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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Sipadan location page.
Overview
At Sipadan's southern tip the reef slopes from 5m before a second wall drops past recreational limits into open blue. Strong, shifting currents funnel pelagics along the edge - grey and whitetip reef sharks stalk schools of bigeye trevally while big green turtles queue at a cleaning station in the shallows. Bumphead parrotfish crunch the coral overhead, and below 40m lone scalloped hammerheads and thresher sharks sometimes cruise the depths. The pull of the current makes this a fast advanced drift, best ridden with a reef hook where the action stacks up.
Briefing note
Permit-controlled - Sabah Parks issues 176 Sipadan diver permits per day through licensed Mabul/Kapalai/Semporna operators, so book weeks ahead. Currents here are strong and can switch direction without warning; carry an SMB, consider a reef hook, and watch your depth - the hammerheads and threshers sit below recreational limits.
What you'll see
6 species curated- year-roundGrey reef shark
- year-roundWhitetip reef shark
- year-roundBigeye trevally
- year-roundGreen sea turtle
- year-roundBumphead parrotfish
- rareScalloped hammerheadPeak: Mar · Apr · May · Nov · Dec
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Feb | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Mar | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | strong |
| Apr | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | strong |
| May | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | strong |
| Jun | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Jul | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Aug | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Sep | 28–30 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Oct | 28–30 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Nov | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Dec | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- SMB + reel — Strong, shifting currents and a wall into deep water make blue-water drift exits the norm.
Next step
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