Dive Review of Kapalai in
Malaysia/Sipadan

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Kapalai: "Excellent Macro dives", Jun, 2019, by David W., Paris, FR ( Sr. Reviewer 7 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 11019.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We stayed at the Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort for 4 days, it was lovely with traditional-style wooden chalets surrounded by crystal clear waters, and hundreds of critters and pretty fish like Blue-spotted Rays, parrotfish and needlefish swimming right below your room. We dived at Sipadan twice, it was everything I’d expected and more as we got to see spectacular Pelagics like white tip Reef Sharks, huge schools of Jacks and Bumphead parrotfish and Longfin Bannerfish. The visibility here was anywhere between 50-90ft, except it got a bit cloudy around the parrotfish with their sandy poop! We dived at Mabul a few times which has natural and artificial reefs teeming with weird macro critters, Nudibranchs, schools of colourful fish, Blue-spotted Rays, Ribbon Eels, Cuttlefish and Pipefish etc. We also dived around the Kapalai House Reef below our chalets once and it was unexpectedly amazing. This artificial reef was full of gorgeous reef fish, Eels, Nudibranchs, sweetlips and even Sting Rays and Giant Groupers etc. The dive centre was well-run and kept diving tours to 5-7 people with no depth limits. It was strange having an armed guard onboard with us, but we did feel safe wherever we went. The resort and dive centre aren’t set up to accommodate photographers, but I was able to hire a private guide so I could do underwater photography. Many of the guests were Chinese Non-divers who come here for snorkelling so the dive boats weren’t crowded which was great, but the reviews I’ve seen about their behaviour were spot-on as they would rush madly to the buffets at mealtimes, and even though there was plenty for everyone, they’d literally grab all the food like it was going to run out!
Websites	Kapalai [same]
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Philippines Thailand Indonesia Red Sea
Closest Airport	Tawau airport	Getting There	Tawau to Semporna via minivan Semporna to Mabul island.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	26-29°C / 79-84°F	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-90 Ft/ 15-27 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	Diving at Sipadan requires 15 logged dives.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Kapalai in Malaysia/Sipadan

Kapalai: "Excellent Macro dives", Jun, 2019,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Kapalai in
Malaysia/Sipadan