Malaysia sipadan. Meet Sipadan - the real island of Robinson
A very small and inconspicuous, but incredibly beautiful islet of Sipadan is located 30 km from the famous island of Borneo on its eastern side and is part of the state of Sabah. A long time ago it was a volcano, but now only the peak is left of it, overgrown with dense tropical forests. A piece of land of only 500 by 200 meters is not immediately visible on the map.
Sipadan Island on the map
- Geographic coordinates 4.114713, 118.628595
- Distance from the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1900 km
- Distance to the nearest airport Tawau about 60 km
- To Juwata International Airport International Airport Tarakan 150 km
More recently, almost until the end of the last century, few people knew about this tiny island. But in 1989, one of the most famous Frenchmen of all time, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, visited here. And not only visited, but shot a scientific film "Borneo: the ghost of the sea turtle". After the release of the film, the island gained worldwide popularity. Divers came here from all parts of our beautiful (still) planet.
The main attraction of the island of Sipadan is its rich and insanely diverse underwater world, in fact, for which divers of all stripes come here. The climate here is also in complete order.
Sipadan is also called the Turtle Island, because it became famous thanks to the turtles, about which Cousteau shot one of his masterpieces. When shooting underwater, two, three, or even more turtles are captured in the frame. These ancient creatures live here in countless numbers, of any age and several species. Not far from the island there is a "turtle cave", where there is a huge number of turtles and their skeletons. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that turtles swim into the cave to take a break from the sun's rays. Alas, in the night the poor creatures are lost and, lost, cannot find a way out. Soon they run out of air, and the bottom of the cave is replenished with another future turtle skeleton. The cave is also unique in that it has many passages, but there is only one way out.
Not all turtles manage to get out of the trap. For a long time, the island was considered abandoned, it is now deserted (except for a small handful of people living here on the verge of past and present). They get food by fishing. It is truly a fascinating sight when, very tiny boats, in comparison with the huge ocean, go to the sun at sunset, in search of the best place to fish. Hotels had to be located on nearby islands, because almost all divers in the world come here. In addition to the island of Sipadan, there are also Mabul and Kapalai. The island of Sipadan itself is not built up. Tourist facilities are located on other islands. Despite the houses built on stilts above the water, a hotel had to be built on an abandoned oil platform. Night diving takes place around this platform.
This is the very platform A wide variety of fish can be found in the surrounding area. Pygmy skates, shrimps, crabs, moray eels are found on the surrounding corals.
The island also has disadvantages. One of them is strong currents. Some are so strong that divers have to, that they have the strength to stick to the bottom relief, so as not to be carried away by the current. Many inexperienced divers, carried away by the current, were picked up far into the ocean. But it's worth it!
In the morning, after sunrise, you can watch schooling fish parrots swimming along the coast, with growths on the forehead in the form of a lump and are simply huge in size, and beautiful plataxes gracefully maneuver between the currents. These waters and sharks full of living creatures did not pass by. Small reef sharks have chosen the underwater beach, and now it is their favorite place. Due to the constant current, they do not need to swim all the time, which gives the sharks some rest. However, cases of attacks on a person are scanty, and even then only because of the carelessness of divers. Every diving diver must remember the rules of conduct and relationship with sharks. Like any other predator, the shark does not like sudden movements, so do not swim in panic and wave your arms and legs. All movement should be smooth. Nor should you be afraid. After all, sharks will feel it well and attack. Solitary diving is also not recommended.
You cannot ignore the huge flock of barracudas that appear here. It is impossible to forget how a huge number of different types of fish rush off the spot and twist into a real tornado.
fish whirlwind of Sipadan island Sipadan Island is rightfully ranked in the top ten for diving.
- long time three nearby states (Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines) disputed its ownership. The Philippines almost immediately turned out to be no destiny. But the dispute between the remaining two countries lasted until 2002, when the International Court of Justice recognized the island as part of Malaysia.
- since 1964 Sipadan is a part of Nature reserve turtles of the state of Sabah
- on the island there are not only hotels and hotel complexes, but not even a single cafe or shop. So tourists have to bring all food and water with them.
