Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan Palau

We flew Denpassar, Bali to Kuala Lumpur spending a few hours in the Pan Pacific Hotel restaurant which was attached by a walkway to/from the airport.  We had a few hours lay over before our next flight to Tawau.  Beautiful hotel and welcoming people but unfortunately the wait staff at the restaurant did not understand English very well.  We all received a breakfast different than we had ordered.  I was very pleased as I had a huge mound of mashed potatoes served in the middle of the plate surrounded by an omelette and broiled tomatoes  – the first potatoes since leaving home!  How ‘roasted’ potatoes turned into ‘mashed’ I will never understand!

We flew KL to Tawau, bussed 2.5 hours to Semprona where we were picked up at the harbour by Boreno Divers for a 45 minute boat ride to Mabul Island.  Semporna harbour waters were full of garbage.  Don’t get me wrong, Semporna is only one city I have mentioned re: garbage.  Seems like most places we have been to on land or by water is the same. It amazes me that so much plastic etc. can be tossed and no one seems to care.  We need to start educating others about caring for our planet or what will there be for our grandchildren? This is a global problem.  On a positive note, all people that we have come in contact with have been so happy, helpful and genuine.  Nice.

So…the pictures tell the story of our 6 days at Mabul Island.  We dove Mabul, Kapalai and one day at Sipadan.  Amazing!  Have I used that word before?!?

Walkway between airport & Pan Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Arriving in Tawau - Check out the sign - too funny! 

Waiting for our bus at Tawau for transport to Semporna

Our bus!  Borneo Divers

Semporna Harbour

Boat ride to Mabul Island

Typical housing in harbour

Transportation boat - water taxi?? - flying their colours. Very patriotic.  They usually fly both country (Malaysia) and state (Sabah) flags.

Brook, Andrea and Jude walking jetty from boat to island

Dining Area

Greg checking emails and patiently waiting to play carcassonne

Our shared duplex - B&A on left, G&J on right

View from our porch

Beach view from jetty

From beach to jetty

Walkway from jetty to rooms & main buildings

Guess what this is!

Judy with a very friendly (or tired) turtle

Neudibranch & Sea Cumber

Black Anemonefish 

School of jacks

Judy on the wall in Sipadan - amazing!

Friendly White Spotted Pufferfish

Black Anemonefish 

Neudibranch

Yellow Spotted Boxfish - he's about 2.5 cms - a cutie

Sipadan - the wall looking up

Jude on the wall in Sipadan

Snapper - I think

Cuttlefish

Redfin Butterflyfish

Blue Box Fish

Yellow Tail Barracudas

Pinnate Spadefish and Diagonal Banded Sweetlips

...leaving Sipadan Island...awesome day...

Black Anemonefish 

Clown Anemonefish

Green Sea Turtle wedged under some coral - we woke him up from his nap.

Starfish

Green Sea Turtle

Blue Faced Anglefish

White Tipped Reef Shark

Lobster in his hole.

Having fun!!

Little boys trading pokey mon cards.

This is typical of the village on Mabul.  We thought, when researching for a place to go on Mabul, that there were maybe a few dive resorts and a handful of people.  Well...turns out there are probably 10 resorts - some bare bone accommodations - and a population of over 2000 people!  Lots and lots of children.  The island is very tiny. Greg and I walked leisurely around the island in less than 40 minutes.  They do have a school and community play field.  Every afternoon soccer was played on the field.  Brook and Andrea played frisbee a few times on it and had an audience, we could hear cheers from our room! The people are very friendly and happy.  They have nothing but they all seem to be happy.   

They burn their garbage on the beach.

Everywhere you go, the peace sign is part of the pose.

Another dive resort jetty.  

Royal Anglefish

Lionfish

Lionfish

Alligatiorfish

Spotted Sweetlips

Spotted Sweetlips

Lionfish

Spotted Sweetlips

In 1998, this used drilling platform in Singapore was towed to the waters in front of Mabul Island - a mere 0.5 km out.  It was turned into a dive platform and a 25 room resort, "Seaventures Dive Centre and Resort'.  It is currently the only hotel of its kind in the world.
Our opinion...it is butt-ugly and a huge eye-sore!  Most definitely does not suit the area!
Certainly can tell there are no building codes here.

Bye-bye Sipadan.  Do hope to visit again one day.  Amazing.