Plunging into the Barracuda tornado, blending into the school, and pushing forward together with the fish!
Sipadan — hailed as one of the world's top ten must-dive sites — has daily permits that are snapped up in seconds. But the moment you find yourself surrounded by barracuda, a wave of pure joy washes over you. Swimming through that swirling school of fish, I honestly couldn't tell whether the water in my mask was seawater or tears.
For those who love scuba diving, Sipadan (西巴丹) needs no introduction. Ranked among the world's top ten dive sites, it draws divers from every corner of the globe year after year. To protect the island's delicate ecosystem, the Malaysian government enforces a strict daily quota for visitors, and the reserve is also closed to the public for a rest period at the end of each year — giving this beautiful island a chance to breathe.
Where Is Sipadan?
Sipadan sits to the south of Semporna, surrounded by crystal-clear water. The boat ride takes roughly 60–90 minutes, making it noticeably farther than the other islands in the area. While other islands around Semporna — such as Mabul and Kapalai — have resorts where guests can stay overnight, Sipadan is the only one that does not allow tourists to stay on the island.
The red marker shows Sipadan — it's quite a bit farther than the other islands!
Sipadan is a small island — you can walk a full loop around it in about 30 minutes. It is Malaysia's only oceanic island, shaped somewhat like a mushroom cap. Near the shoreline, you'll find shallow coral reefs, but kick out just a little farther and the seabed drops away into sheer, bottomless walls.
Blue skies, turquoise water, white sand, and swaying palm trees — there's plenty of time during surface intervals to soak up the sun on the beach.
How Do You Get a Permit for Sipadan?
You can purchase a Sipadan package through a partnered dive shop or resort. Prices vary between operators. The cost of diving Sipadan has been climbing steadily over the past year — the Editor's booking this time came to 1,100 Malaysian Ringgit (approximately NT$7,700), inclusive of equipment, lunch, two dives, island dive fee, landing tax, jetty tax, and tourism tax. A few years ago, the same trip cost under 1,000 Ringgit and included three dives. My wallet still hasn't forgiven me 😂
The dive guide insisted we had to take a photo in front of the big driftwood log on Sipadan — apparently it's the spot for the perfect Instagram shot.
What to Know Before You Land on the Island
After arriving at Sipadan, you'll disembark and head ashore, where rangers will verify your identity one by one. Have your passport and dive certification ready for registration!
The rangers are thorough — every single diver's identity is checked carefully.
To protect Sipadan's ecosystem, the government has put a number of rules in place. Make sure to plan ahead — permits fill up fast!
- The daily visitor cap has been raised to 200 people (including scuba divers, freedivers, and snorkelers).
- Entry is restricted to divers holding an Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI cert) certification or above (proof required).
- A maximum of two scuba tanks per person per day.
- A passport must be presented on landing for identity verification (digital copies are accepted).
- The same dive site cannot be visited twice in one day.
- No more than 50 divers may be underwater at any one time.
- Gloves and reef hooks are strictly prohibited.
Read the rules carefully — the ban on gloves and reef hooks is especially important to remember.
Most of these rules are simply good diving practice that any responsible diver should already follow. The main ones to keep in mind are the bans on gloves and reef hooks — everything else should be second nature to any conscientious diver.
Rangers also patrol underwater on a regular basis, keeping an eye out for any rule-breakers — touching coral, handling marine life, and so on. Getting caught means a fine, and in serious cases we heard that violators can even be detained for questioning!
A Day at Sipadan
Since Sipadan is quite far from base, we headed to the dive shop first thing in the morning to collect our gear and set off early.
The Editor was impressed by how well-maintained the rental equipment was — everything looked practically new, with no worn-out or damaged pieces to be found. (Sometimes rental gear can be a real mess — torn here, cracked there, or even mouldy 😆)
Each piece of equipment is labelled with a size and a number — just remember your number and you won't mix it up with someone else's.
Once you've collected your gear, it all gets packed up into individual bags like this.
The dive boats in Semporna are small and fast — think speedboats. Space on board is tight, so when you arrive at a dive site you need to gear up and roll in quickly. If the boat captain spots a school of fish or a big pelagic and signals the go-ahead, you don't want to be the one fumbling with your BCD and missing the whole encounter.
Life jackets are mandatory on the boat at all times.
After clearing the identity check on the island, the dive guide gave us a general briefing on Sipadan and walked us through the dive plan for the day.
Here are the key points the Editor took away — worth sharing with everyone:
- No expectations, no disappointment — The dive guide made it clear that sightings of fish tornados or large pelagics are never guaranteed. Promising something that doesn't materialise would be embarrassing (though honestly, the chances of missing out are pretty slim).