- then, in the distant now 1989, Jacques-Yves Cousteau said about Sipadan the following words: “We found an untouched work of art”. By this he characterized the natural and pristine state of the island. But now, with crowds of tourists diving into its coastal waters, the ecological situation has deteriorated significantly. Since 1997, the government has been trying to limit the number of tourists visiting the area around the island. So, for example, from January 1, 2005, a system of restrictions was introduced. Now, to visit the island of Sipadan, you need a permit, which is issued by the management of Sabah Park. The total number of visitors should not exceed 120 people. Staying on the island is allowed from 6-00 to 15-00, so all diving centers try to keep within the allotted time
The main dive sites are marked on the map - Until 2004, the island had some tourist infrastructure, but the government decided to completely cleanse Sipadan of traces of human presence. Now there is only a small pier on the island
- on the island you can find huge, more than a meter long, monitor lizards
Sipadan island photos
Scuba diving in Sipadan Island (Malaysia) is just amazing. Fish life is in full swing here, and you have the opportunity to encounter in the underwater world with all the sea creatures that you ever dreamed of meeting. Turtles and reef sharks are very common in coastal waters islands. Plus, if you're lucky, you can spot leopard sharks, gray sharks and even hammerhead sharks. Manta rays (the largest rays in the world) can also fly around you, however they are not as common. The waters around Sipadan go deep into the depth of 600 meters and attract all pelagic species of marine animals and plants. Watch this video to see what it looks like underwater!
For macro lovers, there are many varieties of nudibranchs, frogs, leaf fish, dwarf seahorses and more, just call them! The corals are ancient and untouched here. The coral gardens are shallow and very colorful and will turn your stop into a wonderful moment of enjoyment. Deeper you will find a sea of gorgonians and barrel sponges along the steep walls. Sipadan is also the world's premier underwater photography destination with great opportunities at each of the diving sites.
The island was first explored by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who described it: “I saw other places like Sipadan ... 45 years ago. Now we have found again an untouched work of art. " You can watch his movie! Crazy!
Photos from the island of Sipadan
The best diving spots in Sipadan
All dive sites are excellent, so it is difficult to choose. Let's say the best places are:
Barracuda point
Coral garden
Hanging Gardens
Sipidan Midreef
South point
Staghorn crest
Turtle cavern
Turtle patch
Turtle tomb
Whitetip avenue
Dive site |
Min depth | Max depth | Level | Dive type | |
| 1 | Barracuda point | 5m 16ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Wall, Reef |
| 2 | Coral gardens | 10m 33ft | 23m 75ft | OW | Wall, Reef |
| 3 | Hanging Gardens | 5m 16ft | 40m 131ft | OW | Wall, Reef, Sharks |
| 4 | Lobster lairs | 25m 82ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Wall, Reef, Big fish |
| 5 | North point | 25m 82ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Drift, Wall, Reef, Sharks |
| 6 | South point | 20m 65ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Wall, Reef |
| 7 | Staghorn crest | 20m 65ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Wall, Reef, Sharks |
| 8 | The jetty | 3m 10ft | 40m 131ft | OW | Wall, Reef |
| 9 | Turtle cavern | 14m 46ft | 23m 75ft | AOW | Cave, Reef |
| 10 | Turtle patch | 5m 16ft | 12m 39ft | OW | Wall, Reef, Sharks |
| 11 | Turtle tomb | 17m 56ft | 23m 75ft | Divemaster | Cave |
| 12 | West Ridge | 18m 59ft | 40m 131ft | OW | Wall, Reef, Sharks |
| 13 | Whitetip avenue | 17m 56ft | 40m 131ft | OW | Wall, Reef, Sharks |
| 14 | MidReef | 5m 16ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Wall, Reef |
| 15 | The drop off | 5m 16ft | 40m 131ft | AOW | Wall, Reef |
In a typical week in Mabula or Sipadan, you will dive no more than 4 times, the rest of the dives will be in other diving sites. There is very high competition among dive operators. Many diving resorts offer All Inclusive packages which can be very interesting. When there are no dives near Sipadan, you will still find interesting places for diving, such as around the island of Kapalai or Mabul, especiallyWreck dives will be interesting. Therefore, it is worth going for at least 4 days and 3 nights.
How to dive in Sipadan? Diving rules
- Only 120 divers per day
- A swimming permit is required
- No glove policy
- Diving deeper than 40 meters is not allowed
Best time to dive in Sipadan
Diving is great here all year round!
