The Fame of the Island Throughout the Years

The first attempts of diving in Sipadan were made in 1983, when Borneo divers began exploring the beautiful island, its coral reefs and marine life. The island was of course well known even before that, but not on a global scale.

This changed when a famous French adventurer and navy officer named Jacques-Yves Cousteau decided to make a film based on footage he made around the most important sites of the island. The film was named "The Ghost of the Sea Turtle" and it quickly became a great success, bringing recognition to the turtles as well as the rest of the marine life. The title was inspired by the many sea turtle skeletons that Cousteau discovered during his dives.

Almost like the work of Providence, the turtles that were protected for so many years gradually attracted the global fame that the island deserved. Its popularity evolved to the extent that, in less than 10 years from the first attempts of diving in Sipadan, 5 resorts were already built on the island; and the number of divers was still growing.

Present Facts

Today the island has become a true legend in the eyes of divers all over the world. Tens of thousands of visitors flock to see the pristine natural beauty that has made it so popular everywhere. Most of them are foreigners who gather eagerly from all corners of the Earth, some to see the diversity of the marine life and others to observe the wildlife or simply enjoy the smooth sandy beaches of the island.

Most of the divers who have the privilege to go diving in Sipadan admit to the fact that the footage or photos that they had seen only transmitted a very small part of the actual experience that they had during their dives.

Since the year 2000, with the new limitations that were imposed on the island in order to protect the ecosystem, the number of tourists has decreased. This slowly created a mysterious atmosphere surrounding the island. Sipadan is now seen more like a rare jewel, shrouded in mystery, which is only accessible to a select number of people who are fortunate enough to get close to it.

Diving in Sipadan– Healing the Mind

It has become very clear lately that pristine natural places are not only there for entertainment or educational purposes; this beautiful Malaysian island has long ago been regarded as a truly magical place where people can connect more closely with nature.

Our bodies and minds were created to be just as natural and clean as the untouched coral reefs and clear sea water that surrounds the island. Because of the disconnection from nature that has occurred in the past hundred years, people have become more and more diseased and stressed. It is no wonder then, that simply spending a little time on the sand or in the water can have such a powerful soothing and healing effect on the body and mind.

This feeling of reconnection with nature is quite possibly the most important reason why diving in Sipadan and in other similar places in the world will always remain a very popular activity.