Pulau Sipadan in World Top 10 Dive Sites

Top 10 Dive Sites in World Sipadan Island

Pulau Sipadan has been listed in the World Top 10 Dive Sites for 2013 by Lonely Planet. This compilation was announced on the 13th April by the Lonely Planet writers where Sipadan Island is listed at number five in the list of top scuba diving sites in the world.

With the announcement, this makes Sipadan Island one of the top 5 dive spots in the world and adding another feather to the cap for Tourism Malaysia, which is a huge bonus for the country.

Sipadan Top 10 Dive Sites in the World

Pulau Sipadan
View of Sipadan Island
Pulau Sipadan is located on the east coast of Sabah Borneo, and over the years, it has been getting mixed reactions from many countries about tourism here.

Probably, with news of kidnappings near the island many years ago, travel advisories has been extra cautious about scuba diving here, giving occasional warnings about traveling to this part of Sabah.

Well, to be honest, I have personally been diving here for more than 10 times, after the kidnapping news, and it is still very safe.

I even have friends who work at Mabul Island and Seaventure Dive Rig, and they are regularly diving at Sipadan, with no incidents being reported. If you ask me, I think that sometimes the mass media goes go all out to scare people.

Malaysia Top Dive Site
An octopus is seen on one of my dives at Sipadan
For scuba divers planning to visit Malaysia, namely Sabah, it will be such a waste if you do not do a dive at Sipadan Island. And being rated as one of the top dive sites in the world, it is not that expensive when you convert your currency to the Malaysian Ringgit.

Overall, the reef is located in a tropical climate, hence you will be seeing a lot of marine life here. Schools of barracudas, jackfish and even the unique bump head parrotfish can be seen on a daily basis.

Whitetip sharks and turtles are a common sight while diving the many dive sites of Sipadan. If you are lucky, you may even chance upon a school of hammerhead sharks or even a whale shark.

Scuba Diving Sipadan Island
A school of Barracuda's going against the current during one of my dives here
Sipadan Top 10 World Dive Sites by Lonely Planet

The excerpt from Lonely Planet states:
"No.5 - Pulau Sipadan - Slow things down to turtle pace as you take to the seas off the Malaysian island that invariably figures in all lists of the world's top dive sites, Pulau Sipadan. 
Green and Hawksbill turtles abound; there's even a so-called turtle tomb, 22m underwater, containing the skeletal remains of vast numbers of turtles. 
For a marine adrenaline rush, try Barracuda Point, where the eponymous barracuda often gather in swirling, tornado-like formations. No diver will want to leave without witnessing the famous Drop Off where, just a stroll from the shore, the ocean floor drops away 600m. 
Night diving typically costs around MYR150 per dive for one to three divers, or MYR50 if there are four or more. Book early as permits are restricted to 120 per day."
Sipadan Island Dive Photos
Diving with a school of Barracudas at Sipadan, photographed by me
With this new international status issued by Lonely Planet, many tourists and travelers will be heading over to Sabah's east coast for island getaways and also experience the amazing scuba diving offered here.

Conclusion

The east coast of Sabah boasts of some of the best islands to relax and dive, namely Mabul Island which is the most popular destination.

Sipadan Island is only a 20-minute boat ride from Mabul, and it is probably best to book ahead due to the limited diving spots at Pulau Sipadan since being named in the World Top 10 Dive Sites by Lonely Planet. 

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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