But anyway best time for diving there will be a period from April to December with good conditions in the sea. April to early June - high season so book your diving and resort permit strongly in advance! Heavy rains may occur from January to March, so visibility may be reduced.
Recently, however, the weather has changed from year to year, so it is difficult to predict the seasonality.
Conditions for scuba diving
The visibility of the water here ranges from 15 to 40 meters, depending on the season and the depth to which you dive. Diving around Sipadan is easy and the currents will not be a problem here. However, in some dive sites, such as the popular Barracuda Point, the currents can be quite strong. But it is in this place that you can find the famous huge tornado of thousands of barracudas!
Scuba diving here is suitable for almost all divers, but many places are used only for professionals. There are also special places protected especially for diving instructors, such as the Turtle Cave or the Turtle's Tomb, where skeletons of turtles can be seen that did not find their way and descended here. Cave diving should only be done with very experienced divers using special equipment.
Snorkeling in Sipadan
Snorkelling is great around the island. There are magnificent and colorful coral gardens. You can board a dive boat that will take you to the island so you can swim there. However, since the number of seats is limited, it is better to negotiate in advance.
Diving safety
If you are planning a diving trip or a trip to Sipadan, insurance is a really good investment because you never know what might happen or when you might need it (and accidents do happen!). I recommend which you can buy below in shape as they offer global coverage and diving up to 50 meters deep as well as scuba diving and many other types of water activities.
Where is the best place to stay?
Sipadan Island is a closed area, all resorts are located on the neighboring islands of Mabul and Kapalai.
Mabul Island resorts
- Mabul Water Bungalows
- Sipadan Water Village
- Sipadan-Mabul Resort
- Borneo Divers Mabul Resort
- Seaventures Dive Platform
Kapalai island
- Kapalai Resort
Mataking Island
- Mataking- The Reef Dive Resort
How to get to Sipadan Island and what you need to know?
The closest airport to the islands of Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai is Tawau Airport. Many guests arrive at Tawau airport, come by buses, minibuses or taxis from the northern cities of Sabah: Kota Kinabalu, Sandaktan, Sukau and Lahad Datu.
Private flights (relatively inexpensive) are also available from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau (2 hours 45 minutes) and from Kota Kinabalu (50 minutes).
If you would like to be transported to the island on the same day, please make sure that your plane will land no later than 14.00. Once you arrive at Tawau, you will be delivered by land transport to the port city of Semporna (1.5 hours). From Semporna, you will be transferred to your accommodation on Mabul Island (45-60 minutes) by boat (check departure times).
Sipadan passes
In order to protect the nature of the island, since January 2005, there is no longer a single resort on the island of Sipadan (all resorts are located on the islands of Mabul and Kapalai).
Sipadan Island is open to divers and guests from 6 am to 4 pm.
Sipadan is a small island of oceanic origin, no more than 12 hectares in size. This Malay tropical paradise can be bypassed in literally 25 minutes, along the way seeing beautiful sandy beaches framing the deep rain forest. It will not be possible to get acquainted with representatives of forest flora and fauna up close: local authorities prohibit tourists from moving deeper into the island. However, as eyewitnesses testify, monitor lizards and other animals sometimes roam along the coast. In addition, Sipadan is a nature reserve - a habitat for many birds, more than three thousand species of fish, hundreds of coral species, green turtles and Byssa turtles.
The maritime splendor of Malaysia's only oceanic island is created by the numerous corals growing on top of an extinct volcano. This process took hundreds of years. Sipadan is located at a distance of about 700 meters from the bottom.
Divers all over the world talk about Sipadan with a breath. In the late 1980s, the island was visited by the legendary Jacques Yves Cousteau, who authoritatively recognized it as one of the best diving places on earth (read more about diving sites in the article "Diving in Sipadan"). There are schools of barracuda and tuna, patrols of hammerheads, millions of coral fish and dozens of sea turtles "hovering" over all this abundance.
History
Sipadan is located near the port city of Semporn, which is part of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Nevertheless, in this case, the proximity to civilization in the form of the huge island of Borneo rather played a bad role in history. The fact is that Sipadan was a disputed territory for a long time, which Indonesia, which owns more than 70% of Borneo, or Malaysia tried to appropriate. At the end of 2002, as a result, by the decision of the International Court of Justice, Sipadan withdrew to the Malay side along with Ligitan. Previously, the Philippines claimed the island, but their claim was not satisfied.
