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The late
Jacques Cousteau, the world-renowned oceanographer,
described Sipadan Island as ‘an untouched piece of art’,
while divers around the world voted it as one of the top
five dive sites in the world.
Malaysia’s
only oceanic island, it is very small – only 12ha. in
size. A 25-minute walk is all that is required to circle
the island on foot. As an oceanic island, it rises about
700 metres from the sea floor, attracting diverse marine
life from the blackness of the open sea. Surrounded by
crystal clear waters, this crown jewel is a treasure
trove of some of the most amazing marine animals.
Declared
a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the Colonial Government of
North Borneo and re-gazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian
Government, the dense vegetation on Sipadan Island
supports a large variety of tropical birds which include
sea eagles, kingfishers, sunbirds, starlings and wood
pigeons. Exotic crustaceans including the amazing
coconut crab roam the beaches and scurry among the
undergrowth.
When
diving here, encounters with turtles, resident schools
of jacks, bumphead parrotfish and barracudas are almost
assured around the tiny coral island. |
