IN MY OPINION: MABUL / SIPIDAN 

UIpdated after Aril, 2009 Trip 

Background: All of the diving is at two islands. Mabul is an hour boat ride from Semporna and this is where we stay at Borneo Divers. Sipidan is a 20 min boat rider each day from Mabul and usually we make 2 dives there, and 2 more around Mabul each day.

Considering the quality of diving and wide diversity of both dive sites and marine life, these two rank very high on my favorites list.  If you have to pick just one destination for your exotic diving trip, you've got to strongly consider Mabul and Sipadan.  The entire area is a protected marine sanctuary.  Translation:  you can get very close to almost everything because the fish don't think we are predatory.

It's expensive to get there and definitely a long trip....but it's worth every single penny.   It offers very good macro and little critter diving, specialty dives that are easy for everyone to do (see Old House reef, Kapioli, and the Oil Rig dives), all around Mabul. 

NOTE: Make sure that whomever you book your diving with that you get at least 50% of your diving at Sipadan, guaranteed to you in advance.  There are restriction on how many can go to Sipadan every day and I would consider it critical to get this confirmed before you go.

Sipidan island is 12 different dive sites, all with superb corals, drop offs, walls, and upper reefs that are heavily populated with just about every species of fish you'll ever want to see.  In additional to that you get tired of seeing turtles.  No kidding.  They're everywhere.  Gray reef and white tip sharks on every dive, a virtual wall of barracuda, and schools of jacks, bumphead wrasses.......and it goes on and on and on.  Watch the videos.  They don't lie.

Next video trip:We go back April, 2010.  Interested in going there and want to find out more info? Contact Dianne at islands@mdaguam.com.

These are flash videos and begin playing after a very short time.

Sipadan 2009, On the Way    (the Starbucks Police)     

  Mabul, 2009

Sipadan Diving 1 and Weird Comments

Barracuda Point           James McCleod

Previous Videos

Sipidan / Mabul Music Video

Getting to Sipidan/Mabul        Diving Around Mabul, pt 1

Diving Around Mabul, pt 2       Diving Around Mabul, pt 3

  Sipidan, pt 1      Sipidamn., pt 2

A Wierd Lizzard        A trip to Gormontong Caves

Kinabantangan Jungle River Cruise     Sepilok Orangutan Center