The reef
Small creatures.
johnjodeery — CC BY 2.0 · johnjodeery — CC BY 2.0 · 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
Mabul is a small island off the southeast coast of Sabah, Malaysia, about 15 km north of Sipadan island and 26 km south of Semporna in a straight line. It covers about 0.2 square kilometres and stands just two to three metres above the sea. It has been a fishing village since the 1970s and became popular with divers from the 1990s because of its closeness to Sipadan. According to the village chief, its name comes from the Arabic word «makbul», meaning good. Bajau sea people settled here long ago, and it is now part of Semporna district. The island sits on the edge of a reef about two kilometres long, with wooden huts and resorts on stilts over clear turquoise water. Below the surface is a world rich in small creatures: colourful scorpionfish, snake eels, crocodilefish, blue sea fans and schools of snappers. Divers and snorkellers come to the island, stay in dive resorts over the water, and many take trips to nearby Sipadan on limited daily permits. The island lies in an area where some governments advise against non-essential travel, so check current travel advice before visiting.
Small creatures.
Dive resorts.
From the jetties.
Semporna, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia
By boat from Semporna.
Yes, with a limited daily permit.