Whitetip Avenue

The structure of Whitetip Avenue is different from the sheer vertical drops found on the western side of the island. The rock forms a steep wall cut by deep terraces and ledges. These flat sections provide shelter from the ocean currents. Giant gorgonian sea fans and patches of black coral decorate the slope. The ledges give resting sharks a place to sit facing into the gentle flow. The terraced shape also gives you a visual reference point as you manage your depth along the drop-off. The drop-off continues past recreational limits so good buoyancy control is vital. Because Sipadan is Malaysia's only oceanic island rising 600 metres from the Celebes Sea floor on an extinct volcanic seamount, these walls are a magnet for pelagic life. The sheer verticality of the seamount means oceanic water strikes the pinnacle directly. This brings the nutrient-rich currents that support the massive sea fans.

Guides usually treat this as the second dive in a Sipadan rotation. The topography dictates a specific "V" profile to get the most out of the site. The boat drops you directly over the reef edge. You descend immediately to around 30 metres to reach the primary ledges. The guide leads the group down quickly to find the resting sharks before they move away. You spend a short time at depth observing the shark activity before your guide initiates a slow diagonal ascent. You swim gradually up the wall to finish your dive in the shallower coral gardens. The slow diagonal ascent allows you to off-gas safely while still enjoying the reef. This disciplined profile requires you to watch your computer closely. Your guide leads the group along the wall as you watch your gas consumption on the ascent.

The dive breaks into distinct depth zones. Below 30 metres you can look out for grey reef sharks. They are highly active and patrol the open water just off the wall. The ledges just above them hold the whitetip reef sharks. You often see them resting in small packs on the flat rock. Manta rays occasionally pass in the deeper blue water.

The site is the island's premier shark boulevard. As you move up the wall you often encounter the heavy turtle traffic Sipadan is famous for. Green and hawksbill turtles use the upper sections to graze and rest. The shallow sections hold dense hard coral cover and reef fish. The macro life on the wall is also rich. You can find nudibranchs and small crustaceans hiding among the black coral bushes if you slow down and look closely. Be sure to look closely at the large sea fans in the shallows to spot smaller macro subjects before you surface.

Shooting here asks for capable equipment. The primary subjects sit at 30 metres against a dark blue background. The water absorbs almost all the natural red light at that depth. You need powerful dual strobes to illuminate the sharks properly against the light-absorbing backdrop. Natural light drops quickly on the deeper ledges so check your ISO settings as soon as you descend. The terraced wall means you are often shooting out into the open ocean to capture the grey reef sharks. A wide-angle lens is essential to capture the scale of the sea fans and the passing turtles. The lack of severe current makes it easier to handle large camera rigs than at the northern points.

Sabah Parks mandates a minimum of Advanced Open Water for all Sipadan diving. Whitetip Avenue asks for confident AOW skills because of the deep initial descent. You must drop straight to 30 metres and manage your buoyancy carefully over a sheer drop-off. The sustained deep profile requires you to monitor your no-decompression limits strictly. The current is usually a gentle to moderate drift so the physical swimming effort is low. The challenge lies in your depth discipline rather than fighting heavy water movement.

The site is at its best mid-morning. The sun sits high enough to penetrate the blue water and light up the upper terraces. Guides often choose it as the second dive of the day after an early start at one of the northern points.

The island is open for diving every month except November. The clearest water typically arrives between March and October. Mid-February to mid-November offers good diving conditions if you are planning when to dive. The water temperature stays at 26 to 30 °C throughout the year so a 3mm tropical wetsuit is sufficient. The park authorities close Sipadan entirely every November to let the reef rest. The surrounding islands of Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking and Pom Pom stay open during that month.

You dive Whitetip Avenue on a Sipadan permit. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. These are distributed across licensed operators. Getting a guaranteed Sipadan permit requires booking the right combination of resort, dive package and minimum nights. The exact dates depend on the resort you choose. The team steers you to the right Sipadan packages to secure your permit days.

You reach the island by boat from the nearby resorts. A boat ride from Mabul or Kapalai takes about 15 minutes. The journey from Mataking takes about 80 minutes across the Alice Channel. A Sipadan permit day gives 3 dives from Mabul, Kapalai or the Celebes Explorer and two from Mataking or Pom Pom. Divers staying on the Celebes Explorer liveaboard dive the island for multiple days in a row.

• South Point · Deep wall diving for pelagics at the southern tip.
• Mid Reef · Sloping reef with table corals and heavy turtle traffic.
• Barracuda Point · High-energy drift diving on the north-east corner.
• Coral Garden · Shallow sunlit plateau covered in hard corals.
• Sipadan · The complete guide to the island's diving and permits.

Send your dates, the names of everyone coming and your current certification levels. The team will come back to you with the permit packages that can be arranged for your group.