One of the most tragic pages in the history of Sipadan is connected with the Filipino terrorists who took 21 victims hostage on the island, of which 11 were ordinary tourists.
Underwater world of Sipadan
How to get to Sipadan
Getting to Sipadan is not so easy.
By plane
There are several options. The first step is to get to the city of Tawau, the third largest settlement state of Sabah. This requires either an internal flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu (two and a half hours), and then a flight from the state capital to the city of Tawau (about 50 minutes), or immediately a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur, which is much more convenient and faster ... Another option with transfers is a flight from the main Malay city to Sandakan, and then from the latter to Tawau (about 40 minutes).
Tawau International Airport is the second largest in Malaysia and is mainly served by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.
By taxi
The second stage of the journey is a trip from Tawau to the port of Semporn, located 35 km from the island of Sipadan. The most convenient way, but not the cheapest, is by taxi from the airport. Travel time varies from one to two hours.
On the boat
After arriving in Semporna, depending on your accommodation, you either immediately go to Sipadan by speedboat, or get by water to Mabul Island, which will serve as the starting point for future trips to diving paradise. Travel time from Semporna to Sipadan is about an hour, from Semporna to Mabul island is about 30 minutes.
Mabul Island is one of the closest “points” to Sipadan. Divers from all over the world also come here, and unlike Sipadan, the tourist infrastructure is developed here. By itself, Mabul is extremely small. The whole area is artificially extended sandy beaches; numerous coconut trees planted on the site of the destroyed jungle, and hotels designed for different budgets.
Search for flights to the city of Tavau (the nearest airport to Sipadan)
,Sipadan Hotels
Since Sipadan is a nature reserve, the number of divers simultaneously on the island is limited (this is how the authorities are trying to protect the unique local reefs). No more than 120 dives can be carried out during the day. Accordingly, it will not be possible to live on the island either: tourists are usually accommodated on two nearby islands - Mabule and Kapalai, where comfortable chalets are built.
Cuisine and restaurants
You will not find a cafe in Sipadan. You must take food and water with you.
Shopping and shops
Sipadan Island is not a place for trade, but a nature reserve. This is its beauty. Souvenirs can be purchased in Semporn or other islands such as Mabula or Kapalai.
At the first acquaintance with the small island of Sipadan, which is located in the Pacific Ocean, near the port of Semporn in the state of Sabah of East Malaysia, the uninhabited island of Robinson Cruise comes to mind. Sipadan rose from the depths of the ocean during the eruption of an underwater volcano. It grew thanks to corals that have formed over hundreds of years, a delightful island in its crater. Nearby is the large Malaysian island of Borneo.
This small island (12 hectares), with white sandy beaches, with emerald green rain forest. With rich forest flora and fauna. It is rich, not only in a large number of different species of birds, near its shores in the transparent greenish water there are about 100 varieties of corals, 3000 species of fish, many Byss turtles, as well as green turtles.
The famous traveler Jacques Yves Cousteau, who visited the island in 1989, was fascinated by its beauty and rich underwater world. He noted that Sipadan, the best place in the world for diving.
There was a time when this unique island was almost ruined: hotels for tourists were built, barbaric fishing was carried out with the help of dynamite, during which not only fish, but also unique corals were destroyed. However, in 1992, the authorities closed it to tourists and demolished the hotels. The place was allowed to visit only divers and then no more than 120 dives per day. Sipadan's announcement national reserve, slept him unique nature from disappearing.
(function (w, d, n, s, t) (w [n] = w [n] ||; w [n] .push (function () (Ya.Context.AdvManager.render ((blockId: "RA -256054-1 ", renderTo:" yandex_rtb_R-A-256054-1 ", async: true));)); t = d.getElementsByTagName (" script "); s = d.createElement (" script "); s .type = "text / javascript"; s.src = "//an.yandex.ru/system/context.js"; s.async = true; t.parentNode.insertBefore (s, t);)) (this , this.document, "yandexContextAsyncCallbacks");
Accommodation is prohibited here, arriving tourists are accommodated on the nearby islands: Kapalai and Mabule. Excellent hotels have been built for them, there are souvenir shops and cafes where they are very well fed.
