pyramid butterfly fish greet the divers along the wall. Currents that sweep the valley section of the site attracts school of batfish, white tip sharks resting at the sandy bottom, barracudas, jacks, turtles, hammerhead sharks, grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus Andlyrhynchos) and or even the leopard shark (Stegostoma Fafciatum) at the valley pass.

As you ascend from the 18m depth of the valley to the gentle slopes at the side you can observed garden eels, triggerfish and even exceptional macro marine animals like the leaf-fish, frogfish, blennies, mantis shrimps and numerous nudibranchs.

Here, chances are usually good to sight big animals like manta rays, leopard sharks, Napoleon wrasses, groupers and kaleidoscope of smaller reef fish.  Assuming you are diving with the wall on your left, you will come across sea fans and sea whip corals at 25m depth.  You might also encounter a school of jacks prior to cloud of dark mass approaching i this is the largest school of barracudas to be seen anywhere.

The school usually swims against the current, and if approached cautiously, will permit divers to swim alongside.  Further along the sloping wall about 25m is a ledge with coral rubble, where white tip sharks and leopard sharks rest on the bottom.  If you dive this spot often and at the right time, you may chance upon observing the mating ritual of white tip sharks.

As the name suggests, this pretty dive site has a profusion of colourful soft corals; some shape like cauliflower plants and even grape-like shapes growing from under hangs along the wall.  The reef top begins at about 6m and plunges steeply to the depths.  here, you will encounter colourful crowd of reef fish such as butterfly fish, angel fish, squirrel fish, box fish and lots of nudibranchs.  Friendly sweetlips and groupers will curiously check out divers, great for underwater photography.

Small ledges encountered usually have small shrimps wedget between bubble coral, fire tail gobis darting about their burrows and the occasional lobster peering out between crevices.  As the site is located on the western part of the island, dives should be in the afternoon, with better sunlight penetration.  The soft corals come alive and extend their body size by almost three times when currents sweep the reef.  Providing a breathtaking you.

A signboard is also erected at the entrance of the Turtle Cavern providing further warning, so a curious diver won't end his stay in the cavern.  However, visits into the cavern can be arranged with qualified divemaster leading 3 divers at a time.

A cave diving certification is offered for the adventurous who wish to explore the labyrinths.  The dive begins along the wall of the drop-off and descends to about 20m.  Depth in the cavern is about 21m, and you find the various connecting cavern rise to less than 4m from the surface. 

You will notice skeletal remains of perished turtles scattered randomly on the silty cavern floor.  There is even the remains of what was once an egg-carrying female turtle. No coral growth is observed in the cavern.  The only life forms are schools of silver sweepers, soldier fish and the flashlight fish.

Accommodation is no longer allowed on the island.  However, divers can still experience the wonders of Sipadan on day trips from nearby Pulau Mabul.

Pulau Sipadan is reached by flight from Sabah's capital, Kota Kinabalu, then a connecting flight to Tawau, followed by a 2½ hour drive to Semporna and finally 1 hour fast catamaran boat transfer to the island.  To avoid disappointment, prior bookings must be made.