A Short History of the Island

Despite the fact that the Sipadan diving sites are extremely popular as tourist attractions, not many people know all the details about this beautiful Malaysian island.

It has been visited for many decades by people from all over the world, who wanted to see the pristine beauty of its wildlife and marine life. The increased attention however did not come without consequences. The ecosystem of the island has become unstable and some of the many species that it had housed over the years had become endangered.

Fortunately, many important steps have been taken over the years to protect this sensitive ecosystem. In 1933 the Sipadan islands were turned into a bird sanctuary and, in the 1960’s, important steps were taken towards protecting turtle eggs from being sold or traded. After the 1990’s it was discovered that building too many resorts started deteriorating the reefs. This is the main reason why the resorts were later closed and the Sipadan diving areas became considerably less accessible.

In 2004, the island became a national park in the hope of preserving the natural heritage for as long as possible.

The Coral Reefs

Corals are the rainforests of the oceans. When considering marine life, many people simply think about the large variety of fish or sea mammals, but few are able to see the true value and beauty of coral reefs.

In many places in the world, including some of the islands of Malaysia, the reefs have been greatly damaged in the past few years, resulting in the loss of many rare species which depended on their integrity and structure.

Because of the vital measures taken to restrict the access to the Sipadan diving sites, the coral reefs of the island have been much better protected from humans. This is why, despite global warming and other problems, the corals are now able to grow more freely and provide sustenance to the myriad species of fish that inhabit it.

The Unique Species of the Island

There are over 3000 species of fish of all shapes and sizes inhabiting this beautiful underwater paradise.

Hundreds of small, colored species, like clown fish or butterfly fish, move around the coral reefs, attracting medium or even larger species like reef sharks or hammerheads. In many of the Sipadan diving spots, one can become mesmerized by the beautiful colors of all these species, some of which can also be rather shy and sensitive. Lion fish or frog fish as well as many other types of marine life can only be seen at night.

Eels and jellyfish also appear at times, adding to the unique diversity of the natural habitat; but perhaps the most fascinating animals are the turtles. Although there are many species of turtles, the Green turtles are the most abundant. Because of their large number, it becomes difficult to believe that most of these species are endangered.

It is clear that the huge efforts made to preserve this wonderful natural heritage were all worth it. The Sipadan diving sites have some of the most beautiful and diverse species of marine life in the world and, hopefully, they will remain that way for a long time to come.