March 2012

Sipadan Island : Drop Off & Cavern aka Turtle Tomb

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Located just a few meters off the security jetty, this is the closest of all the dive sites to where the boats are docked during your surface intervals. We were all tempted to gear up on shore and start our dive from the beach or the jetty however, it seems that all dives at Sipadan are done from the boat. We geared up, took the 60-second boat ride out to the entry point and did a back roll into the ocean.

As you make your descent at the Drop Off, you quickly get a feeling for the great depths of the waters surrounding Sipadan Island, which range between 500 and 800 meters (1,640 to 2,624 feet). The dive begins over the shallow shelf that surrounds the island in 3 to 5 meters (perfect for your safety stop). You will see loads of beautiful anthias, chromis, surgeonfish, trigger fish, white tip sharks, eels and all sorts of other fish swimming through massive formations of staghorn, acropora, carnation corals and many other soft corals as you prepare to make your descent. The scenery on top of the reef is often so good at Sipadan that you don’t want to leave it to drop down on the wall.

Once you make your descent the beauty continues, as you drop down the beautiful soft and hard corals continue to amaze with their brilliant colors. As you hit the 20-meter mark and look down all you see is deep blue. Keep your eyes focused on the blue and you will “almost with guarantee” see white tip sharks passing by along with some grey reef sharks. Also seen frequently in the blue are schools of jackfish and barracuda, if you are lucky you may even have the treat of hammerhead sharks. Look up and you can see the wonder of the overhangs with hundreds of fish, turtles and sharks swimming above through the rays of the sun. Make a stop at the entrance of Turtle Cavern and take in the sights before continuing this great wall dive. Upon completion of your planned dive, it’s back up to the colorful and lively reef for your safety stop.

Once you complete your surface interval and decide to check out Turtle Cavern, you start the dive out just as you did for the Drop Off. As you continue your descent, around the 18 to 20 meter mark, you will see the entrance to Turtle Cavern sometimes referred to as “Turtle Tomb.” This massive cave gets both of it’s names because turtles can frequently be seen inside, unfortunately, as evidenced by their skeletal remains, many turtles, a dolphin and a marlin swam into the deepest parts of the cave and did not make it out. There are many off shoots in this cave system but two main caverns are the ones to explore.

Taking a local Dive Master trained in cave diving with the proper equipment is a MUST if you plan to explore the entire cave. As you enter the cave, you will see signs warning you not to enter if you aren’t fully prepared. As for us, we chose to enter about 5 meters to take a look around before continuing our dive at The Drop Off. The entrance is a magnificent cathedral-like cave with coral growth on the ceiling and walls, the bottom of the cave is white silty sand so good buoyancy is must or you can quickly destroy the visibility. Swimming out of the cave really gives you the perspective of how big it is.

As you swim toward the sunlight, you can see the massive opening with beautiful rays of sunshine penetrating down to the depths and shadows of fish and sharks swimming in the blue. Once you reach the mouth of the cave, you look down as you pass over a large crevice with sand from the cave flowing down like a river, this is a great place to pause and take it all in with an amazing 360 view of overhangs above, canyon-like crevice below and the huge cave behind you. After you have had a moment to take everything in, you can continue the dive at The Drop Off before making your safety stop.

Happy Diving!

