Barracuda Point
On Sipadan's north coast, divers can end up in the middle of a swirling vortex of chevron or blacktail barracuda.
- Advanced
- Wall
- Grey reef sharks
Advanced≤30 m
Mandarin Valley (Kapalai)
Dive site in Sipadan & Semporna, Malaysia
A Kapalai coral slope down to a small boat wreck at 18 m, where mandarinfish dance at dusk.
- Max depth
- 18 m
- Level
- Advanced
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
The dive
A macro and wreck dive. Known for ghost pipefish and mandarinfish.
Who it's for
Advanced≤30 mSource: diveplannerpro.com
Recommended minimum: Advanced (PADI Advanced Open Water, N2).
Conditions
- Dive type
- Macro, Wreck
- Environment
- Open water
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Ghost pipefish
- Mandarinfish
Season in Sipadan & Semporna
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Apr–Oct.
Source: zubludiving.comWhere is Sipadan & Semporna?
The point shows the Sipadan & Semporna area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Sipadan & Semporna
Artificial reef
down to 18 m
Seaventures Dive Rig (Mabul)
Piles of metal rods under the Seaventures rig hide frogfish in red, yellow and black at 12–17 m.
- Open Water
- Frogfish
Drift
down to 16 m
Cleaning Station (Kapalai)
A gentle drift down a coral slope from 5 to 16 m that operators call ideal for beginners.
- Open Water
Reef
down to 22 m
Coral Garden
Called a haven for the underwater photographer, with dozens of green turtles at 5–10 m.
- Advanced
- Turtles
Wall
down to 40 m
Drop Off
A short stroll from the beach, the reef drops off into a 600 m underwater abyss lined with fans, corals and sponges.
- Advanced
- Trevally
Wall
down to 40 m
Hanging Gardens Sipadan
A wall that descends to a terrace at about 70 m before plunging into the abyss, draped in pastel soft corals.
- Advanced
- Sharks
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.
Photo credits
- Barracuda Point dive site, Sipadan / Semporna, Chen Wu from Shanghai, China, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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