Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, located in the Celebes Sea, 22 miles far from the nearest coast, and southwest of the Malaysian state of Sabah. It is an area of territorial disputes and social upheavals. This is a huge tower that emerges from the bottom of the ocean, which is 800 m deep. This creates ideal conditions for marine life.

    Because of different political vicissitudes, the island is strictly protected by the army, which contributes to its excellent state of preservation. In fact, at present, dives are limited there and staying in the island is forbidden. Now the accommodation takes place in the nearby settlements of Mabul and Kapalai.

surprises in the coral

    The island is small: its area is just 12 Ha and it is fully invaded by vegetation. A larger ring of coral surrounds it. That, along with the influence of the dominant currents and the submerged relieves, makes that we can enjoy many different dives, both because of the land and the fauna that inhabits there.

    The coral plateaus look like giant steps in some areas. They allow an intense life of small and bigger fishes a few meters deep. The ubiquitous bat fishes, angel fishes and butterfly fishes flutter among coral bathed in the magical sunlight.

    There is always a disturbing presence that we often hear before seeing: it is the big humpback head parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). We are talking about the giants of the family. They can be more than one meter long and more than 40 kg weight. Their powerful teeth crush the coral to eat the tiny algae that live in it. The remainder is expelled as fine sand.

    This apparently destructive work is part of the natural cycle of the reef, since this sand will be the basis for future development of the reef. Seeing them is always spectacular because of their size and the unusual bulge that they have in their head. In these waters there are also many large groups of carangid fish that sparkle in the water.

the dance of barracuda fish

    But if we think of shoals, there is an image that, along with the turtles, has make Sipadan famous all over the world. We are talking about the barracuda fish. At Barracuda Point, in the northwest of the island in the submerged tip, the current is usually strong and there is a real dance underwater.

    The Sphyraena Barracuda species is a fearsome predator that has chosen this area as meeting place. As if it was a single body, the entire individuals move perfectly harmonized. We can find concentrations of hundreds of individuals that maybe will surround us. This magical image is what every diver would star in.

    Talking about hunters, we have to mention the sharks. They appear in several diving places. Thus, in White Tip Avenue, as its name suggest, the white tip reef sharks are the stars. We can also observe gray sharks and hammerhead sharks in the blue. And, if we are lucky, we will see the beautiful leopard shark while it swims among coral

the kingdown of turtles

   It is very difficult to dive in Sipadan and not meeting turtles. The queen in these waters is the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), although some carey turtle can be also seen there. We can recognize them because they are smaller.

   The dive in the Drop Off signs the high point of sightings. We are on a vertical wall that is close to the shore and the old pier and that goes down to the ocean abyss. In this area we can see the turtles swimming in peace or resting in caves or under coral branches and, depending on the times, we can see them copulating in open water, where quite often several males are on or surround the female, a true "amour fou.”

    The animals are used to see divers, so they do not get scared and allow us to be very close to them. It is really a wonderful spectacle. There is a resident population of turtles and another one that comes to nest in the quiet beaches of the island during the summer, when there is the maximum population density of the species. Finishing a dive, having seen twenty or thirty turtles, is the most normal and natural thing in Sipadan. Can you ask for more?

an underwater tomb

    As other mythical places on Earth, this place was discovered in 1989 by Cousteau team when they were filming an episode. They were assisted by local diver Clement Lee, a true pioneer in the area (see box). In the episode, the stars were the turtles and the cave where they were going to die.

    In the vast wall of the Drop Off, about 20 m deep, here is the mouth of an underwater cavern. At the entrance there is a kind of large anteroom, where the weak ambient light still shines through. The cave extends by a more intricate and narrow area that ends in a narrow corridor that offers us the first surprise: the skeleton of a turtle.

    After this setting, the cave opens into a large room of over 15 m. high. Here, scattered on the floor and walls there are several skeletons of turtles. It is a beautiful grim spectacle. The whiteness shines due to the light of the lamps, and only at the end of the cavity we can distinguish a small window opened to the blue horizon of the sea that creates an image of strange unreality.

    The romantic legend says that the turtles were there to die in the depths of the cave, as if it was a submarine cemetery. The reality seems to be different and more prosaic. The turtles come inside the cave, then they get disoriented and, unable to find the exit, they finally die drown. Before this show it is logical to imagine that we are surrounded by the ghosts of these ancient creatures.

    The truth is that this is an exciting and different dive, but it is also dangerous and requires adequate planning and the assistance of a guide who perfectly knows the cavity. The bottom of the cave is covered with fine silt that, if gets up, quickly makes the water cloudy.

    On the other hand, the bottom of the cavity is about 25 m deep, so it is important to monitor the air consumption and the possible decompression. Good lighting with a replacement lamp is necessary to access one of the most fascinating dives that the underwater world can offer to us.

Text and photos: Juan Carlos García