Sipadan An Iconic Dive Destination

Text & Images by Adam Sokolski

Sipadan is often named among the world’s best dive sites – a true legend in the diving community. This unique oceanic island in Malaysia was formed by a volcanic cone rising 600 metres from the seafloor. Located in the heart of the Celebes Sea, off the coast of Borneo, Sipadan has been part of the strictly protected Sipadan Island Park since 2004. Managed by Sabah Parks, this marine reserve enforces strict conservation policies: no hotels on the island, and a limited number of daily diving permits to protect the pristine ecosystem.

Most divers stay on nearby islands like Mabul or Kapalai. We based ourselves on Mabul and dived with Borneo Divers – a highly professional dive centre with a comfortable resort, spacious rooms, and excellent food. It was a perfect base for both diving and relaxing.

Each day, we enjoyed three boat dives, plus unlimited unguided dives on the house reef. We were diving around Mabul, Kapalai, Si Amil, and of course, Sipadan.

The dive sites around Mabul and Kapalai offered healthy coral gardens and a nice variety of macro life. While the creatures weren’t quite as bizarre or rare as those in Semporna, there was still plenty to photograph – nudibranchs, shrimps, clownfish, and lots of other interesting little critters.

One of the highlights for me near Kapalai was a large artificial reef, made from thick ropes suspended underwater, almost like the framework of a tiny underwater town. It felt like exploring a small maze of ‘streets’ and ‘buildings’, full of life and movement.

Fish swam through the open spaces, soft corals and sponges had started to grow on the ropes, and curious creatures peeked out from every corner. It was a fun and unusual dive – very different from the natural reefs, but just as exciting.

At Si Amil, which is a more remote reef, we were lucky to spot mobula rays. We didn’t come across a big school of them – just a few at a time – but it was still an exciting and memorable experience.

We were lucky enough to do eight dives at Sipadan during our stay – and it honestly blew us away. At Barracuda Point, we swam through huge schools of barracuda moving together like a giant silver cloud. We also came across majestic bumphead parrotfish, some over a metre long, slowly grazing on coral with their big, beak-like mouths. Jackfish and batfish cruised by in the open water, while reef sharks patrolled the deeper drop-offs below with calm confidence. And around nearly every corner, we spotted sea turtles drifting peacefully through the water or resting in the coral like they had nowhere else to be.

The reefs were colourful, healthy, and full of life – a perfect setting for everything happening around us. Some dive sites had these amazing vertical coral walls that dropped straight down into the deep blue, giving us that surreal feeling of floating at the edge of an underwater cliff. The visibility was great, the marine life was incredible, and every dive felt like a completely new adventure.

This trip was unforgettable – for underwater photographers and non-photographers alike. I know I’ll return, because Sipadan stays with you long after you surface.

For me, it was more than just another dive destination. Sipadan touched something deeper – that rare moment when you see the ocean as it’s meant to be: wild, rich, and alive.

Every diver should experience this place. Sipadan is living proof that marine protection can work. It reminds us that the underwater world’s beauty can still be preserved – unlike so many places where it is fading or being destroyed by human impact.