Sipadan Water Village

Sipadan Island
Sipadan Island is located in Borneo and is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world.

More than 400 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. Sipadan Island was at the top of Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine Gold List for 'The Top Dive Destination in the World'.

Frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan:
- Green and hawksbill turtles (which mate and nest there)
- Enormous schools of barracuda in tornado-like formations
- Large schools of big-eye trevally
- Shoals of bumphead parrotfish eating and shitting at the same time

Pelagic species such as manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks also visit Sipadan.

The Resort: Sipdan Water Village
Sipadan Water Village is a beautiful resort constructed in the Bajau architectural style. The entire resort is built over the water on stilts, which are laid precisely so as to minimise damage to the surrounding reef.

Be wowed by the resort’s splendid water cottage accommodation, flowered sidewalks, sumptuous Asian and Continental cuisine, and impeccable, personal service.

Some of the best reefs in the world are literally at your doorstep. The resort’s experienced divemasters are specially trained in the marine ecology of the region, and will show you the natural beauty as well as impart their knowledge of marine life and a better understanding of the environment. This attitude and passion is what sets diving with Sipadan Water Village apart.

The Islands
Kapalai and Mabul (where the resort is located), are world-renowned as macro “heaven on earth”, and the best dive sites are all less than 15 minutes away from the resort and are mostly in shallow water. Small creatures are not the only attractions here; one can never get tired of fish watching and the ample opportunities for photography. Be prepared to see countless remarkable creatures on one dive, be it cuttlefish, anemone shrimp, harlequin ghost pipefish, juvenile batfish or dragonets. The possibilities are endless!

Sipadan presents a very different diving environment from the other islands, being mostly a combination of wall and drift diving. Be prepared to be wowed by beautiful coral, gorgonian and sponge-covered walls, and of course, the turtles. Nowhere else on Earth can you see so many turtles on just one dive. There are also huge resident schools of barracuda circling the top of the reef.