinabalu on the west coast of Sabah and then connect to Tawau. You can either take a bus, though this is a long and adventurous trip, probably not very comfortable, or you hop on a quick AirAsia or MASwings flight. Honestly, if you prefer not to fly too often for environmental reasons, I understand but this is not the time. Flights are cheap and did I mention quick?! The bus will take you about 12 hours and you probably won’t save any money. 

Book your flight to Tawau

Once you have made it to Tawau you will need to get a ride to Semporna. While there is a public minibus I would not bother and simply ask your dive resort to organize a taxi for you. 

They can also advise on the times since you will need to match your flight arrival to the boat departure (and vice versa when you come back). Once you are in Semporna you will board a boat to get to Mabul where most divers will stay. The ride will take about an hour, depending on the conditions. There are no public boats but you will go with your dive resort’s boat. 

Where to stay on Sipadan

Back in the day there used to be a resort on Sipadan but this has long closed. Due to conservation efforts, there is no more tourism on the island as such. You will have to stay on Mabul Island or at the Kapalai Dive Resort. Alternatively, you could stay in Semporna and do day trips to dive in Sipadan. I don’t recommend that option as Semporna is anything but charming.

Favorite Sipadan dive resorts on Mabul Island are Scuba Junkie Sipadan or Seaventures, a former oil rig platform that has become home to a dive resort. There are also a few homestays and a handful of fancier resorts with overwater bungalows like the Mabul Water Bungalows. 

I stayed with Scuba Junkie and was very happy with my choice. That said, I wish I had booked sooner as they have both rooms/ bungalows with AC and without. Unfortunately, I had to take what was left and only got a non-AC room. I slept badly, to say the least. 

They also have a few dorm rooms, a good option if you are truly on a budget but again, they don’t have AC. I also reckon drying dive gear, camera equipment, and multiple swimsuits a day gets a bit tricky if you are sharing a room with a few others. 

General tips & safety when diving Sipadan

• Once you have made it to Semporna, I recommend you head to the little cafe around the corner from the Scuba Junkie office for a final salad bowl. After you can buy any last supplies. There are a couple of drug stores and a 7-Eleven so you can stock up on your favorite snacks, and get some more hair ties and conditioner. Trust me, you will need it!
• When it comes to hair, come prepared especially if you have long and/or color-treated hair. I do not know what is or isn’t in the water on Mabul Island but my hair has never been as bad as it was after diving in Sipadan. I recommend you bring all the supplies and preferably an extra large bottle of Stream2Sea leave-in conditioner. Also, pack your patience or consider this the time to cut your hair. 
• Unfortuantely some countries still have travel warnings in place for Eastern Sabah due to kidnappings in the past. While nothing has happened since 2019 thanks to improved security, they are still in place. Check with your government advisories and if you decide to go even if a travel warning is in place (I totally would), make sure your insurance will cover you. Confirm the exact wording and get it in writing from your policy – some will not cover you if a travel warning is live. On the other hand, the US travel advisory only asks for increased caution but has not issued an official warning anymore.

• When diving with Scuba Junkie you will need to keep to your NDLs and the recommended no-fly time. The staff is trained with EFR and CPR and of course, they have oxygen and AED on site. The next hyperbaric chamber is on the navy base between Semporna and Tawau or in Kota Kinabalu. 
• While insurance is not mandatory, both regular travel health insurance and dive insurance for example from DAN are strongly recommended. I would also recommend to bring a more comprehensive first aid kit. This way you are covered for minor incidences – important since there is no pharmacy on Mabul Island.