Pulau Sipadan is renowned
internationally for its untouched mesmerising natural beauty. It is here that
one if the richest marine habitats can be found, housing over 3000 species of
fish and coral species. Sipadan lies five degrees north of the equator in the
Sulawesi Sea and lies 35km south from mainland Sabah.
Like many tropical islands around the world, Sipadan is thickly forested and surrounded by stunning white beaches. Sipadan is an oceanic island that was formed by living corals growing atop an extinct undersea volcano that rose 600m from the seabed.
Like many tropical islands around the world, Sipadan is thickly forested and surrounded by stunning white beaches. Sipadan is an oceanic island that was formed by living corals growing atop an extinct undersea volcano that rose 600m from the seabed.
Above water, the island is a covered in lush jungle and home to tropical birds such as kingfishers, sea-eagles, sunbirds, starlings and wood pigeons. There are also fruit bats and monitor lizards and at nightfall a turtle may come to lay her eggs on the beach while coconut crabs scurry into the water at the slightest sound. It was declared a bird sanctuary as early as 1933 and in 2004, all accommodation facilities on Sipadan were closed to further protect this pristine natural treasure.