Pretty much immediately after arriving we were scheduled for 2 dives.
We did have just enough time to drop off our things, grab some food from the lunch buffet before we had to go and get our gear from the hut on the jetty.
Diving at Sipadan island itself was strictly regulated and you needed to pay for a special license to dive there. The deal that we had hurriedly arranged a few weeks back was inclusive of one day diving at Sipada - but that would be tomorrow. On that day we would just be diving at sites around Mabul itself.
The first site was stingray city, where I saw 0 stingrays, but did see a few clownfish. The other site was a more interesting. I saw a frog fish for the first time - it was a freaky looking thing. There was also a baracuda protecting a sunken rowing boat that was being engulfed by coral; a turtle and more clownfish. The visibility was brilliant and both dives were thoroughly enjoyable. The evening we decided not to go too crazy and spoil the next day’s Sipadan dives, which was the whole reason we were there. But we did have a few drinks, and got to know some of the other guests: Cassie Crosby from Tazmania, Johnny Keely who was a diving instructor working in KK, and a few others. I remember talking about how I had enjoyed my dives. I learned that the local Mabul sites were supposedly not as amazing as those around Sipadan. So as the evening drew on I became increasingly excited!
We did have just enough time to drop off our things, grab some food from the lunch buffet before we had to go and get our gear from the hut on the jetty.
Diving at Sipadan island itself was strictly regulated and you needed to pay for a special license to dive there. The deal that we had hurriedly arranged a few weeks back was inclusive of one day diving at Sipada - but that would be tomorrow. On that day we would just be diving at sites around Mabul itself.
The first site was stingray city, where I saw 0 stingrays, but did see a few clownfish. The other site was a more interesting. I saw a frog fish for the first time - it was a freaky looking thing. There was also a baracuda protecting a sunken rowing boat that was being engulfed by coral; a turtle and more clownfish. The visibility was brilliant and both dives were thoroughly enjoyable. The evening we decided not to go too crazy and spoil the next day’s Sipadan dives, which was the whole reason we were there. But we did have a few drinks, and got to know some of the other guests: Cassie Crosby from Tazmania, Johnny Keely who was a diving instructor working in KK, and a few others. I remember talking about how I had enjoyed my dives. I learned that the local Mabul sites were supposedly not as amazing as those around Sipadan. So as the evening drew on I became increasingly excited!