Dan, Esther, Lana & Tim

Sipadan Island : West Ridge

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West Ridge is one Sipadan dive site that is seldom considered because most people have only one or two days to dive Sipadan and the main draw for the island is to see large schooling pelagics at the other dive sites. Another reason that West Ridge is frequently overlooked is that, because of its location the sun does not normally hit directly over the site until late in the day when many of the dive boats are already gone. When the sun does shine on West Ridge it usually casts shadows from the ledges of the top reef that carve in and out of the wall to sharp drops below. The shadows at West Ridge can make it a difficult dive site for the amateur photographer and many times this makes some of the other Sipadan dives more desirable to divers and dive masters alike. However, if you have an appreciation for coral, this dive site will certainly not disappoint. Because this site is seldom considered on the divemaster’s itinerary, the coral is in pristine condition and attracts an impressive number of turtles, sharks and larger fishes.
The topography at West Ridge is like most of the others on Sipadan, a shallow top reef with beautiful coral growth and schools upon schools of small reef fish with a wall that plunges far past recreational dive limits. Once you have a moment to enjoy the top reef, make your way over to the wall and descend between 20 to 30 meters. You are in for a treat. Like its’ neighbor, Hanging Gardens, the wall at West Ridge is covered in purple, yellow, red and pink carnation corals. There are also many large gorgonians and sea fans with many other dark green and black branching corals that we did not see at any of the other dive sites. Etched into the wall are some crevices that are 10 to 15 meters wide and run from the top of the reef to depths of up to 30 and 40 meters. It is absolutely breathtaking to swim your way into a crevice and take a look up to the surface with all of the coral and fish silhouettes above you.

On our dive at West Ridge, we saw at least 10 turtles, small schools of big tuna out in the blue, large moray eels and a number of sharks. If you are into larger fish, beautiful topography and loads of colorful soft and branching coral, you should definitely consider West Ridge as one of your stops during your visit to Sipadan Island.

Where will you dive next?
Dan, Esther, Lana & Tim

Sipadan Island : Hanging Gardens

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Simply beautiful! This dive site is aptly named after Alexander the Great’s wonder of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Hanging Gardens dive site will not disappoint. With the steep walls and giant canyon like crevices any diver will be inspired to explore every nook and cranny of this dive site.

The topography at Hanging Gardens starts with a shallow top reef between two and five meters deep. At the edge of the top reef, Hanging Gardens has a steep drop off well past the recreational 40 meter limit. For the average open water diver, Hanging Gardens can be a great sight to dive, however with the steep wall, you should be confident in your buoyancy skills. If you do not have much experience with wall dives, some of the other sites on the island may be a better place to start. Then move on to some of the steeper wall dives in the afternoon.

Like many of the other sites Sipadan Island offers, Hanging Gardens’ top reef is so amazing and full of life that it’s hard to abandon to make your way to the wall. There are huge schools of anthias, chromis, wrasses, surgeon fish, trigger fish and many others. The amount of activity on the top reefs of Sipadan is incredible and we have rarely seen reefs that can even compare with their biodiversity. The rainbow of colors in the corals on the top reef are stunning with hard corals, soft corals, plate corals, and all sorts of polyp corals to view as the fish dart in and out of them. Spend a few minutes on the top and make your way to the wall so you can enjoy Sipadan Diving at its finest.

As you descend along the wall, the appeal of Hanging Gardens can truly be appreciated. The vibrant colors certainly appeal to the large reef fishes as they congregate in masses. On the wall at Hanging Gardens you are likely to see turtles, colorful grouper, triggers and possibly a few sharks. But for coral enthusiasts, the presence of multicolored carnation corals completes a “coral palate” for this incredible marine park.

Throughout our dive at Hanging Gardens we were nearly oblivious to the marine life teeming around us because we were so enchanted by the purple, pink and orange soft corals draping this wall. Floating along, a turtle greeted us in its’ swim to the surface. A quick breath of air, and he descended back to his perch on the wall. This reminded us to take in more than just the corals. Visibility is normally excellent at Hanging Gardens and many times tuna can be seen in the depths plunging deep into the darkness.

As you make your way back up to the top reef, it’s hard to miss the incredible macro life that finds shelter in the corals. Sometimes, it is difficult to discern between the coral and stonefish waiting for an ambush; so watch your buoyancy and keep your hands close to your body at all times. As you ascend into the safety stop range, you will once again have the pleasure of observing the abundance of fish and coral life while you off-gas and reluctantly prepare for your final ascent.

Happy Diving!

