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A giant manta ray glides through open blue water at South Point off Sipadan island.

Sipadan · Malaysia · Coral garden · Wall

Coral Garden

Dozens of green turtles feeding along the edge of the wall

Area photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0

Coral Garden is a stretch of healthy, varied coral growth in the shallows on top of Sipadan's wall, where almost every species seen around the island turns up. Gentle currents and calm surface conditions allow long, unhurried dives, which makes it a site for photographers, for both macro and wide-angle work.

Also known as Coral Gardens.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Coral Garden: typical dive 14–22 m (46–72 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit14 m22 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

No published position for this site — the map shows Sipadan and its other sites; operators know the mooring.

The dive

The dive spends its time over the coral shallows on top of the wall, with the drop-off always beside it; the site's listed depth runs from 14 to 22 m. Between 5 and 10 m, dozens of green turtles feed along the edges of the wall and featherstars cling to almost every turn of the reef, while humphead wrasse are a reliable sighting.

Marine life and season

  • Sea turtles
  • Napoleon wrasse
Month-by-month season rating for Coral Garden
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodFairGoodGoodGoodFair

Season follows Sipadan: Diving runs all year; March to May brings the calmest seas and clearest water, while wind and rain can cloud it from December to February and in August.

Dive videos

Sipadan Coral Garden · LongAdventure OS on YouTube

Questions divers ask

Is Coral Garden a calm dive at Sipadan?+

Yes. Currents here are gentle and surface conditions calm, so dives at Coral Garden run long.

Sources

  1. Sipadan dive sites — PulauMabul.com
  2. Sipadan Island diving sites — Dive The World
  3. Dive sites — Seaventures

More dive sites in Sipadan

Wall

Barracuda Point

Thousands of barracuda wheeling into a tornado that darkens the sun

10–22 madvanced

Wall

Hanging Gardens

Soft coral in pastel lemon and antique rose, and turtles by the dozen

10–25 madvanced

Wall

Lobster Lair

Lobsters, frogfish and pipefish on a deep macro wall

25–40 madvanced

Wall

Mid Reef

Packs of bumphead parrotfish, sometimes 40 strong, grazing the table corals

5–40 madvanced

Wall

North Point

Twenty or more grey reef sharks off the ridge on a single dive

12–25 m · max 40 madvanced

Wall

South Point

The deep corner, where rare hammerheads pass at 40 m and beyond

25–40 madvanced

Wall

Staghorn Crest

A cracked deep wall under a shallow coral garden

25–40 madvanced

Wall

The Drop Off

Barracuda massing on a wall with no bottom in sight

25–40 madvanced

Similar dives elsewhere

Coral garden

Paradise Gardens

Anda · Philippines

A resident colony of 20 to 40 turtles on one small stretch of reef

2–20 mbeginner

Coral garden

Giant Clams Sanctuary

Anda · Philippines

A protected coral garden at 5–10 m above a canyon wall

5–30 mintermediate

Coral garden

Casulian Reef

Siargao · Philippines

Dense, well-preserved hard coral cover on an easy, relaxed reef

5–18 mbeginner

Coral garden

Chanarian Reef

Batanes · Philippines

Hawksbill turtles and clownfish colonies on a shore-entry house reef

5–18 mbeginner