Pulau Sipidan

What can I say?

Best diving ever?
Coolest diving ever?
Friendliest turtles ever?
Most sharks ever?

Pulau Sipidan, located off the east coast of Borneo somewhere in between the Philippines and Indonesia, did not disappoint. Photos? None. Tall tales? Hahaha, plenty. I'll just say, while waiting at the surface before the first dive even started, 3 turtles surfaced, there was a school of bumperhead parrot fish just below (yes, a school, not just one), another large school of fishies, and a 3 reef sharks. Below them, a huge reef teaming with marine life of all kinds. But the best part of all, the edge of the reef forms a wall plummeting a staggering 600ish meters straight down! There's nothing like descending 25 m down the edge of a vertical wall made of coral and still not being able to see the bottom.

I did a total of 6 dives in Sipidan, which ranged from good to absolutely amazing. If i ever become a divemaster/instructor, this is the place I'm coming back to!

The only story i'll regale my readers with involves my final dive (writing about Sipidan really is pointless, pictures i think also are worthless, nothing could possibly can capture the amazing scenery and experience I had there). The dive site is known as Turtle Tomb (18 m below the surface), an underwater cave in which turtles sometimes get lost and drown before then can reach the surface. Now, like i've said countless times, i've been to caves before. Water caves, pretty caves, hell, even the world's largest cave (still at the top of my list mind you). But there is something very special about an underwater cave. Many people say diving is like floating/flying, and i have to admit, it really feels like that when you swim into a cave! I had no idea it would be sooo cool! Really, you literally fly into it! You can poke around the roof, you can chill and the bottom, you can even just float in the middle of it upside down. That was a seriously wicked experience. Can't wait to find another cave.

Anyways, no more writing about Sipidan. If you dive, you have to go. That's it.

-bk