SCHOOLS IN SIPADAN

Cool dives at Sipadan this month. Although November ain't the best time to dive Sipadan cus of the cloudy sky and regular rain, it's low season now so you actually have better chance to get permits to Sipadan which allows you more daily dives. The weather obviously ain't that great with quite bad visibility around Mabul and Kapalai but hey, excellent dives at Sipadan. Visibility is okay, around 15 meters and the colder water increases chance of awesome stuff like the hammerhead sharks and manta ray. I missed the mantas, but still glad another group saw it, twice... (more info at the Paradise Log: http://paradise-log2.blogspot.com/2009/11/manta-ray-in-barracuda-point.html)

I did a few awesome dives with friends Eric and Wong, new friends Amy, Ng, Lai and my cousin Nick, we did a few okay dives at Mabul; the night dive was great though as we saw really big turtles swimming in the dark and the dives at Sipadan were spectacular.

From left: Nick, Ng, Lord Hardcore (lol), Wong, Lai, Amy and Eric.

For 3 days and 2 nights (without flights on the 3rd day, I can actually plan some serious number of dives with you folks:

Day 1:
1. Orientation dive at Paradise point, Mabul
2. Afternoon boat dive, Mabul/Kapalai
3. Before sunset self Dive at Paradise point, Mabul
4. Night dive at Paradise point, Mabul

Day 2:
5. Sipadan dawn dive
6. Sipadan morning dive
7. Third Sipadan dive
8. Afternoon self dive at Paradise point, Mabul
9. Sunset dive, Paradise point, Mabul

Day 3:
10. First boat dive Mabul/Kapalai or Si Amil/Denawan
11. Second boat dive Mabul/Kapalai or Si Amil/Denawan
Check out at 2pm after lunch.

Now that's what hardcore is about haha.

The schools of fishes in Sipadan are as awesome as usual. The most popular schools of fishes that everyone wants to see are the Barracudas, Bumphead parrotfish and the Jacks, and it is at Barracuda point you get to see the schools in a single dive (we did).







But that's not all. You will also be diving with a school of fusilers, banner fish and black snappers and if you dive at dawn, expect a lot of fish behavior like sharks and blue-fin trevally hunting prey. And if you were diving during low tide, there's a very big possibility that you can see a lot of turtles soaring the blue and some resting on the reef. At South point, rated as the second best dive site in Sipadan after Barracuda point, there's always a chance to sight schools of grey reef sharks and the bumpheads as well. So next time you dive at Sipadan and tired of Barracuda point yet wanting to see some schools of fishes, visit South point!