Accommodation, food can be selected for different wallets. The islands have good sandy beaches, many planted coconut trees... The closest to Sipadan is Mabul.
Divers' favorite spot
Divers from all over the world dream of getting to Sipadan for scuba diving. The place here is truly unique. Its equatorial climate: up to +34 degrees in the daytime and high humidity up to 95%, is easily tolerated due to the constant ocean breeze.
Diving is carried out from speed boats or boats, which are equipped with awnings from the scorching sun. It takes 20 minutes from Mabula to the dive site. It all depends on the weather.
During diving, the underwater world, stunning with its abundance, opens up. Who is there only: swallow fish, lobsters, red mullet, sweet lips, crabs, whale sharks, thousands of colorful coral fish, fantastic size barracuda and many others. There are more than 70 species of coral polyps alone. But the most important here are turtles. They are everywhere here, both in water and on land. There are a lot of them here. These are green soup turtles and bisse turtles. They breed on this island.
Due to the limited number of dives - no more than 120 per day, getting to the island is not easy. Permits are sorted out by large diving centers, they are ordered several months in advance. You can't just buy a dive in Sipadan, it is included in tourist tours with accommodation in a certain hotel and visiting additional places. It is necessary to pay attention to smaller diving centers, there are packages for Speedan for a lower price.
Attention! In Sipadan, diving is done to a considerable depth, there are strong underwater currents. So, for divers below the AOWD class, it is better to dive with an instructor.
Keep in mind that now tourists going on vacation to Malaysia will pay a tourist tax at the hotel per night in the amount of 10 ringtones - about 140 rubles ($ 2).
How to get there
There are many flights from Moscow to Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) from Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Travel time on average with one change is 18 hours, with two - 1 day 10 hours.
Then by flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu (capital of the state of Sabah, travel time 2.5 hours). Then to Tavau (1 hour). From Tawau ( international Airport Malaysia) half an hour by car to the pier of the port of Semporn, and by ferry to Sipadan 40 minutes, to the island of Mabul (30 minutes).
There is no infrastructure on Sipadan, as it was written above, living on it is prohibited. It is necessary to stop on the island of Mabul or Kapalay.
It is very difficult to get here, but once you get there, you will never regret the time spent. Diving on the islands will give you a vivid experience.
The tiny island of Sipadan, off the coast of East Borneo, has firmly ranked among the world's best diving spots. People from all over the world come to this island to see the hammerhead shark and dive surrounded by green turtles and schools of barracuda. When planning my trip, I signed up on Facebook to one of the dive centers that organizes diving on Sipadan Island, and they often posted messages that their clients saw a hammerhead shark. I was so fired up with the idea of seeing her that I was completely absorbed in this idea, but in real life the chances of doing this turned out to be small, even on Sipadan, but first things first.
Sipadan Island
Sipadan (Malay. Sipadan) is a tiny island (400 meters in diameter) in Malaysia, Eastern Sabah State, Borneo. It represents the top of an extinct volcano. The sheer walls of the coral reef around the island extend to a depth of 600 meters.
2)
Sipadan Island looks like a tropical paradise, once there was a resort on it, but then it was removed and living on the island was banned. Only a few border guards and staff from the turtle hatchery remained. The island can be walked around in 20-30 minutes, but this cannot be done, since turtles lay eggs on the beach and tourists are not allowed there.
3)
It is useless to talk about the beach on Sipadan in words, it's easier to see it once ...
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
The island is surrounded by a coral reef that is full of life. Even while snorkelling, you will see many green turtles, whitetip sharks and schools of barracudas dancing in a huge round dance. The water is so clear that the bottom is visible at a depth of more than 10 meters. Where the coral reef ends, the bottom sinks to a depth of 500 meters.
11)
12)
13)
Diving in Sipadan
As I mentioned earlier, Sipadan consistently ranks in the top 5 in all possible dive site ratings. Apparently for this reason, I had very high expectations from diving in Sipadan, which did not come true. No, I'm not saying diving is bad, but it didn't live up to expectations. Of course, I didn't dive so much around the world to be able to objectively compare, but Sipadan did not produce the WOW effect on me that I expected. But these are my personal impressions, I cannot deny that Sipadan is in the league of top-notch diving spots.
