The Paradise of Diving !

Mabul and Kapalai Island, Semporna

The island of Mabul and Kapalai are other places that show people the beauty of Sabah.

Mabul Island is a 20 minute boat ride from Sipadan Island. Closer to the mainland, it houses a military base, large sea gypsy village and a few dive resorts. Uniquely, the underwater setting here is different from that of Sipadan Island.

Mabul Island is recognized as one of the world's best muck-diving sites, with one of the riches seas in exotic small marine life. Here you will see an intriguing array of reefs and more unusual creatures like mimic octopus, mandarin fish, snake eels, juvenile batfish, frog fish and razor fish.

Resort in Mabul Island

Mabul Island is home to the world's best "muck diving". "Muck diving" is an expression that was coined in Papua New Guinea to describe the diving to be had under a live board boat while it is on safe anchor for the night. Usually a protected inlet somewhere, the water underneath the boat is shallow and the bottom is either silt, sand, dead coral or clumps of dirty coral on a silt bottom. The visibility is almost always limited.

Mabul Island is the esteemed spot for macro photographers who came here to take in the bizarre sea life. Mabul is a definite magical macro site ever!

The beauty of mother nature in the sea

A few minutes by boat from the island of Sipadan and Mabul is Kapalai Island. The first place you can see is Kapalai Dive Rseort. Sitting on its sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of the Ligitan Reefs make our soul feel calm. Planned and built in full style as an airy, comfortable, sunny water village with no land in sught, it boasts a mile-long sandbank of powdery white sand where one can suntan at complete leisure while gazing out to the miles of brilliant turquoise stretching into the horizon offering the purest image of natural serenity.

Kapalai Island

Dive spots are extremely close and can be reached in just a few minutes by speedboat and some of them, actually, just by swimming from the dive centre pier. For those who are ready to venture more and aside from the tiny marvels of the macro life of Kapalai can, in just a few minutes, dive in Sipadan (where big fish and turtles abound) or in Mabul (where silky and muddy bottoms offer different and equally pleasant experience and opportunities to the lovers of "muck diving").

If you've never tried macro diving before, then you're in for a treat - what a place to start! Shore diving at Kapalai is FREE OF CHARGE, as is the wonderful snorkeling, where you can watch the spectacularly colourful mating mandarin fish, right under the resort jetty. It's easy to fall in love with macro diving when it's this simple!

Diving

With a combination of sun and water in a unique and serene setting, Kapalai is an ideal destination for diver and non-diver alike seeking a great holiday experience!

Resort in Kapalai Island

p/s: For non-divers, couples and newly-weds, Mabul Island or Kapalai island in Semporna, Sabah can be your one of the top list 'honeymoon destination' in Malaysia. ;)