This tiny island, located 240 mi/385 km from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, still offers world-class diving for experienced divers. About 50 ft/15 m offshore is a spectacular 2,000-ft/610-m underwater drop-off covered with marine life, including the island's famously abundant population of sea turtles. Experienced divers will find that a drift dive along the drop-off viewing a swirling vortex of thousands of Chevron barracuda is an extraordinary experience. Divers staying on neighboring islands frequently make the short boat ride over to Sipadan for its spectacular diving.
A decade or so back, the lodges at Sipadan were removed and the island became both a protected bird sanctuary and an underwater-protected area. Divers now stay on Mabul Island and travel to Sipadan on a daily basis to enjoy the diving.
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