In Sipadan, a limit of no more than 120 divers per day has been introduced, permits are personal and are issued in advance. Island entry fee is $ 40. If you want to get to Sipadan for sure, then the permit must be booked in advance, preferably at least a month in advance, and during the season (summer) it is best only 2-3 months in advance. There is a small chance that someone will refuse and then you will be able to go instead of him under his name, but I would not count on that.
The prices for diving in Sipadan vary depending on the level of the dive center with which you are going to dive. I was looking for cheaper options and in the end corresponded and chose between two dive centers: Billabong Scuba and Scuba Junkie. The latter seemed to me more reliable and experienced, while the former had mixed reviews on the Internet. In the end, despite the negative reviews, I settled on Billabong, as for my 4 days only they were able to offer 2 days of diving in Sipadan and 2 days in Mabula (Scuba Junkie offered only 1 day in Sipadan and 3 days in Mabula). The final price was 1790 ringit (about 18,000 rubles), including 11 dives (6 at Sipadan and 5 at Mabula), equipment rental, accommodation with meals, a permit to Sipadan and a transfer from Semporna-Mabul and back.
Only 12 diving centers have the right to make permits to visit Sipadan, the rest buy them from these 12. Billabing Scuba with whom I dived (in 10th place in the table) have the right to issue 6 permits per day. Here is a complete table of dive centers who can issue permits and the number of permits per day. Personal permits are issued for passport data, but, fortunately, you do not need to take your passport with you to Sipadan.
14)
There are 13 dive sites in Sipadan: Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, Coral Gardens, Whitetip Avenue, Mid Reef, Turtle Patch ), South Point, Staghorn Crest, Lobster Lair, Hanging Gardens(Hanging Gardens), West Ridge, North Point, Drop off. I only dived on 5 of them. The most notable are, obviously, Cape Barracuda and Turtle Cave. Unfortunately, I did not get into the cave of turtles, since they dive there only in small groups, since it is very easy to get lost in it and never return (there are many skeletons of turtles in the cave that could not find a way out of the cave), but on Cape Barracuda I dived twice. Cape Barracuda is the most popular dive site on the island, as schools of barracudas can almost certainly be seen there. Most other dive sites are sheer wall dives.
On the very first day of diving, I began to pester divemasters when we saw a hammerhead shark, but the reality turned out to be far from expectations, although a hammerhead shark is a frequent visitor to these places, the probability of seeing it is rather low. I asked my divemaster Abu how many times he dived and how many times he saw a hammerhead shark, he said that out of 70 trips (3 dives each trip) he saw a hammerhead shark 3 times, which gives a chance of about 1 in 70, it's about time upset, but the chances still remained. As we swam to our third dive site of the day, West Ridge, I asked Abu where he last saw a shark, to which he replied that he saw it exactly at this very place, a ray of hope illuminated me. I told him that we must definitely see her - this is my goal.
The West Ridge dive site is a dive along the sheer wall of the reef, but "big things" rarely swim close to the wall, so you have to make the difficult choice to swim along the wall and contemplate the underwater life or swim in the blue darkness away from the wall, see nothing and only hope to meet something big. For Abu, there was no such choice, he swam about 30 meters from the wall and looked for ..., and I tried to sit on two chairs at the same time: I swam along the wall and looked at Abu with hope. We dived to 20 meters, after half an hour I had already lost all hope, stopped looking at Abu and looked at the wall, trying to see at least something during this dive. The dive computer started counting the last 2 minutes of no-decompression time at this depth and it was time to start surfacing slowly, at that moment I looked at Abu and noticed his hand movement, similar to the "shark" sign. I began to swim towards it, pushing with all my strength with fins, the depth is 30 meters, the computer began to emit a squeak, warning that the no-decompression time had expired, but this did not bother me anymore, my breathing became more frequent, consuming more oxygen. Abu signaled that he had seen a hammerhead shark, but when I swam, it was gone. We began to peer into the depths of the water with hope, but there was nothing there. When all possible time limits had already passed and it was necessary to emerge, SHE appeared from the blue abyss ... a little angry because she was disturbed, she swam right at us ... huge about 2 meters in length ... with eyes, looking in different directions .... A giant hammerhead shark. She swam very close, but sharply turned 90 degrees and disappeared into the depths. These days no one else but me and Abu saw the hammerhead shark.