Dan, Esther, Lana & Tim

Sipidan Island : Lobster Lair

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The wall on the west side of Sipadan Island generally has more soft corals and Lobster Lair is without exception here. Lobster Lair is a wall dive with a pretty sharp drop to the unseen depths surrounding Sipadan Island and it is a continuance of its’ more popular cousin to the North, Hanging Gardens. While similar, it gained its name many years ago from a divemaster who dropped in the water and saw many lobsters in a lair underneath some hard corals. It is said you are lucky if you can find a lobster now. Our divemaster, Eljer, was so confident that all the lobsters were gone that he promised to buy a beer for anyone in our group who would spot a lobster. In fact, the divemasters have renamed it “Lobster Liar” because of the absence of our crustaceous critters!

We start our dive near the top coral and white tip sharks find a perfect spot to lounge about. Various fish species cram together under table corals, such as the featured bat fish and puffer fish, and more activity always appears around us in an organized frenzy. But more is yet to be seen as we descend into our dive.

This is a pretty dive and is generally done as a last dive, or under cloud cover at any time of the day. The dive site is exquisite but the hard corals and rock contours around this part of the island cast many shadows over fantastic sea life below. This is a relatively easy dive for most divers, but presented challenges for our own amateur photographer, Tim. You will definitely benefit by investing in strobes, as Esther did. They certainly illuminate many of these macro-caves and get rid of annoying shadows.

Lobster Lair is somewhat less popular than other dive sites at Sipadan because it focuses on the smaller critters found in the many crevices around this dive site. It may not be a thrill ride like South Point or Barracuda Point, but we think it is filled with equal (and sometimes more) surprises because we are focused on macro. And then, out of nowhere, we come face to face with a swimming turtle here, a resting shark there and we even locate the elusive lobsters at Lobster Lair… One beer for our own eagle eye, Lana!

We spotted the normally camera-shy gobies around Christmas tree coral and we discovered many more species of scorpion fish in various hideouts as they seek shelter from the currents around Sipadan. Turtles are EVERYWHERE at Sipadan, but they appeared out of the most unusual crevices, finding any place to rest along the wall.

As we near the end of our multi-level dive, our safety stop is filled with the colorful beauty of blue chromis and multi-colored anthias. We are greeted with a final surprise as the wall of barracuda seem to quickly announce their presence and then move on to the next dive site.

Lobster Lair is filled with surprises at every turn and if you are less-experienced but still want the Sipadan experience, we suggest this dive for you.

Happy diving!

Dan, Esther, Lana & Tim

Sipadan Island : Staghorn Crest

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With the sun beaming directly over your head, or slightly to the West of you, Staghorn Crest is usually a dive reserved for the afternoon. As we made our entry at this site, we observed it is much like the rest of the island. The top reef is simply beautiful and teeming with life. So beautiful, it’s hard to leave as you make your descent. The topography at Staghorn Crest is a bit different from most of the island as there is a slope that offers views of many beautiful soft corals. On the slope we noticed many white tip reef sharks resting before their next hunt. Hovering out over the depths we observed even more resting white tips at depths far out of reach for recreational dive limits where you can quickly find yourself at 30+ meters.

As we dropped down to our cruising depth of 23 meters, an eagle ray gracefully passed by about 10 meters below us and wowed us with its beauty as it effortlessly swam against the current to greet other groups of lucky divers. Swinging our heads directly above us, 3 giant barracuda were methodically circling hoping to grab an easy meal. We kept on floating along the wall and were delighted with the scene of multiple turtles swimming above and below us looking for a great perch on the reef.

Along this wall, we begin to progressively see more soft corals. The West side of the wall at Sipadan reminds us of our trip to Taveuni, Fiji 3 years ago where we spent a week in the Somosomo Strait diving amidst colorful soft corals on the Rainbow Reef. Carnation corals in varying colors create a colorful painters palate backdrop for an army of blue fusiliers screaming past us into the depths, while a docile maori wrasse remains unfazed by this frenzy of activity.

Continuing our dive up to 15 meters, we close in on a cleaning station and see a few grey reef sharks gently floating in the current with small reef fish picking off their parasites. Sharks aren’t the only big creatures you can find at the cleaning station, at times Tim has referred to the cleaning station at Staghorn Crest as a turtle timeshare with one turtle leaving and another coming in to take its place.

