Sipadan 2007
We left LCCT on the 23rd March via Air Asia with a direct flight to Tawau. We reached Tawau at about 8pm meeting up with our fellow buddies from JB/Singapore who only reached there half an hour earlier after being delayed for 5 hours in JB. After a brief introduction, we hopped into a coach which took us directly to Semporna. The hotel, Seafest Hotel, looks new and was comfortable enough. Most of us were happy with the accomodation. Dinner was at a nearby restaurant where for the first time in my life, the staff including the owner went home immediately after serving our food. We actually paid for the meal even before the meal was served. A walk around Semporna, took us to a grocery shop where many purchased their much needed daily “nourishment”
The next day, we lavished our tastebuds with an acceptable breakfast and waited for them to load our luggages into the boat. Thus the trip begins. 2 boats to ferry the 23 expectant divers to SeaVentures Dive Oil Rig for a 4 days of diving frenzy.
Frenzy it was as much as exciting as firstly there were 23 of us, then most of us were photograpers, some of us haven’t had a dive recently and furthermore the excitement.
Well, I suppose only the pictures can say the million words which fail me. I as usual was in awe and my heart is still swimming in Sipadan at 35m below the sea.
The art of camouflage
Do you see the animal?
This 1cm to 2cm creature called Pygmy Seahorse almost cost my life!
What about this?
The eye and eyelashes of the crocodile fish above
Harlequin Ghost Pipe Fish
Sea Squirts in a flower
A blenny in a bottle
Reef sharks hunting
Bumphead Parrotfish at a cleaning station
The only reason that can make me wake up at 5am to catch these giants playing in their cleaning station.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:12 am
The pygmy seahorse is lovely, at which dive site did you see it ? I dived just below the seaventures rig a long time back all the poisonous fish live under it…..
April 3rd, 2007 at 3:25 pm
From the photo you posted , looks like diving is still predominantly a male sport?
April 3rd, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Hi anil, the pygmy seahorse was under the seaventures oil rig. I personally feel that the quality of muck diving in Mabul and Kapalai is getting better, but the pellagics in Sipadan is dying.
Just me, true it is still predominantly a male sport but many women are taking it up. Most classes nowadays have more women then men.
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:42 pm
I was working in Tawau so it was easy for me to go to Semporna and do day trips, frankly even at that time about 5 years back I never enjoyed the dives in Sipadan. The site just under the seaventures rig really amazed me because I saw a few lion fish, stone fish, crocodile fish and a frog fish and not to mention a few eels and now with the pygmy seahorse there, I’ve to go back for a dive. Until now I thought I will only be able to see it in Manado!! One place, my personal favourite is Roach Reefs Resort, it is off Tawau, it is a man made island with a resort on it. I love to see nudibranchs and that’s one place with lots of them and lots of macro there. They also have a visiting whale shark, I havent see it though.
April 4th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Thanks anil. Perhaps I will check this place out the next time i go there. Do you take pictures?
April 4th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Yes but still very amatuer, I use a sony DSCP-7 , actually I am very curious to know what camera do you use? I emailed my dive instructor in Tawau, he’s an Austrian guy and he told me that the pygmy seahorse is very commonly sighted in Mabul and few other nearby islands. He says that they were always there but before this they were busy looking for mantas and sharks so they didn’t specifically look for it. Everyone’s initially excited about sharks and turtles but I guess after diving for some time you’ll want to get a camera and go for the macro. Actually I haven’t dived for 2 1/2 years, last was at Roach Reefs, so hope to make a trip in June. Hopefully we can make a trip one day… one place I really want to go to one day is west off the coast of Kerala, Lashadweep Islands, pictures look lovely.
April 5th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Well I use a Canon A620 with a YS 110 strobe.
Pygmy seahorse is suppose to be more common than what was thought.
Wow 2 1/2 years is long. Bro how can tahan? Have you heard of Malaysia Diving Community? Well it is a hub for divers and at present have 930 registered members.
Any links to the kerala dive site?
April 5th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Actually, I’m doing my masters in O&G in USM, been to perhentian, but after sabah, I didn’t like it much there anyway final year now, gonna finish soon and then continue my diving adventures…. Only one operator based in Mumbai there on Lakshadweep (http://www.lacadives.com) . To go there is another story, you can take a boat from Kochi which takes 15 hrs or fly…… and Yes, I’m also a Malyalee and have for relatives in Kochi so that’s another reason which makes it easier for me to go there one day….
I’ll check out the Malaysia Diving Community too. This is my dive instructors website, I’m sending you this because it has a map of all the islands in the east coast of sabah.
(http://www.northborneo.net) My open water was in Sibuan, water there is clearer than that in a swimming pool ! One more thing I wont forget was when i was doing my deep dive for the advanced open water, suddenly there was a very loud explosion, I thought someone’s tank had just blown!, but actually it was a fish bomb which went off some distance away!
April 6th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Wow lakshadweep looks good
Thanks
May 26th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
[…] I was in the newspaper! A local daily - Utusan, written by another diver, Hazlan, about the trip to Sipadan. Thanks […]
June 9th, 2007 at 1:43 am
Have you tried diving here in the Philippines?