14) (photo is not mine) 
All evening we discussed this unexpected meeting, Abu said: "Alex, you just asked me to show you a hammerhead shark - I did it." Other divemasters told the story of a German woman who regularly flies to Sipadan, dives alone to 65 meters and says that she meets sharks almost every time.
On the second day of diving in Sipadan, I no longer thought to see something near the wall, but swam 30 meters from it, peering into the depths, but to no avail. The shark did not appear again. Despite this, diving in Sipadan ended quite successfully for me.
Diving in Mabul and Kapalai islands
When you come to dive in Sipadan, you have to order diving on the islands of Mabul and Kapalai, usually diving centers agree to make a permit for 1 day of diving in Sipadan if you order 2 days of diving in Mabul / Kapalai for him.
Diving on the islands of Mabul and Kapalai is not as impressive as in Sipadan, but it will really appeal to those who love macro. Mabul and Kapalai are ideal places for muck diving. We lived with a couple of photographers who, it seems to me, did not even go to Sipadan, but dived in Mabula and Kapalai every day, they found things that are very difficult to see with ordinary eyes.
Kapalai can hardly be called an island at all. Once upon a time 200 years ago it was a full-fledged island, but erosion has done its job and now the island is a thin strip of sand. There is only one Kapalai Resort on the island, all houses and buildings of which stand on stilts on the water.
Since I do not have a camera for underwater photography, all the photos were taken by other divers, I will post a couple here with their permission.
15) Seahorse and me 
16) There are a lot of turtles, there are specimens with a shell more than a meter wide. I love turtles, but I think I've seen enough of them for the year ahead. 
Diving in Mabula is almost half the price of diving in Sipadan. There are more than 10 dive sites in the Mabula and Kapalaya area. I liked Paradise 1 Mabul the most. Frog fish live there, many different nudibranch,
crocodile fish, big turtles, and the most interesting thing that I saw for the first time is how my favorite anemone fish protect their plantation with caviar. It was one of the best dives ever.
I would like to mention divemasters separately. I dived with a Malaysian and, to put it mildly, he didn’t care about the clients under the water. Almost every dive ended up with clients swimming on their own, out of sight of the divemaster, which is something I've rarely encountered with such indifference. It was especially noticeable how, because of this, the newcomers were worried under the water. Therefore, if you have little experience, I would recommend discussing this moment with your divemaster and try not to break away from it.
How to get to Sipadan Island?
Sipadan Island is located in the eastern part of the Malaysian island of Borneo, the easiest way to get there is via Kuala Lumpur. (). From Kuala Lumpur you can fly to Tawau airport, the cheapest option is likely to be AirAsia.com, which I also flew (the ticket cost about 1,500 rubles). From Tawau airport, you can pre-order a transfer from your dive center, it usually costs 90-100 ringit (900-1000 rubles). I wanted to take a bus to the city of Tawau, and from there by bus to the city of Semporna, in total it would have been less than 20 ringit, but when I left the airport, I was immediately offered to take a minibus to Semporna for 30 ringit. If you did not order a transfer in advance, then I think that it is quite possible to negotiate with the drivers who came to meet the divers from some diving center in order to leave with them, it should not cost more than 30 ringit. But I recommend arriving no later than 3-4 pm, after this time it will be problematic to get to Semporna on the same day, the journey takes about 1.5-2 hours. Another option to get to Semporna is to fly to Kota Kinabalu ( main city Malaysian Borneo) and from there take a bus (about 10 hours) to Semporna.
You can go diving to Sipadan directly from Semporna, but I would recommend based on Mabul Island. Still, living on the island is much more interesting and sailing closer, especially if you plan to dive in the area of the Mabul / Kapalai islands. Since boats leave for Mabul in the morning, you still have to spend one night in Semporne, there are not many hotels in the immediate vicinity of the pier, but one of the best in terms of price / quality ratio is definitely http: //www.hotelscombined .ru / Hotel / Sipadan_Inn.htm? a_aid = 43568 & label = report_sipadan] Sipadan Inn. The price for accommodation is about 90-100 ringits, you can find it cheaper, but not so comfortably. From Semporna to Mabula, sail for about 30-40 minutes.
