Hawksbill turtle

It is easy to confuse Sabah's two resident marine turtles until you know what to look for. The hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) is noticeably smaller than a mature green turtle. It earns its name from its narrow head and pointed beak. This shape allows the animal to reach deep into reef fractures to pull out its preferred diet of sponges and small invertebrates. A hawksbill has overlapping scales on its carapace that create a serrated look along the back edge. A green turtle has smooth shell edges and a blunter face. You are almost certainly watching a hawksbill if you see a turtle actively picking at a vertical wall rather than resting on the sand. Their distinct amber and brown shell patterns offer excellent camouflage among the soft corals.

Hawksbills are resident in Sabah and you can dive with them all year. The best visibility to watch them runs from March to October. At Sipadan they often rest on ledges or swim up the walls. They also frequent the reefs around Mabul and Kapalai where they hunt among the artificial structures and sloping coral gardens. Look for them swimming over the sunken wrecks and fringing reefs off Sandakan. Lankayan sits inside the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) where strict enforcement protects their habitat; the resort closes in January and February. A non-profit company named Reef Guardian enforces this massive no-take zone. Marine radar tracking and regular sea patrols have drastically reduced poaching in these waters. Turtles nest on these islands and the protected environment allows the local populations to thrive. The conservation area earned the prestigious IUCN Green List status in 2022 to recognise this success.

Divers watch hawksbills going about their daily routine on almost every dive at Sipadan. They use the vertical drops like a highway to move between different depths. You will frequently find them tucked into tight crevices on the wall to sleep. On the shallower plateaus they use large coral heads as cleaning stations where small reef fish pick parasites from their shells. They are highly habituated to divers at Sipadan so they generally ignore groups passing by. You might see one using its beak to rip a sponge out of the reef architecture. This feeding behaviour creates space for new corals to settle and helps maintain the health of the reef. Active coral recovery requires clean surfaces for new polyps to anchor onto.

The classic shot people want is a hawksbill silhouetted against the sunlit surface with the reef wall in the background. A wide-angle or fisheye lens is essential to capture the animal and the scale of the environment. The shallow coral gardens offer the best natural light for photography. Late morning or afternoon dives give you bright conditions to bring out the amber and brown patterns on their shells without needing heavy strobes. Be sure to approach slowly and stay low in the water column. Chasing a turtle always results in a photograph of its tail. Let the animal continue its natural behaviour and it will often swim right past your dome port.

Turtles need space to breathe and rest. You must stay out of a hawksbill's path to the surface when you spot one swimming upward. Never touch a turtle or attempt to hitch a ride. Responsible dive operators enforce a strict no-touch policy across Sabah. Wearing diving gloves is banned for recreational divers to discourage grabbing the reef or the animals. Maintain excellent buoyancy and watch your fins. Hawksbills often rest on fragile table corals or next to protruding gorgonians. Keep your distance to avoid accidentally kicking the structure while you watch them. Using reef-safe sunscreen is highly advised because chemical runoff directly impedes the recovery of corals.

The hawksbill is listed globally as critically endangered. The historic trade in tortoiseshell decimated populations worldwide. Nobody should ever buy turtle-shell souvenirs because that demand directly threatens the surviving animals. Sabah protects these animals strictly under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. It is illegal to hunt or possess marine turtles or their eggs. The penalty for possession includes fines and custodial sentences. Active conservation efforts operate across the region to protect nesting sites. Mataking Island is a critical nesting ground for hawksbills. Collaborative efforts documented over 460 nests at this site between 2009 and 2025. The resort signed a Memorandum of Understanding in May 2026 with WWF-Malaysia and the Sabah Wildlife Department to trace turtles' origins through DNA and map migration routes using satellite tracking. Pom Pom Island also hosts a protective hatchery for relocated nests. Scuba Junkie operates a successful community reward system on Mabul to pay locals for reporting viable nests. Paying locals to report nests directly outcompetes the black market and protects the eggs until the hatchlings are ready for release.

Sipadan is the primary destination for consistent sightings. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. You can secure a guaranteed Sipadan permit through the right combination of resort, dive package and minimum number of nights on an itinerary like Sipadan Classic; the dates that can be guaranteed depend on the resort you choose. The team steers you to the options that fit your dates. These Sipadan sites offer excellent encounters:

The Drop-Off

Skill level: Newly Qualified AOW | Depth range: 5–40 m The wall starts just steps from the old jetty and drops 600 m straight down. Hawksbills use this sheer face constantly. You will often see them resting on ledges alongside whitetip reef sharks. Look up to catch them swimming against the bright surface water.

Hanging Gardens

Skill level: Newly Qualified AOW | Depth range: 5–40 m This heavily terraced wall features deep undercut crevices covered in pastel soft corals. It sees heavy turtle traffic with some guides reporting dozens of sightings per dive. The turtles tuck themselves into the coral curtains to rest. You can drift along the face and watch them swimming among the massive gorgonian sea fans.

Turtle Patch

Skill level: Newly Qualified AOW | Depth range: 5–12 m A sunlit shallow plateau decorated with massive table corals on the southeast corner of Sipadan. It holds a staggering density of resting and grazing turtles. It makes a brilliant afternoon dive because you get long bottom times to watch them peacefully.

Whitetip Avenue

Skill level: Confident AOW | Depth range: 16–40 m Positioned on the southeast side of the island this steep wall is beautifully decorated with large sea fans. Heavy turtle traffic moves along the terraces while reef sharks cruise below.

Barracuda Point

Skill level: Confident AOW | Depth range: 5–40+ m While famous for its resident barracuda school this high-energy site also attracts passing hawksbills. You can watch them cruise the wall while you wait for the main pelagic action to start. Down-currents are a known factor here so buoyancy control is critical.

South Point

Skill level: Confident AOW | Depth range: 20–40+ m This site sits at the southern tip of the island and features a deep wall swept by moderate to strong currents. Hawksbills cruise the shallow reef top above the drop-off. You can finish your deep dive by watching them feed among the hard corals during your ascent.

• Green turtle
• Sipadan
• Lankayan
• Conservation
• Sipadan permits
• When to dive Sabah

Send your preferred dates and the names and certification levels of everyone coming to plan your dives with Sabah's hawksbill turtles. The team will come back to you with the resort and dive packages that can be arranged for your trip.