|
|
|
|
Collection:
Date: Images: |
Sipadan
July 2007 72 |
Sipadan is on the wishlist of probably every diver. Discovered by Jacques Cousteau (not the island, of course, but the dive spots), it is known as one of the top dive spots of the world. The island itself is a coral island on an underwater pinnacle and it is closed to visitors now because it had been slowly eroding under the feet of the divers. Diving there is based on a permit system: a limited number of permits is issued per day, and operators have to obtain a permit per diver. So the place is not overrun but you have to book in advance ...
Only a small portion of the island is open to daytime visitors, basically to spend surface time between dives, and you cannot stay there. A small navy post is on the island, probably also to make sure no one else stays there.
In addition to the erosion (a lot of sand has been washed onto the upper level of most reefs), a couple of years ago a barge crashed into the island and destroyed part of the reef. But it still is a great place. Diving conditions are not too easy, and what you see is mostly big things: turtles, sharks and such. If you really want to be supersaturated in turtles, this is the place to go; after a couple of dives you'll think: Oh no, not another turtle, I want to see a fish!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Barracuda Point
Barracuda Point is an extremely popular spot, and it is visited by the dive operators almost every day. This is the place where you can see schools of barracudas or jacks swimming in a tornado-like formation. It's also not too bad for sharks and of course turtles.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sipadan South Point
I think south point is near the area that was destroyed by the barge, so it's probably not as good as it was.
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Drop Off
I don't recall much of Drop Off. I think we visited only once.
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Hanging Garden
Hanging Garden was one of the spots that we visited from Semporna as second or third spot in a day.
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Mid Reef
Mid Reef is one of the better spot, though not one of the really popular ones.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Staghorn Crest
This site has some big coral formations.
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Turtle Patch
Turtle Patch and Turtle Tomb are after Barracuda Point the most popular dive spots in Sipadan. They have more than turtles to offer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sipadan Turtle Tomb
Turtle tomb is actually a cave where many turtle skeletons are found. People believe that old turtles go there to die, but more likely turtles get lost in the cave and drown. So much for animal instincts. Divers do not enter turtle tomb of course, unless they are cave diving (which means to bring appropriate equipment, and it's a good idea to be trained in cave diving as well), so we didn't see the turtle skeletons ourselves. Incidentally there is also a bar named turtle tomb cafe in Semporna.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This page has been created on Sunday 12. April 2015 from galleries.xml using galleries.xsl.