Travel Guide Pulau Sipadan

Sipadan Island, one of the 10 most beautiful dive sites in the world, is a must for all diving enthusiasts. It forms the summit of a limestone peak that rises from 600 m of water. To the east of the island, the drop-offs are impressive. Covering more than 12 hectares of tropical jungle, the island is so breathtakingly beautiful that Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau called it "an untouched work of art". With over 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of corals, it's one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. Green turtles are a common sight, barracudas make their home here, and manta rays are a regular sight. Shark enthusiasts are not left out, with whale sharks and hammerheads crossing here from time to time. More than a dozen incredible dive sites surround the island. Barracuda Point is one of the most popular. The meeting point of different currents, it attracts large pelagics and huge, extremely dense schools of barracuda, jacks and fish of all kinds, swirling and swimming in unison around the divers. Visibility can exceed 30 meters from April to October, ensuring a spectacle of rare beauty. The other star spot, Hanging Gardens, is an impressive drop-off teeming with gorgonians, barrel sponges and soft corals. Turtles, white-tip sharks and parrotfish are regularly spotted here. South Point is famous for its vertiginous drop-off plunging vertically into the depths visited by hammerhead sharks, manta rays and blue-ringed octopus. The dives are deep, but cannot exceed 40 meters, and can be technical, especially in current. Good experience is a must.