It is when diving the reefs of Lankayan that brings out a full appreciation of the richness of the conservation area. On most dives, one can observe schools of different species of fusiliers, snappers, groupers,and sea bass, reef sharks, rays, hunting jacks, yellow tailed barracuda and the famous endemic jawfish, many types of gobies, the ghost pipefish, frogfish and many more.
Many of the rare species touted in Sulawesi Sea are found here also, thus making Lankayan a prime dive destination. Diving here can be considered to be a combination of reef and muck, and one can be happy with the show put up by numerous schools of different pelagic species or be satisfied by the many benthic bottom dwellers, a giant jawfish perhaps.
Diving the many sites around the island is only a matter of a few minutes' boat ride away. Dives are usually conducted at a patch reef, where one drops off the dive boat and descend to maximum of 30 meters to the seabed.
By the conclusion of the dive, the observant diver would have seen many different species of fish and other creatures of the sea, and many different coral species competing for space on the reef. The lucky group would also have encountered the large leopard shark, or nurse shark, or perhaps a school of feeding humphead wrasse.
There are also a number of small wrecks around the island. Most of these wrecks are over grown with majestic sea fans and it is most interesting to watch schools of jacks hunting fusiliers, or the large grouper trying to warn off intruding divers.
The resorts operates a dive facility and limited gear can be rented on a daily basis. All boat dives are guided, and buddied, but jetty dives can be done without a guide. Night dives can be arranged for those keen to do them.
SIPADAN KAPALAI DIVE RESORT
A few minutes by boat from the islands of Sipadan and Mabul but a full world away from them lies the exhilarating Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort, sitting on its sturdy stilts on [...]
