Sipadan · Malaysia · Cave & cavern
Turtle Tomb
A limestone labyrinth holding the bones of turtles that never found the exit
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
Turtle Tomb is the cave system inside the limestone column the island sits on: a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers whose floors hold skeletal remains of turtles, along with a dolphin and a marlin. The entrance opens at around 18 m and the dived sections run between 25 and 40 m. There is no current inside, and no direct way up once you are past the mouth.
Also known as Turtle Cavern, Turtle Cave.
Where it is and how deep
4.1195° N, 118.6298° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The mouth opens in the wall at around 18 m, and for anyone without cave training that is the whole dive: you hang at the entrance and look in. Going further is limited to divers with cave certification, cave equipment and a very experienced guide who knows the caves well, because what lies beyond is a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers rather than one open cavern, with passages running up to 200 m from the entrance and no direct ascent from any of it. There is no current in there.
The floor carries a thick layer of dust and it takes very little to lift it — one careless fin stroke turns a clear chamber into no visibility at all, with rock overhead and no direct ascent. That is the whole risk profile of this site, and it is why the qualification bar is set where it is. What divers come to see is on that floor: turtle skeletons scattered through the chambers, with a dolphin and a marlin skeleton among them. Moray eels and turtles are the usual live company around the entrance.
Background
The tomb lies underneath the limestone column that forms the island — an underwater cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers whose floors contain many skeletal remains. Most of the bones are turtles, and a dolphin and a marlin skeleton have been recorded inside as well. The accepted explanation is that the animals entered the system and could not find the way out again, and it is that accumulation of remains that gave the site its name.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
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.
Know before you go
- A thick layer of dust covers the cave floor and silts out the moment it is disturbed, leaving zero visibility under an overhead — cave training, a line and disciplined finning are the only answers.
- Tunnels run up to 200 m from the entrance, far beyond any direct ascent; divers without cave certification and a specialist guide stay at the mouth and look in.
Photos from Turtle Tomb
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Turtle Cavern - Turtle Tomb - Sipadan - Borneo diving HD - Jaskinia żółwi · Mariusz Gaertner on YouTube
Turtle Tomb in Sipadan Dec 04 · syamdive on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can any diver enter Turtle Tomb?+
No. Going inside is limited to divers with cave certification and cave equipment, accompanied by a very experienced guide, because passages run up to 200 m from the entrance and the dust on the floor can drop visibility to nothing. Other divers look in from the mouth at around 18 m.
Why are there skeletons in the cave?+
The remains are usually explained as animals that swam into the system and could not find the exit. Turtles make up most of the bones, and a dolphin and a marlin skeleton have also been recorded in the chambers.
Sources
- Turtle Tomb Dive Site – Map & Review — Divezone
- Diving Sites Malaysia - Sipadan Island — Dive The World
- Sipadan — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- A cluster of blue tube sponges on the reef near Turtle Tomb's entrance. by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A red coral hind grouper rests on an orange sponge near Turtle Tomb. by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A white and black nudibranch crawls over the reef near Turtle Tomb. by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A cock's comb oyster with a zigzag black mantle edge on the reef at Turtle Tomb. by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with sea turtlesBig animals · 15 min read
- Cave diving: what it takes and where to goCaves & caverns · 12 min read
- Cavern and cenote diving without cave trainingCaves & caverns · 8 min read
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