Sipadan Island

Sipadan Island sits off the coast of Semporna in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, rising from the Celebes Sea as an oceanic island rather than a continental shelf formation. It is widely known for its steep drop-offs, large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles, and schooling barracuda that form dense tornado-like formations. The site is often associated with Barracuda Point and its underwater caverns, and divers commonly encounter reef sharks along the walls as well. Malaysia limits daily diver numbers here through a permit system to protect the reef. The site reaches a maximum depth of around 40 metres and is rated a beginner dive.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Whitetip Reef SharkTriaenodon obesusReported here · unconfirmed
• Bigeye TrevallyCaranx sexfasciatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Napoleon WrasseCheilinus undulatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Harlequin SweetlipsPlectorhinchus chaetodonoidesReported here · unconfirmed
• Blueface AngelfishPomacanthus xanthometoponReported here · unconfirmed
• Bluefin TrevallyCaranx melampygusReported here · unconfirmed
• Paletail UnicornfishNaso brevirostrisReported here · unconfirmed
• Pinktail TriggerfishMelichthys viduaReported here · unconfirmed