Sipadan was made famous by Jacque Yves Cousteau, a famous French oceanographer in his documentary ?The Ghosts of the Sea Turtle?.
Sipadan is an internationally famous dive site surrounded by the Sulawesi Sea. The geographic position of Sipadan at the Indo-Pacific Basin (the centre of the richest marine habitat in the world) makes it a paradise for divers. The seascape is decorated with huge gorgonian sea fans, barrel sponges and gigantic soft tree corals. Steep walls form a stunning backdrop while pelagic species such as sharks and turtles swim gracefully.
Further away, the Turtle Cavern contains skeletons of turtles that were lost in the tunnels. At Barracuda Point, divers can have exciting encounters with schools of barracuda. To preserve the delicate ecosystem, accommodation is only provided at the neighbbouring islands of Mabul and Kapalai . Tours must be pre-arranged. The nearest airport to Sipadan is Tawau. From Tawau, take an hour?s drive to Semporna before proceeding with a 40-minute speedboat ride to the island.
Sipadan was made famous by Jacque Yves Cousteau, a famous French oceanographer in his documentary ?The Ghosts of the Sea Turtle?. Sipadan?s most thrilling feature is its Drop Off, where knee-high water suddenly gives way to a 600m drop! Groups need to book many weeks in advance to get a shot at Sipadan. The government issues 120 passes to Sipadan each day (this number includes divers and snorkellers). Each dive company is issued a predetermined number of passes per day and each operator has a unique way of ?awarding? tickets.