One could seriously contest that the top reef at the end of the dive at Staghorn Crest boasts the most beautiful scenery on the island. It is truly explosive with color as you look as far as you can see over massive Staghorn Coral with thousands of tiny reef fish darting in and out of it. Swimming along the top of the reef there are many turtles to see with other large reef fish and on one dive, a rare treat of a leopard shark with its massive tail pushing it through the water. As gracefully as the leopard shark appeared, it swam away silently disappeared into the depths.

Like other dive sites at Sipadan, Staghorn Crest has the potential to develop a sudden current along the wall. Prudent diving should always be exercised as you stay close to your buddy and be aware of the divemasters signals to possibly switch directions. Staghorn Crest is definitely a site to put on the short list of dives at Sipadan.

Keep on equalizing!
Dan, Esther, Lana and Tim

Sipadan Island : South Point

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On the Southernmost tip of Sipadan Island you will find the aptly named site, South Point. Exposed to the prevailing currents, this is an excellent dive where you have the greatest possibility of observing schools of hammerhead sharks. Given the fact that the schools of hammerheads are normally found in stronger currents at depths in the 40 meter (130 foot) range, you will be most comfortable here if you have two things:

  1. Advanced Open Water Certification
  2. Experience diving with current

Not to say that newer divers shouldn’t dive this site, but if you do, you should have a great sense of adventure and stick close to your Dive Master as depths descend straight down to 600+ meters and currents can be strong. The reason that you want to stick close to your Dive Master and buddy at South Point is because most times at this site, if you are lucky enough to see the hammerheads, (Lana and Tim have not seen them in 5 trips to Sipadan) they are close to 40 meters (130 Feet) and that’s after you swim far enough into the blue that the wall behind you nearly disappears.

So, if you are after excitement, then ditch the Nitrox. This is a dive you do not want to be restricted by depth limits if you see big creatures beyond your Nitrox Maximum Operating Depth. If you typically dive Nitrox, it is good to know when planning your trip that the first two dives of the day at Sipadan are usually deep and air may give you more flexibility. Given the depths that most groups usually descend to at South Point, it is commonly your first and deepest dive of the day in hopes of seeing the schooling hammerheads and other “big stuff” like grey reef sharks, thresher sharks, eagle rays, tuna, barracuda and jacks, to name a few. If your timing and the currents are just right, South Point becomes a happy hunting ground where you can observe many of the larger pelagics.

As we back-rolled and dropped down during our three times at South Point, the sharks were definitely there. Albeit, they were smaller white tips and some medium-sized grey reefs, but they were present in large numbers. We did spot one eagle ray gracefully swimming by and the SDA Team all agreed it felt like we gave ourselves concussions by the end of the dive. This was a result of flinging our hands to our heads as we signaled the shark sign so many times. Shark! Hopefully on one of our future trips to Sipadan, we will time it right and see the majestic schools of hammerheads that Sipadan is famous for.

As with most of the dive sites at Sipadan, entry and exit at South Point are normally planned near the shallow reefs where massive schools of smaller reef fish dart in and out of the corals. You are almost guaranteed to see at least one turtle in the shallows and many times they are accompanied by giant trevally, white tips, and many other larger fish. On any of your entries or safety stops over the shallow reefs, it is normal to see many varieties of boxfish, trigger fish, surgeon fish (aka tangs), grouper and eels among the endless list you will see. We have never been to a place where you see so many varieties of hard to find fish in huge numbers as Sipadan and South Point is certainly no exception.

