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The pioneer's on Sipadan - Borneo Divers

Malaysia's best diving is found off Borneo, with Sipadan pretty much at the top of the list. In order to preserve the rich marine diversity of Sipadan, the island has been declared as a protected national park reserve and as of 1st January 2005, all resorts based on the island of Sipadan itself closed down.
However, divers wanting to enjoy the wonders of Sipadan need not fear as the nearby Mabul Resort provides excellent accommodation and the opportunity to enjoy all the favourite Sipadan dive sites.

Sipadan Dive Sites

DROP OFF - is considered to be the best beach dive site in the world. Just 10metres or so from the shore, the wall plunges a staggering 600 metres down and is rated as one of the top 5 Beach Dives in the world. The wall is encrusted with different varieties of coral, turtles abound and a multitude of lion fish & smaller reef dwelling fish live on this wall. The entrance to TURTLE CAVERN is also found about 22 metres down along this wall.

You are allowed to do all the beach dives you want, also all night dives are at the drop off. At night you will see the huge (1½ to 2 meters) Bump Head Parrot Fish sleeping in the wall.
Turtle Cavern - Sipadan is famous for its population of both Green Turtles and the smaller Hawksbill Turtles. It was at one time speculated that the cavern was their mausoleum and that they came to this site to die. However, a more accurate representation, is that the turtles became lost in the caverns at night and drowned.

BARRACUDA POINT - Great dive site with lots of variation. As the name suggests, Barracuda Point is where a large concentration of Pelagic's converge. Expect to see large shoals of Barracuda, Jacks, Grey and White Tip Reef Sharks. The schools number in the high hundreds. Current is super-strong. It is a fast moving, high voltage dive site. There maybe no guarantees in diving, but there's every chance that you can find yourself in the middle of a swirling vortex of chevron barracuda on this, one of Sipadan's most treasured sites. You may see small critters too. Even a Leafy Scorpion Fish, Nudibranches and the Clown Trigger Fish. It is little wonder that visitors leave with so many "Barracuda Point" entries in their logbooks. You should have one too....

These are just a few of Sipadan's sites, but rest assured, the others, Coral Gardens, White Tip Avenue, Turtle Patch, South Point, Staghorn Crest, Hanging Gardens, Lobster Lair, North Point and West Ridge are equally stunning.

Mabul Dive Sites

In addition to the Sipadan sites, there are some 8 dive sites around Mabul itself, which in their own right offer the choice between lovely reefs, walls or muck diving.
When you dive at places like Froggy Lair and Nudibranch Centre make sure you have the macro lens attached to your camera, you will need it.

Add to this the fact that the first two dives each day are actually made at Sipadan, the choice of dive sites is very large indeed.
In the morning you will dive the "deep blue" off Sipadan with the very real possibility of getting up close and personal with turtles, various kinds of reef sharks, and the odd encounter with whaleshark, hammerhead and manta.

Then after lunch you do your third boat dive of the day around Mabul, looking for frogfish, seahorses, and ribbon and garden eels. And if that is not enough, the nightdiving at Mabul is great, spanish dancers the size of rugby balls and hermit crabs the size of soccer balls, are not a figment of my imagination (it's not deep enough to get "narked"). You can see them too, just come and experience the magic of Mabul.

Borneo Divers Mabul Resort, is the perfect place to stay when diving Sipadan.

This new resort, is set close to the water's edge, and offers fantastic diving, beautiful accommodation and great food at prices hard to believe.

The resort is located on the northern end of the island with a fishing village to either side of the resort. This is a small, comfortable resort, managed to the high standard Borneo Divers is known for. At the resort reception you can browse a large choice of regional fish guide books. You can also buy buy few souvenir items, and they sell ice cream. Off the lobby is a TV room, which also has a VCR for showing off your latest dive adventures. There is also Broadband wireless internet connection for those with own laptops, as well as a few PCs in the conference room for complimentary use for guests.

The restaurant is open from early morning to late evening. All meals are buffet style with a choice of Asian, western and vegetarian dishes, salads, sashimi and soup.

Accommodation

The generously sized rooms are beautifully furnished, have air-conditioning and of course ensuite facilities. All rooms have a verandah, inviting you to enjoy the sunset and/or a cool drink. Rooms are located just a short walk from the restaurant and the beach.

Dive Shop

The dive shack is right on the beach from where you board the dive boats. Separate fresh water tanks to wash your dive equipment and cameras, an outside fresh water shower to rinse off, and individual spaces to leave your gear if you wish. The dive shop is locked once the last divers are back after the night dive. Gear hire is available at a reasonable cost. Tanks are loaded directly on to the dive boats. All dives (other than the night dive) are guided by local guides with good English language skills, of Dive Master or higher qualification.