- There will be current — push through it — The guide said with a casual smile that there's always current here, and that's what makes it exciting. When you hit a current, just kick hard and you'll get through it. (Sure… I felt like I'd signed up for a triathlon.)
- Underwater rangers mean business — The guide stressed that Sipadan's patrol officers take their job seriously. They regularly go underwater in plain clothes to check for rule-breakers.
The dive guide giving a thorough briefing. The red flag at the bottom is issued to each boat — it must be returned when you head back to town after diving.
Today's lunch box — one vegetable dish, one meat dish, one serving of rice. The simplest local flavours, and absolutely delicious.
What Will You See Underwater?
Once everyone is on board, the captain begins scouting for whichever site looks most promising that day. Use that time to set up your gear so you're ready to jump in the moment the dive guide gives the signal.
In the rush of getting in the water, everyone descended quickly — and sure enough, we were greeted by a massive school of trevally. If you have trypophobia or a fear of swarms, the sight might send a shiver down your spine. The endless, rippling vortex of jacks was truly spectacular.
You really have to hand it to the captain — the moment we hit the water, we were surrounded by a colossal school of trevally.
Common sightings at Sipadan include: jaw-dropping trevally tornados, large humphead parrotfish foraging in the early morning, the iconic and breathtaking barracuda tornado, countless sea turtles, and charming Whitetip Reef Sharks. If you're lucky, the ever-popular Whale Shark is also a regular visitor here!
We spotted around three Whitetip Reef Sharks on this dive — they were just quietly resting on the bottom, as they usually do.
Sipadan's terrain is also wall diving, so always keep an eye on your depth when you're distracted by marine life — it's all too easy to follow an animal down deeper than you intended! When we actually came across the sharks, I didn't dare get too close — they may be relatively small, but there's something about that fierce-looking face that keeps you at a respectful distance!
A Whitetip Reef Shark gliding down into the deep.
Countless small fish joined us as we kicked against the current, chasing the tornado.
After chasing the Barracuda tornado, I genuinely felt like I had just competed in an athletic event. The current wasn't too bad at first, but as we closed in on the barracuda school it noticeably strengthened. The Editor was kicking with every ounce of energy just to push deeper into the action and experience it from the inside.
If barracuda were people, they'd definitely be the most ridiculously good-looking ones in the room.
Swimming side by side with the barracuda, I got a clear look at their faces — those large, round eyes, slender bodies, and skin that seemed to shimmer and reflect light like a mirror. Absolutely stunning. That moment is etched into my memory forever. Every bit of effort spent chasing the barracuda against the current was worth it. So the next time you're up against a strong current, don't give up easily — push through, and the most magnificent sights await you on the other side.
Some of the other divers who surfaced later told us they had kicked and kicked but just couldn't make any headway, and eventually let the current take them away without reaching the tornado 😂
They call Sipadan "God's Aquarium" — but after that dive, I'd say it's more like God's Gymnasium. My legs were absolutely done.
Semporna also has plenty of batfish, though they're a bit shyer than the ones at Green Island's Steel Reef. They move in big, rolling groups with those big, round eyes — endlessly soothing to watch.
It was only when I looked at the photo afterward that I noticed two sea turtles in the background!
A goofy little Clownfish staring right at us.
Beyond the incredible marine life, Sipadan's coral is simply overwhelming — vast, towering formations covering every surface, including enormous fields of staghorn coral. With sunlight filtering down through the water and washing over it all, just floating there and taking it in is pure bliss. Moments like this are what make being a diver the greatest gift.
"Coral everywhere you look" — that phrase was made for this place!
An enormous rose coral.
The Editor's Sipadan Takeaways
The Editor loves the diving atmosphere in Southeast Asia — everyone gets lively together, singing along, generously sharing food and swapping shots of the beautiful photos from the dive. Both of today's dives at Sipadan clocked in at around 53 minutes, with depths of approximately 22–25m, water temperature above 28°C, and visibility of around 15m — a touch lower than usual.
Still, spotting the tornado and the sharks was more than enough to make it a perfect day! 😄 I'd spent years seeing photos and videos of fish tornados online, so when the real thing appeared right in front of me, the excitement and emotion were truly beyond words. Yes, fighting the current is exhausting — but hold on, and you'll find yourself swimming alongside the fish, even slipping inside the school and moving with them, wrapped in that incredible feeling of being completely surrounded.
The very first thing you do back on the boat — tear open the snacks.
Further Reading
