Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Mar–Jun · Moderate current · 27–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest Apr)
- Current
- Moderate
- Water temperature
- 27–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest Apr)
- Visibility
- 15–40m: ~15–40m, best (often over 40m) in the calm spells of March–July.
- Experience
- Advanced Open Water is required for Sipadan (a Sabah Parks rule since 2022), with a maximum of four divers per guide; current and the deep wall at Barracuda Point and South Point…
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | destination closed |
| December | commonly seen |
The jack tornado at Barracuda Point, present year-round (Sipadan closed in November).
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | destination closed |
| December | commonly seen |
Big schools cruise the reef top at dawn (Sipadan closed in November).
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | destination closed |
| December | commonly seen |
Common on the reef and wall year-round (Sipadan closed in November).
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | destination closed |
| December | commonly seen |
The chevron-barracuda tornado at Barracuda Point schools year-round (Sipadan closed in November).
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
Barracuda Point
Barracuda Point: A resident chevron-barracuda tornado and a bigeye-trevally school.
5–40m · Strong current
Coral Garden
Coral Garden: A shallow hard-coral garden, macro-friendly.
5–20m · Mild current
Hanging Gardens
Hanging Gardens: Overhanging soft corals down the wall.
10–40m · Moderate current
See all 8 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to TWU. Typical trip $–$$.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight.
Airport options
TWU
Tawau Airport
Then a ~1.5 hour road transfer to Semporna and a ~60 minute boat to Sipadan/Mabul
Typical trip cost
$–$$
under $2,000 to $2,000–4,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- A budget Semporna/Mabul trip (about 3 days, 2 nights including one Sipadan day) starts around $465; mid and upper resorts on Mabul or Kapalai run roughly $725 for 3 days/2 nights up to ~$2,175 for 8 days/7 nights.
- On top of the package, non-Malaysians pay a Sipadan diving permit (~RM 350) plus a conservation fee (~RM 100) per person for each Sipadan day, and resorts require a minimum stay (usually 3 nights) to qualify for a permit.
Permit or park fee
What you pay
diving permit ~RM 350/day plus a conservation fee ~RM 100/day (Malaysians ~RM 250 + RM 50)
resorts also levy a per-person Sipadan-day charge. Fees are rising: confirm at booking.
How it works
A daily permit cap is allocated to licensed resorts (roughly six permits per resort per day, distributed to guests on rotation). The exact daily total has changed and sources disagree: historically about 120–180 divers, reportedly expanded to around 250 total permits (divers plus snorkellers) in 2025. Confirm with your resort. Two dives per day per diver at Sipadan is the current norm. The island is closed the whole of November.