More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest ecosystem. It is not unusual for a diver to see more than 20 turtles on each dive as Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles which gather there to mate and nest. Turtle Tomb is an underwater limestone cave with labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that become disoriented and then drowned was another unique feature to divers visiting Sipadan.
The residential schooling barracuda and big-eye trevally that often gather in thousands forming breathtaking tornado-like formations, are on of the highlights of every diver's wish-list. With the possibility of seeing aquatic species such as mantas, eagle rays and whale sharks each dive at Sipadan is highly anticipated event.
There are total of 12 sites in Sipadan Island namely the West Ridge, North Point, The Drop Off, Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, Coral Garden, Whitetip Avenue, Mid Reef, Turtle Patch, South Point, Staghorn Crest, Lobster Lair and The Hanging Garden. The most popular yet highly recommended is Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, South Point and Hanging Gardens.
How to get there? From Kota Kinabalu it only takes 55-minutes flight to Tawau and an hour drive to Semporna. From Semporna, Sipadan takes another 40 minutes by speedboat.