Speaking of “safety stops,” we have a funny story to share from one of our dives at South Point: While the SDA Team were enjoying the peaceful reef scenery on our safety stop at South Point, Tim tapped his tank to get everyone’s attention, pointing to a fish asking what kind it was. Using underwater hand signals, Lana motioned the signal for a trigger fish but then shrugged in uncertainty. Everyone watched as Tim agreed but Tim needed confirmation (this trigger was huge) and called Eljer, our dive master. Before Tim even knew what was happening, Eljer had latched onto his arm and fin kicked 15 meters towards this massive titan triggerfish. Little did any of us know (except Eljer, who was buckled over with laughter) that the titan trigger fish was nesting and did not take kindly to Tim’s invasion. The protective trigger wasted no time in squaring off against Tim. As for Eljer? He’s gone. Buddies and dive mates? All were laughing hysterically. Why? Tim was dancing around, spinning in circles as this infuriated fish charged at him over and over while Tim used his pointer to keep the fish at bay and avoid being bitten. This dance went on for about 30 seconds and the battle finally ended when Tim retreated to the surface. The trigger won this battle with a couple last nips at Tim’s fins and then returned to its young. If you ever encounter the titan trigger, which is a beautiful fish to observe, be cognizant of its nesting “cone” extending up to the surface and maintain your distance. They may be quite aggressive and have been known to injure unsuspecting divers.

South Point is a dive site that can present many surprises throughout the dive. Be sure to ask your dive master if hammerheads have been sighted as you plan your dives each day. If the hammerheads have been spotted, then mark down South Point. It is one dive site you must put on your list and get ready for a thrilling ride!

Happy diving!
Dan, Esther, Lana and Tim

Sipadan Island : Turtle Patch

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The very name Sipadan tends to conjure up excitement in a divers imagination as the once only spoken tales from the Celebes Sea begin to be shared in cyber-space. Most readers, including the SDA Team until recently, did not know that Sipadan is Malay for “turtle.” Sipadan’s namesake comes as no surprise as this tiny oceanic island is home to more green and hawksbill turtles that call its’ reefs home than any other dive location we’ve ever visited.

Sipadan has many impressive stories of conservation underwater, but the turtle sanctuary is not only underwater. The local military and a team of biologists have made huge efforts to create a small turtle hatchery that raises turtles from eggs to just large enough to set free in the waters of Turtle Beach. These biologists provide a safe land environment for the turtles to hatch and gain strength in an isolated beach location, secure from the opportunistic monitor lizards above ground, curious divers on the island, as well as the oceanic predators who will snap up any opportunity for an easy meal. This inaccessible area, turtle beach, extends straight out towards the reef along the east wall and has aptly provided the name for this next dive site, Turtle Patch.

A favorite place for Sipidan’s resident turtles to lounge about, the underwater topography at turtle patch boasts incredible crevices and large coral heads which are home to the turtles’ food source of algae and sponges. The top reef is prominently covered with staghorn and acropora corals, but patches of fox, cabbage and colt coral also attract the turtles in massive numbers. Looking at this picture of a green sea turtle resting on a bed of colt coral and several pieces of crushed staghorn and acropora coral, it becomes evident that the turtles crush more coral than some of the less coordinated divers who descend into the water with poor buoyancy. There are literally hundreds of places for these turtles to rest along this dive site and even the white tips venture up to this area to lounge about.

Another curious fact is that the turtles are not trying to eat the coral but they use their serrated beaks to clean the algae, sea grass (green turtles) and sponges (hawksbill turtles) off the coral. This is what provides them with their nutrition and it also helps sustain Sipidan’s pristine reef system.

Turtle Patch is not just a playground for the turtles, it is also a wall dive along the Eastern side of the island, shared by larger pelagics that venture into this southern part of the reef. Watch closely into the deep blue and you’re likely to spot large grey reef sharks or eagle rays gracefully cruising the island’s perimeter. One of Lana’s dive log entries from this site exclaims, “Sharks, Sharks, Sharks! Greys and White tips everywhere!” Are you looking for some excitement? Lana surely recommends this dive site. But venture back up to the shallows to see the islands greatest concentration of turtles.

Like other Sipadan wall dives, the safety stop rests perfectly on the top reef. The way that all of the Sipadan dives end is convenient as you nearly always finish a dive with a safety stop perfectly on the top reef. As you take care of your three-minute stop you can relax and watch as thousands of tiny anthias and other reef fish fill a huge Christmas tree coral formation. Before you know it, your three-minute stop turns into ten or fifteen minutes of off-gassing nitrogen and it’s time to hop back on the boat.