Sipadan Island is also 30-40 minutes by boat from Mabul Island. While diving, the boat leaves for Sipadan in the morning and returns after 4pm. Rest between dives and lunch take place right on the beach in Sipadan.
Mabul Island
Mabul Island is the main base for those who come to dive in Sipadan. When you type in the name Mabul into Google and look at the photographs that show the houses standing on stilts above the crystal clear water, you get the impression paradise island... Reality, as is often the case, is very far from imagination. Half of the island is occupied by a beggar village, and normal beach on Mabula not at all. Therefore, be careful when choosing if your goal is not diving.
Most of the hotels in Mabula are located on stilts above the water, but do not rush to imagine a picture of tropical islands and expensive hotels in the Maldives, in fact, things are not so fabulous.
I lived in a hotel from Billabong Scuba, it is very simple and inexpensive, it cost 90 ringit per night, including three meals a day. Room without air conditioning. It was possible to take the last house with air conditioning and more comfortable, but for 150 ringit per day. The food is very simple, almost every day the same, but quite edible, you won't die with the city. If you ask well, you can even find contraband Filipino rum Tanduay, on the last day on the island we in an international company (Russian - I, Irish, Italian, German, Filipino and Australian) drank several bottles of this rum.
17) Our hotel 
Every day, children swim up to the hotel and ask for a dollar, or their parents, who offer to buy lobsters and other sea food.
18)
By the way, if you come up with an idea to swim right next to the hotel (there is a very convenient descent into the water), then I recommend that you first think about where everything that you flush in the toilet goes to. I looked at Chinese tourists who were happily splashing around these houses and this gave me mixed feelings :) The transparency and purity of the water can be deceiving.
There is a school not far from our resort, and behind it is a local cemetery, interesting tombstones, I have never seen such.
19)
One of the largest hotels on the island, Sipadan Mabul Resort.
20)
21)
22)
24)
There was an unexpected meeting by the pool at this hotel.
25)
26) Is the water warm? 
27)
Another large resort on the island is Mabul Water Bungalows, all bungalows are above the water on stilts.
28)
29)
30) Apparently the resort is popular with Russian divers 
One of the original ways to live in Mabula is to stay at the Seaventures drilling platform
31)
And this is how the locals live, this is not the worst option.
32)
Political situation in the state of Sabah
I decided to highlight this topic as a separate item, since I myself came across this quite closely. The fact is that the rebels from the Sulu Sultanate, subordinate to the Philippine Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, consider the territory of the Malaysian state of Sabah theirs and periodically try to seize it. In 2000, directly from the island of Sipadan, a couple of dozen foreign tourists and local workers were kidnapped and taken hostage, then this situation was resolved, but this greatly affected the attractiveness of the island for tourists. Shortly before I arrived in Borneo, about 200 soldiers of the Sultanate of Sulu invaded the state of Sabah and announced that they would not leave and were ready to sacrifice their lives. And just during my dives in Sipadan, the conflict turned into a tough phase. About 60 people from both sides became victims of the confrontation. On the day of my departure, the island of Sipadan was closed to the public and it was not clear when it could be reopened. On the same day, I returned to the city of Semporna, where in the evening a shootout took place a few kilometers from my hotel, in which one policeman was killed and several were wounded. Half an hour later, as soon as this news began to spread throughout the city, it was empty. The doors of my hotel were closed with metal bars, it was impossible to go out or enter. The night was tense. The next day, when I flew from Tawau airport, I met many military equipment, planes, helicopters and many soldiers. Most likely, you will not encounter this, but when going to Sipadan, keep this in mind and read the news from Malaysia just in case.
I confess that I expected much more impressions from Sipadan, but the hammerhead shark saved the whole situation, if not for her, I would have left unsatisfied. Despite this, Sipadan is a place worth visiting for any diver, well worth it. Well, I will consider other options, among the nearest - a month of diving in Bali, where I was already promised that I will see the Giant Manta Ray, and in the distant plans - diving in the Galapagos, where you can not just see a hammerhead shark for 2 seconds, and swim freely among them.
If you have any questions, welcome to the comments.