It is a small rainforest covered tropical island rising from a depth of more than 600 meters from the bottom of the Celebes Sea. It is the only oceanic island in the region. The island is the top of a long-lost lava chimney from a prehistoric volcano. This island is arguably the top dive destination in the world.
The island is about 45 minutes from Semporna town by speedboat in calm seas. Other nearby islands include Mabul Island and Kapalai Island. All within just a short hop by speed boat ride from each other.
So what do you expect to see? Lots! And if you enjoy seeing pelagic fishes and underwater creatures, then this is where you should be spending your diving vacation. Some of the popular dive spots around the island include:
• Barracuda Point
• Coral Gardens
• Drop Off
• Hanging Garden
• Lobster Lair
• Midreef
• South Point
• Staghorn Crest
• Turtle Patch
• Turtle Tomb
• West Ridge
• White-tip Avenue
There’s a reason why the place is called the Drop Off. Imagine just kneeling down in shallow water and looking straight down into the abyss 600 meters away at the edge. Really scary and exciting at the same time! During your dives at the Drop Off, you might see (or maybe bump into, if you don’t see where you are going) a couple of Manta Rays playing nearby.
Chances are very good that you will encounter a big swirling school of thousands of chevron barracudas and also see packs of patrolling grey reef sharks at Barracuda Point. If you are lucky, you can spot the largest shark species, the Whale Shark gliding by in the current off South Point during its migration.
Encounter a living wall of hundreds of Hammerhead Sharks rising like ghosts from the deep, glowing in the open blue water at the Hanging Gardens.
In the course of your dive vacation, you will also likely come across a glinting and shimmering rolling ball of hundreds of jacks, a herd of very large giant bump head parrotfish grazing on the reef top, scores of white tip reef sharks, and at least a dozen or so turtles of two different species: the Hawksbill Turtle and the Green Turtle.
Useful Travel Tips
The climate here in Malaysia is tropical. Average temperatures are about 32° C in the lowlands and 21° C in the highlands. Thus be sure to bring warm weather clothing.
The currency used here is the Malaysian Ringgit (RM). Travellers cheques and foreign currencies can be changed for Malaysian Ringgit at banks, hotels and registered money exchangers. Most hotels charge a nominal fee for currency conversion.
Major credit and charge cards include:
• Visa
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Diners Club
Banking hours are from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm from Mondays to Fridays.The Standard Malaysian Time (local time) here is +8 GMT. Electrical outlet here is 220V AC with rectangular blades type outlets. Bahasa Malaysia is the national language here. However, English and Mandarin are also widely spoken.
Entry Requirements.
To start your scuba diving vacation here, you will need the following for your entry requirements into Malaysia.
• A valid passport (and visa wherever applicable) is required.
• A Social or Tourist Visit Pass does not permit the holder to take up employment, business or professional work in Malaysia.
• The Business Visit Pass allows foreign visitors to enter the country for business negotiations or inspection of business premises. These passes however, cannot be used for employment purposes or for supervising the installation of new machinery or the construction of a factory.
• No fee is charged for a Business Visit Pass issued for a period of up to three months. A fee of RM5 is imposed for each month thereafter.
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