Turtle Patch is a great morning deep dive or an afternoon shallow dive. The current is typically mild and it is a good dive to consider if you haven’t graduated past your open water certification. If you are in question about a certain dive or the conditions that exist it’s always best to consult the dive masters and boat captains. They are experts at reading the currents and assessing if something may be too strong for your skill level.

Until next post,

Dan, Esther, Tim and Lana wishing you happy dives!

Sipadan Island : Mid Reef

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If you only have one day to dive Sipadan, Mid Reef would be a great addition to your list of top four dive sites to explore. Mid Reef is an East facing dive site best enjoyed in the morning or early afternoon when the sun illuminates the reef to display its amazing colors. Before you even enter the water, the morning view from the boat presents a beautiful photo opportunity of the tiny island of Sipadan. So, for those of you who have not made the giant stride into purchasing an Ikelite housing for your DSLR, bring your dry bag as you will have some of the best photo ops of Sipadan Island, fit for a postcard. The morning sun bounces perfectly off the island’s natural palm trees enabling you to capture many great pics.

Reviewing our dive log entries, Mid Reef has consistently offered the second best opportunity to spot schooling barracuda at either the start of our dive or at the end during our safety stop. So, if the barracuda have been playing shy at Barracuda Point, mention this feedback to your dive master to see what they think.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy-PR5MNum0]

Mid Reef may boast an unimaginative name for a dive site but it is far from being that way under water. As its name suggests, it is sandwiched in the middle of the East facing wall between White Tip Avenue and Turtle Patch, generally at the crossroads of your best opportunity to spot the island’s greatest concentration of turtles and white tip sharks. Aside from Turtle Patch, you will most likely see more turtles at Mid Reef than any other site due to its close proximity to Turtle Beach where the young turtles from Sipadan’s hatchery are released. An adrenaline filled dive, similar to White Tip Avenue, drop down to your desired depth and float along with the mild current as the fish life fills your view with huge batfish usually in schools of 10 or more, beautiful black and orange juvenile batfish and loads of nudibranch.

Just like other East facing wall dives, there are great opportunities to view enormous sea fans and gorgonians along with massive barrel sponges. Now that you have been drifting along for a few minutes, flip over and look up toward the surface. What the SDA Team enjoys about this dive is that the diversity of coral gives the dive site, Hanging Gardens, a run for the money on appearance from the depths to the surface. Numerous shapes of massive corals excite the mind and make for a stunning view. Look beyond the corals. It is common for schools of fusiliers, sergeant majors and niger triggers, together with turtles, chromis, anthias and all sorts of other reef fish swimming in harmony above you.

Our experience with Mid Reef has generally provided us with a leisurely mild current allowing us to reach a neutral buoyancy at our desired depth and then follow the wall without even a fin kick. However, Sipadan is an oceanic island and that mild current can quickly gain a couple of knots and present challenges. So be aware and always dive with your buddy. Mid Reef is a 360 degree experience, which will distract you, with beauty at every angle.

All we can say is: Get out there and dive Sipadan!

Dan, Esther, Lana and Tim

Sipadan Island : White Tip Avenue

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With a backward roll into the water, you quickly discover that White Tip Avenue will be another exciting Sipadan wall dive as a school of adult batfish confidently greet you near the surface. As you descend a few meters and give a few fin kicks to the wall, White Tip Avenue offers a unique sight of huge canyon like crevices on the fringe of the shallow top reef where you can float over and take a look down into the beautiful formations as you prepare for your descent.

Even though White Tip Avenue is a wall dive, you will find many rocky slopes and ledges where white tip sharks are regularly seen as they rest outside the current preparing to hunt for their next meal. The typical dive depth for White Tip Avenue ranges from 18 to 30 meters, sometimes up to 40 meters if there are reports that larger pelagics have been sighted at depths. But, keep in mind that with all sites at Sipadan, depths plunge well below the 40-meter recreational diving limits to depths exceeding 600+ meters. So, keep your eye on your computer and dive the plan because it is easy to lose yourself in the beauty of the dive.

