Diving at Sipadan, Rated Top 10 in the World

Diving at Sipadan: World-Class Scuba Diving in Borneo

Sipadan Island is consistently ranked among the best dive sites in the world. The late explorer Jacques Cousteau famously described Sipadan as "an untouched piece of art," and today it remains one of Malaysia's premier diving destinations.

Why Sipadan is a Top Dive Destination

Located off the coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, Sipadan Island offers divers an extraordinary underwater experience. The island sits on top of an extinct volcanic cone that plunges 600 meters into the Celebes Sea, creating dramatic wall dives and attracting an incredible diversity of marine life.

Sipadan's waters are home to over 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species. Divers regularly encounter large schools of barracuda and jackfish, green and hawksbill sea turtles, reef sharks, and if lucky, hammerhead sharks and manta rays.

Other World-Class Dive Sites Near Sipadan

While Sipadan is the crown jewel, several nearby islands offer excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities:

Mabul Island is famous for muck diving and macro photography, where divers can spot rare creatures like frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, and various species of nudibranchs.

Kapalai Island sits on a shallow sandbank and offers excellent house reef diving with easy access to vibrant coral gardens, making it ideal for both diving and snorkeling.

Lankayan Island provides pristine coral reefs and is known for turtle sightings, whale shark encounters (seasonal), and wreck diving opportunities.

Diving and Snorkeling in Borneo

Whether you're an experienced technical diver seeking dramatic wall dives at Sipadan or a snorkeler wanting to explore shallow coral gardens around Mabul and Kapalai, Borneo's Celebes Sea offers some of Southeast Asia's most spectacular underwater experiences.