Scuba diving and snorkelling

When accommodation facilities closed down on Sipadan, many divers started using Mabul as their base to explore Sipadan’s underwater paradise. Sipadan is nothing less than a legend in diving circles, and most will tell of the giant schools of barracuda, abundance of turtles and the sharks that they have spotted here. Read more about diving in Sipadan.

Mabul offers an entirely different experience and is equally famous for it. Muck diving is a term used for diving in shallow, sandy areas with limited visibility. What makes it attractive is the abundance of tiny, exotic sea life, or macro life as these kinds of creatures are also called. Diving in Mabul, often just off the jetty at the house reef is unparalleled in this regard.

Have an encounter with the bizarre side of underwater life, with species like multicoloured nudibranches, pipefish, ribbon and snake eels, devil scorpionfish, stonefish, mantis shrimps, mandarin fish, frogfish, seahorses and crocodile fish all to be found here.
For those that are not taking the plunge into the depths, there is also some good snorkelling just off the jetty at Mabul. Snorkelling gear can be rented from the resorts.

If all the divers’ talk about the wonders of the deep become too much to bear, however, you can easily sign up for a four-day Open Water scuba diving course, or a one-day Discover Scuba Diving course and experience it for yourself. Diving here is ideal for beginners.