As you drift along with the current, you will quickly notice that you are not the only large creatures enjoying this dive site. White Tip Avenue is no exception to regular sightings of the large pelagics divers flock to Sipandan to observe. The list includes white tip and grey reef sharks, turtles, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead wrasse and the graceful spotted eagle ray. Look back towards the wall and massive gorgonian sea fans are waving in the current, a unique feature to this site. In the coral formations surrounding the sea fans, you’re likely to see an awkward looking boxfish, the always elusive eels, and camouflaged clams that make their residence here. Continuing on with the current you are likely the resident schools of barracuda and jacks that continuously make their way around the island. White Tip Avenue is one of the places you will see large schools of jacks and barracuda from time to time, which never ceases to excite as we are driven to observe them and join with them in the towering tornadoes the schools create.

As we reach our safety stop, like many of the other dive sites, the top reef is a filled with beautiful scenery of small fish darting in and out of the hard corals. Inside these corals you’ll see parrotfish, anthias, chromis, as well as anemones with clown fish curiously peeking out at you providing an entertaining show. Juvenile batfish remain shy among the coral, while damselfish move about at dizzying speeds.

White Tip Avenue is usually a mild current dive that allows the diver to reach neutral buoyancy at their desired depth and then follow the wall without even a fin kick. However, skillfully using your fin like a rudder to maneuver within a comfortable distance from the wall will allow you to see the beautiful black coral while looking out into the blue to capture frequent glimpses of the pacing sharks. As with most of the sites at Sipadan, experience with current is a plus as you are likely to experience at least a mild current. White Tip Avenue is an East facing dive site that is best in the morning or early afternoon when the sun is illuminating the reef to display its amazing colors.

Until next post! –Dan, Esther, Lana and Tim

Sipadan Island : Coral Gardens

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Coral Gardens is a beautiful dive site located on the Northern tip of Sipadan’s East wall. Facing East, this dive site is best experienced in the morning with the sun illuminating the entire reef and showcasing the abundant fish and invertebrate life. This site begins as you descend upon a top reef filled with huge, multi-colored, tabling acropora coral which is teeming with tiny reef fish swimming in and out of their hard coral homes. At this depth, you are also likely to see giant trevally, jackfish, barracuda and an occasional white tip or grey reef shark. The colors of the fish and coral at three to five meters are so mesmerizing that you may not feel like heading for the wall. How can it possibly get any better than this? Spend a few minutes here and then head for the wall to find out for yourself.

Once you crest the wall and begin your descent, you will not be disappointed. We floated down to 25 or 30 meters and began to drift along in the mild current. We saw some of the larger turtles Sipadan has to offer and looking out into the blue, a few white tip and grey reef sharks increased the excitement of an already stellar dive. With a couple of switchbacks along the way as we followed the currents, we observed some of the other critters you are likely to see at Coral Gardens including moray eels, the occasional frogfish, and loads of colorful grouper.

Given that this dive is especially susceptible to changing currents in the morning, it is important that you stay near your Dive Master. The current at Coral Gardens can change more than once in your dive pushing you in either direction toward Barracuda Point or White Tip Avenue. Knowing this, it is imperative to be aware of your surroundings at all times, remain close to your dive buddy, and further, this makes Coral Gardens a recommended dive for Advanced Divers.

Our 40-minute multi-level dive goes by quickly and in no time we are back on the top reef for our safety stop while we enjoy the playful fish and amazing corals. Because of the pristine coral life on its top reef, Coral Gardens invites many of the fish species that make Sipadan home, allowing you to see most of the fish (small and large) Sipadan has to offer, all concentrated in one dive site.

If you have only one day to dive at Sipadan, Coral Gardens is definitely one site to add to your list of the four you are allotted for the day.

Until our next post! Dan, Esther, Lana and Tim wishing you happy adventures.