Sipadan · Malaysia · Wall · Drift
Whitetip Avenue
Sharks working a wall of black coral and sea fans
Area photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
Whitetip Avenue is a wall covered in black coral and sea fans, dived between 10 and 25 m with medium current and visibility past 30 m. The sharks are the point: whitetips and grey reef sharks work the face, with barracuda, tuna and turtles through the same water. Experienced divers take it below 30 m.
Also known as White-Tip Avenue.
Where it is and how deep
4.1160° N, 118.6353° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The normal profile runs between 10 and 25 m along the wall, with more experienced divers dropping below 30 m. Medium current is the usual condition, so the dive is flown along the face rather than swum: get down onto the wall promptly, find the depth you want and let the water take you. Fighting it here costs gas you would rather spend watching the sharks.
The face is covered by black coral and sea fans, and with visibility past 30 m the wall reads as a whole rather than in patches. Keep the reef on one shoulder and your attention split between the coral and the open water, because at this site the traffic comes from the blue — the sharks are the reason for the name and they are as likely to pass along the outside of the wall as to hold against it.
Whitetips and grey reef sharks are the regulars, with schooling young greys reported here, and turtles, barracuda and large tuna in the same water. Rays are seen along the face and the site is known for mantas. With current running, the ascent happens where the water leaves you rather than where you planned, so carry a marker and keep the group tight through the safety stop.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Sea turtles
- Barracuda
- Tuna
- Manta rays
| 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
- Medium current on a vertical wall makes depth creep easy — set your working depth on the descent and watch the gauge rather than the sharks.
- You may finish the dive well away from where you started; carry a surface marker buoy and surface as a group for the boat pickup.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Whitetip Avenue?+
The normal range is 10 to 25 m along the wall, and more experienced divers go below 30 m. The wall itself continues past that.
What sharks are seen at Whitetip Avenue?+
Whitetip and grey reef sharks are the regulars, including schooling young greys. Barracuda, large tuna, rays and turtles use the same stretch of wall.
Sources
- Whitetip Avenue Dive Site — Divezone
- Sipadan Dive Sites — Scuba Junkie
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Similar dives elsewhere
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