Swim your way around the crystalline water of the Celebes Sea and share the exciting journey alongside your fellow travellers and roommates on an exploration under the sea.
As one of Sabah’s most iconic diving destination for locals and tourists alike, Mabul Island packs more of a punch than you would think it does. Arriving there, you will be welcomed with the fresh ocean breeze blowing past your cheeks and the salty taste of the ocean building up in the air. It gets better – you will also notice that your Mabul Island accommodation lies on the strong construct of a wooden platform extending into the sea. It feels like Venice – only this one is much closer to home. Looking further into the distance, you will notice that Mabul Island is also met with other small islands and diving destinations. To the southeast, you will see the Sipadan-Kapalai islet and resort, to the north is none other than the city of Semporna. For those with keen eyes, you may also notice the presence of a boat-shaped oil rig not too far away from Sipadan-Kapalai islet. Well, you will be surprised to know that it is actually a diving platform now. Aside from the stunning architecture in the surrounding area, the calm water of the Celebes Sea also hides the richness of the aquatic life under its azure blanket. Snorkel your way along the surface and behold the hidden beauty of the underwater world of Celebes Sea in this diving journey you are about to undertake.
On this adventure, you will get seven boat snorkelling trips to Mabul Island and Kapalai. Off the shores of Mabul Island, you can see the gently sloping coral reefs of the Eel garden, Ribbon valley, Stingray city, Lobster wall and Panglima. Corals thrive in abundance here and range in shapes, colours, sizes and textures. There is also an array of minute and colourful nudibranchs all along the way, and while snorkelling you may spot other marine life such as giant barracudas, moray eels, turtles and rays, and if you’re lucky enough you may even spot a whale shark!
Bobtail squids, blue-ringed octopi and mimic octopi are among the cephalopods that call the waters of Mabul Island their home, along with fellow crustacean residents like the harlequin and mantis shrimp, hairy squat lobsters and porcelain crabs. These pristine waters are also home to spikefin gobies, frogfish, stonefish, stargazers, devil scorpionfish, flying gurnards and various types of pipefish. If you look closely near sea plants, you may see some pygmy seahorses hanging around. The diversity of the marine life at Mabul Island is a sight to behold, and if you’re an underwater photographer, this location is perfect for you to document some of the rarest ecological species.
Kapalai, meanwhile, is no longer an island, but its beauty is not one to be dismissed either. Kapalai is a world-class diving destination but one can also appreciate what it has to offer by snorkelling. Giant potato groupers, bumphead parrot fish, shimmering fusiliers and schooling jackfish can be seen making their way through the calm underwater world as smaller fish like the mandarin fish and friendly batfish flit through corals. There are also wrecks that you can observe just below a shallow sloping reef on a sandy plateau, and many unique organisms like orangutan crabs, spider crabs and hyper-coloured nudibranchs make their home there.
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Refer to the map below to see a list of pick up location(s) that are available for you to choose from. You can select your desired pick up location when you book the tour.
List of Location(s):
Pick up is also available for other location(s) under the vicinity of Tawau. For more information, please contact Adventoro's concierge service.
Make use of Adventoro's complimentary concierge service by emailing info@adventoro.com to effortlessly plan your next adventure!
Visit Sabah, a rare gem in the Bornean chest, and experience its culture, conquer Mount Kinabalu or delve into its enchanting forests with our adventure tours.