Scuba Diving in Sipadan & Semporna
The Ultimate Guide
Sipadan Island off the coast of Sabah is Malaysia’s crown jewel of diving – a steep limestone pinnacle rising more than 600 metres from the sea floor and teeming with pelagic life. Currents sweep past vertical walls encrusted in hard and soft corals, bringing in barracudas, jacks, reef sharks and bumphead parrotfish in breathtaking numbers. Nearby Mabul and Kapalai offer an entirely different experience on shallow sand‑slope reefs and artificial structures, where flamboyant cuttlefish, frogfish, mandarin fish and other macro critters hide among sponges and tyres. With limited daily permits, a visit to Sipadan is a privilege; most divers base themselves in the frontier town of Semporna or at water‑bungalow resorts on Mabul and Kapalai and make day trips into the park.
Difficulty
Moderate
Temperature
27-30°C
Visibility
15-30m
Diving Highlights
Best Months to Dive
Getting to Sipadan & Semporna for Diving
✈️Transportation
Fly to Tawau International Airport (TWU) in Sabah via Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu.
From Tawau it’s about a one‑hour drive or shared van to the port town of Semporna.
From there speedboats take 40–60 minutes to reach Mabul and Kapalai; only day trips are allowed to land on Sipadan itself.
Country
Malaysia
Currency
Malaysian Ringgit
Electricity
240V, 50Hz, UK plug
Cost of a Dive Trip in Sipadan & Semporna
Day Trip
Dive Resort
Meal
Accommodation
Best Dive Sites in Sipadan & Semporna
🐠Barracuda Point
Sipadan’s signature site lives up to its name: a large barracuda school forms a swirling tornado above a sheer wall that drops hundreds of meters. Expect reef sharks, bumphead parrotfish and schooling jacks in the blue, plus turtles resting on ledges. Currents can be strong but make for thrilling drifts.
🐢South Point
A sloping wall and plateau on Sipadan’s southern tip where strong currents attract grey reef, whitetip and hammerhead sharks. Look for bumphead parrotfish, schooling barracuda and jacks hanging in the blue. Thresher and manta rays occasionally pass by.
🦈Turtle Cavern
Also known as Turtle Tomb, this cave system sits beneath the Drop‑Off. A cavern entrance at 18 m leads to a huge chamber strewn with turtle skeletons, then into narrow passages filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Only for trained cave divers accompanied by an experienced guide.
🐙Drop‑Off & West Ridge
Just off the island’s jetty, the reef drops vertically into the abyss. Drift along colourful soft corals and sponges at West Ridge while watching turtles, unicornfish, fusiliers and occasional pelagic visitors. It’s an easy site to access on your Sipadan day.
🐚Froggy Lair (Mabul)
A macro heaven on Mabul’s sloping sandy bottom. Search the rubble and artificial structures for frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, mandarinfish, ghost pipefish, blue‑ring octopus and a myriad of nudibranchs. Currents are gentle, making it a perfect muck dive.
🦑Lobster Wall (Mabul)
A mini wall draped in soft corals and sea fans where spiny lobsters hide in crevices. Keep an eye out for cuttlefish, leaf scorpionfish, ornate ghost pipefish and macro critters. The sandy slope above is home to garden eels and jawfish.
🐡Kapalai House Reef
The stilted resort at Kapalai sits above a sandy reef teeming with life. Dive beneath the walkways to find mandarinfish, crocodilefish, stonefish, turtles and schooling batfish. At dusk you can watch mandarin fish mating dances.
What Divers Say About Diving in Sipadan & Semporna
Sarah Chen
Scuba InstructorWhen people say Sipadan is like swimming in an aquarium, they’re not exaggerating. Barracuda Point truly lives up to its name—imagine a tornado of silver fish swirling around you while reef sharks cruise below and green turtles lumber past. The walls drop into a blue abyss and the currents can give you a real adrenaline hit. Each morning you hop on the boat wondering if today will bring a hammerhead or thresher shark. Over at nearby Mabul and Kapalai the vibe is totally different: frogfish the size of your thumb, flamboyant cuttlefish, mandarin fish and other macro critters hide among the artificial reefs and sand slopes. After a day of diving you’ll watch the sunset from a stilted bungalow, beer in hand, feeling like you’re on the edge of the world.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diving in Sipadan & Semporna
When is the best time to dive Sipadan and Semporna?
The dry months from March to June and September to early December offer calm seas and excellent visibility. July and August are popular but busy, while December to February is rainy with lower visibility but still diveable.
What marine life can I see at Sipadan?
Sipadan’s walls are famous for schools of barracuda and jacks, bumphead parrotfish, reef sharks, green and hawksbill turtles, and occasional hammerheads or thresher sharks. Nearby Mabul and Kapalai add critters like frogfish, mandarin fish, flamboyant cuttlefish and nudibranchs.
Do I need a permit to dive Sipadan?
Yes. Only 120 permits are issued daily and divers are typically allowed one or two days on Sipadan. Book early through a resort or dive operator.
Is Sipadan suitable for beginners?
The strong currents and deep walls at Sipadan make it better for experienced divers, but beginners can enjoy sheltered macro dives around Mabul and Kapalai with an instructor.
How many dive sites are there?
Sipadan itself has around a dozen named sites, while there are dozens more around Mabul, Kapalai and other islands in the Semporna archipelago.
What are the water temperatures and visibility like?
Water temperatures stay around 27–30 °C year‑round and rarely drop below 26 °C. Visibility is typically 15–30 m and can reach 40 m in March–June but drops to 10–20 m during the rainy season.
Do I need to go on a liveaboard to dive Sipadan?
Liveaboards can maximise your chances of multiple Sipadan dives, but many divers stay at resorts on Mabul or Kapalai and take day boats to Sipadan.
What else can I do in Semporna?
Snorkel the shallow reefs, visit the stilt villages of the Bajau Laut (sea gypsies) or explore the mangroves and coral gardens of nearby islands like Bohey Dulang and Mataking.