Mabul

People choose Mabul to dive Sipadan. The pelagic drop-offs are just a short boat ride away. You can spend your mornings on the oceanic wall and your afternoons hunting for small animals on the sand. The island contrasts sharply with the deep blue. It is a lived-in island rather than a private sanctuary. Local boat traffic passes the island and sandflies keep to the beaches; bring repellent. The underwater environment requires you to move slowly and look closely. Mabul represents classic offshore macro diving. The topography features shallow reef profiles, slopes of natural volcanic sand, patches of seagrass and artificial reef structures.

The diving here demands strict fin discipline. The substrate across most sites consists of fine volcanic silt, sand and unconsolidated coral rubble. You must employ frog-kicking techniques because standard flutter kicks will instantly blind a site with suspended silt.

Paradise 1

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 15 m This site features a relatively flat sandy bottom punctuated by scattered sunken wooden boats and expansive staghorn coral gardens. It sits near the Sipadan Water Village and SMART resorts. It is famous for a dusk dive where a resident population of mandarinfish emerges from the staghorn corals to perform a twisting upward mating dance. The sandy stretches also host blue-spotted mask rays and whiptail rays.

Paradise 2

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 21 m A sunken twelve-metre wooden boat heavily encrusted with crinoids defines this location. A resident giant grouper frequently hides within the wreck structure. The crinoids host ornate ghost pipefish and squat lobsters. Wreck penetration is prohibited due to the degrading structural integrity of the sunken boat.

Froggy Lair

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 10 m Froggy Lair sits just off the edge of the island's local jetty. The seabed is a sprawling sandy expanse littered with natural crevices and discarded old tyres. Giant, painted and clown frogfish are sighted in myriad colours here. You can also spot the flamboyant cuttlefish and colourful nudibranchs. The blue-ringed octopus is an occasional visitor to the rubble.

Awas Reef

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: 9 m | Max depth: 15 m Awas Reef lies directly off the jetty of Scuba Junkie's Mabul Beach Resort on the south side. This muck dive takes place almost entirely on a barren sandy slope. It hosts the flamboyant cuttlefish, fingered dragonets and black-finned snake eels. Photographers hunt for peacocktail anemone shrimp and ringed pipefish carrying eggs. Mimic octopus and wonderpus appear occasionally.

Crocodile Avenue

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 20 m Crocodile Avenue is a gentle sandy slope peppered with small weed patches on the northern side. The resident crocodilefish employs brilliant camouflage to lie flat on the sand. The stringy weed patches are frequent habitats for clinging seahorses. Snake eels and garden eels protrude from the deeper sand flats. It is highly recommended for night dives.

Eel Garden

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 25 m Eel Garden sits at the southern end of the island and is an excellent night dive. Massive colonies of garden eels emerge at the sand-reef interface and sway in the current. The rocky reef sections are frequent hiding places for blue ribbon eels, moray eels and large mantis shrimp. Divers must manage their exhalations because sudden bursts of bubbles will cause the entire colony to shrink into their burrows.

Ray Point

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 25 m A gradual slope characterised by healthy live corals, colourful sponges and large gorgonian fans on the southwestern reef. Blue-spotted rays rest conspicuously on the sandy floor between coral bommies. Green turtles, groupers, boxfish and large trevallies patrol the reef edge.

Lobster Wall

Skill level: Advanced Open Water | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 40 m This is a true vertical wall on the western reef dropping well past 40 m. It is riddled with crevices and heavily decorated with sea fans. Large moray eels, stonefish and ghost pipefish are frequent sights in the crevices. Green turtles frequently rest on the ledges.

Seaventures Platform

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 18 m This site lies directly beneath a towering decommissioned oil rig offshore. The underwater environment is an artificial reef consisting of steel rig pylons and sunken metal structures. Pygmy seahorses reside almost exclusively within the gorgonian sea fans growing on the pylons. You can frequently spot giant moray eels, leaf fish and frogfish.

Mabul House Reef

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 25 m Several resorts maintain distinct house reefs driven by artificial reef projects. Borneo Divers has sunken wrecks and metal structures hosting harlequin shrimp and porcelain crabs. SMART Resort features wooden frames and pyramids forming a complex maze on the sand. These are sanctuaries for juvenile barracuda and sweetlips.

Panglima Reef

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 20 m This northern site features a steeply sloping coral reef embedded with large barrel sponges and bubble coral. Orangutan crabs reside exclusively within the sweeping arms of bubble corals. Hairy squat lobsters take refuge in the deep crevices of the barrel sponges.

Ribbon Valley

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 30 m Terraced slopes drop gradually down to 30 m off the southern tip of Mabul. Ribbon eels are frequently found popping their heads from the sand. The site features isolated coral bommies and waving gorgonian fans.

