Diving Sipadan, Mabul, and Kapalai Island at Malaysia

Dive Sipadan, Dive Mabul, and Dive Kapalai.
Dive Malaysia Diving Sites.
Sipadan Island, Mabul Island, Kapalai Island.
Sipadan Island is a UN World Heritage Site located in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo (Kalimantan). Sipadan�s wall and hanging garden of corals have been touted as one of the top five diving sites in the world, its turqoise waters turning azure as the drop-off plunges 2,000 feet into the bottom of Celebes Sea. The wall, a mere 20 feet waddle from the shore, offers a myriad of spectacular marine life � the resident schooling barracudas and jacks, a herd of the �reef buffalos� or bumphead parrotfish (Maori wrasse), white-tip sharks, giant groupers, and the ubiquitous abundance of Green and Hawksbill turtles makes the wall a never-ending underwater amusement park.
The wall is also adorned with healthy corals, known as the Hanging Gardens of Sipadan. Deep caves on the wall hide a number of turtle skeletons � unfortunate souls who couldn�t find their way back out. Hammerhead sharks have been sighted in the deeper waters over the years, as well as the occasional manta rays.
Mabul Island, a tiny islet 20-minutes boat ride from Sipadan, is a Mecca for macro-lovers. Its shallow waters hide a treasure trove of small critters: colorful nudibranchs, frogfish, crocodile fish, sea moths, oriental sea robin, blue-ring octopus, exotic shrimps and crabs are the �normal� fare. Mabul is also famous for its colony of playful mandarin fish, always ready for a flamboyant show of colors at dusk.
Kapalai Island is a small sandbank along the famed Ligitan Reefs, just minutes away from Mabul. Small as it may seem, Kapalai hides a surprising number of weird and wonderful critters such as seahorses, octopus, and nudibranchs. It also offers the bigger attractions: sharks, turtles, and schooling jacks.
Average visibility: 15-40meters
Water temperature: 26�C-30�C.