Sipadan - World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo!

Sipadan - World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo!

Borneo has some of the worlds most amazing dive spots, filled with schools of fish, tiny colorful creaturs, sharks and so much more! One of those spots you have to see once in your life. Read about how to do it on a budget!

While people often mention Sipadan, the dive area is actually three islands close to each other. Sipadan, Mabul & Kapalai island are located at the East coast of Borneo, Sabah in Malaysia.

This is one of those places on earth where you can find 'everything' underwater. Shark species, lots of turtles and rays. Schools of Jacks, Trevally, Bat fish and even Bumphead parrotfish (they are soooo big!). Various muray eel and crab species, seahorses and banner fish. Giant clams, soft and hard corals plus sponges and anemones along the seabed.

If you are in to the small animals, NUDIBRANCH! you will love diving around Mabul island. Critters everywhere. Frog fish, leaf fish, sea horses, mantis shrimps and countless flatworms and nudibranches!

Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 38

School of Bathfish in the blue



How to organize a dive trip to Sipadan

All three islands have amazing dive spots while Sipadan is most famous because you will find schools of fish, sharks and lots of corals. If you want to dive around Sipadan you have a few options: Day trips from Semporna (mainland), staying at one of the resorts on Mabul or Kapalai or going on a liveaboard cruise.

If you want to do it on a budget you have to shop around for the best package that suits your need regarding number of nights and dives. We got a great deal with Billabong SCUBA on Mabul island with 9 dives, 3 nights with 3 meals a day, dive equipement and park fees for about 500 USD. Still not cheap but considering the location and underwater treasures it was worth it and it was great to spend a few nights on a 'local' island.


Reef Creature Identification
Paul Human

Tropical Pacific
(South-East Asia
South Pacific
& Australia)
1600 Animals!

Country Malaysia
Dive area name Borneo, Sabah: Sipadan, Mabul & Kapalai Island
Dive center Billabong Scuba on Mabul
Famous for Everything in one spot: Coral reef, macro & pelagic
Price 500 USD for 3 nights / 9 guided boat dives. Including transfers, dive equipment, park fees, room with private bathroom + full board (3 buffet meals a day).
Hotel recommendations Dragon Inn Floating Resort (Semporna)
Sipadan Dive Centre Mabul Lodge (Mabul)
My Inn Hotel (Tawau)


Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 35
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 24
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 25

Bumphead parrotfish in Sipadan!



Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 13

Beautiful nudibranch everywhere!

Sipadan permits

To protect the precious ecosystem of Sipadan island the Malaysian gouvernment has relocated all resorts in 2005. You can not stay after 15:00 on Sipadan anymore, no overnight stays.

From 2006 onward a permit system was introduced to protect the highly valuably marine life ecosystems. There are only 120 daily permits for Sipadan devided over the dive centers around while there can be hundreds of guests around. Make sure to book well in advance and the longer you stay in one of the resorts the higher the change you will get a permit for Sipadan.

Comparing dive destinations

Bottom structure Reef structure Pelagic
(big stuff in the blue)
Big reef
(bigger stuff on the reef)
Macro
(small stuff on the reef)
Current
(stream)
Flat bottom with bumps/big rocks/pinnacles Hard corals tree-shape
(not moving)
Sharks Turtles Nudibranchs
(snails)
No current
Slope
(going down slowly)
Soft corals tree-shape
(moving)
Rays Eels/snakes Sea horses Small
(you can easily swim against it)
Wall
(steep but you see the bottom)
Table-/fan-shape Trevally/Jacks/Tuna Groupers Scorpion/frog fish Medium
(you can swim against it for a little while/higher air consumption)
Drop off
(steep and you can't see the bottom)
Anemones Barracudas Lobsters/crabs Octopus/squid Strong/reef hooks
(you cannot swim against it)
Blue
(no reference)
Sponges Sardines/herrings Puffers Shrimps Pumping/washing machine/OMG/hold your regulator
(superman)


Impressions of diving around Sipadan

Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 1
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 2
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 3
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 4
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 5
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 6
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 7
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 8
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 9
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 10
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 11
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 12
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 14
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 15
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 16
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 17
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 18
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 21
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 22
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 23
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 26
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 27
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 28
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 29
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 30
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 31
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 32
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 33
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 34
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 36
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 37
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 39
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 40
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 41
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 42
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 44
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 45
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 48
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 49
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 50
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 51
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 52

Marine life around Sipadan, Malaysia.



About the organization of Billabong SCUBA

Billabong SCUBA is a good option for the budget / backpacker range. The staff is friendly and helpful and the guides are experienced. Their location is right at the waterfront with great ocean view. The rooms are clean, the food is cooked fresh but the buffet is limited and at specific times. There is laundry service and there a lot of local convenient shops nearby, selling mainly things like soft drinks, cookies and peanuts. Alcohol might be hard to find as it is a Muslim island / country. No food or drinks are sold at Billabong itself. There's scheduled power cuts during the day (on the whole Island basically) and limited UTMS connection. No WIFI (2015).

Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 46
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 47
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 43
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 19
Sipadan World Class SCUBA Diving in Malaysian Borneo  Sipadan Diveoclock 20

Billabong SCUBA and Mabul island.

For more information about Mabul, Semporna and Tawau (airport), things to do, restaurant and bar recommendations and a lot of useful travel tips for your holiday, visit my travel blog Crazy Dutch Abroad!
If you like this post, hit that like button on our Facebook page and stay tuned for more!
Marlies Wolters
Founder of Dive O'Clock "It's dive o'clock somewhere!"
Become a Dive Professional




Share this page:




Accept cookies