Coral Reef Garden

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: 15 m Located on the eastern side. This highly colourful sandy area teems with healthy hard and soft corals. Divemasters widely consider this the best site for a first muck dive. You can find seahorses, nudibranchs and cleaner shrimp.

Stingray City

Skill level: All levels | Ave depth: Not specified | Max depth: Not specified Situated on the southern side of the island. It serves as a primary aggregation point for various ray species. Blue-spotted rays rest consistently on the substrate.

The reefs around Mabul are a haven for macro and muck diving. You can look for frogfish, ghost pipefish and seahorses hiding in the coral rubble. The flamboyant cuttlefish patrols the open sand flats. The blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus and wonderpus are occasional visitors to the reef. You can also spot crocodilefish, snake eels and Spanish dancers. Nudibranchs are abundant. Be sure to establish neutral buoyancy carefully. Keep clear of the reef when steadying yourself for a photograph. Pointing sticks are strictly prohibited on living substrate.

Mabul offers a range of accommodation from luxury over-water chalets to diver-focused beach resorts.

Mabul Water Bungalows sits over the water on the east side. It is a premium property featuring wooden walkways and a spa. Standard water bungalows have railed balconies but no direct sea access. Sea stairs exist only in the villa suites. The resort shares a dive centre with SMART. Sipadan Water Village is a premium resort built on ironwood stilts off Mabul. It sits on the sheltered side away from the main village. No chalet has private sea steps. Water entry is via the dive centre or boats. You get unlimited unguided house-reef diving during the day. Sipadan-Mabul Resort is a mid-range beach resort on the south-east side. It is diver-first and features a pool and beach. Guests dine at the Mabul Water Bungalows pavilion. Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is a mid-range garden beach resort. It features a climate-controlled camera room and runs a sea-turtle hatchery. Seaventures Dive Rig is a mid-range converted oil platform stationed off the island. A hydraulic lift lowers divers to the water. It is a divers' resort rather than a beach one. Children under ten are strictly supervised.

Mabul supports active conservation efforts. There are two sea-turtle hatcheries on the island. The smaller hatchery operates at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort with fewer releases. The larger and better-known hatchery sits at Scuba Junkie's Mabul Beach Resort. Hatchling releases follow biology rather than a schedule. Be sure to ask about the current programme when you arrive.

Mabul is a definitive super-macro destination. While a few sites permit wide-angle reefscapes, the vast majority of diving here demands macro lenses. The environment is highly conducive to snoot photography. You can isolate a subject with a narrow beam of light against a black background. This technique works particularly well on the sandy slopes of Crocodile Avenue and Awas Reef. Ambient light scattering can be minimised to highlight textures. The primary hazard is diver speed. Take your time over each patch of sand. Divers finning quickly looking straight ahead will miss the camouflaged life entirely.

Mabul is the closest major island to Sipadan. The boat ride takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on sea conditions. You need an Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent to dive Sipadan. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. Every diver on Sipadan is there on a permit issued for that day in their name. Permits are issued against your full name, passport number and certification. A guaranteed Sipadan permit comes with the right combination of resort, dive package and minimum number of nights. Exact dates depend on the resort you choose. The team steers you to the combination that fits your travel window. Diving hours run from early morning until the afternoon. A Sipadan permit day gives 3 dives if you stay on Mabul or Kapalai or aboard the Celebes Explorer and two if you stay on Pom Pom or Mataking. Depending on the operator schedule, tide and sea conditions, the exact timing varies. Sipadan is closed to all visitors every November. Mabul stays open all November. There is no night diving at Sipadan.

You can dive Mabul all year. The best visibility runs from March to October. Mid-February to mid-November is good diving with softer visibility at the ends. Mid-November to mid-February brings a mix of cloud, rain and sun. The water stays 26 to 30 degrees Celsius year-round. Remember that Sipadan itself closes for the entire month of November.

Tawau is the arrival airport for the region. The road transfer to Semporna takes 70 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. From Semporna to Mabul the boat ride takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the tide. Resort literature often quotes 40 to 45 minutes. There is no single Semporna jetty. Resorts use their own staging points. Island boats do not run after dark. Late arrivals must stay overnight in Tawau or Semporna. Be sure to plan a 24-hour no-fly interval after your last dive. Read more travel information for logistics details.

Mabul suits divers at every level. It is ideal for photographers and couples choosing a base for Sipadan. Non-divers travelling with divers will find resorts to relax in. The shallow reefs offer excellent opportunities for extended bottom times. If you want a quiet private island, Mataking or Lankayan is the one. Mabul is a shared island with a local village. Local boat traffic passes through and the island is lived in; that is part of its character. Kapalai offers a purely over-water resort experience without a terrestrial footprint.

• Sipadan
• Kapalai
• Mataking Island
• Pom Pom
• Tun Sakaran Marine Park
• Semporna

Send your dates, the names of everyone coming and your certification level. The team comes back with what can be arranged for your itinerary.