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Borneo
Divers have their own web site on the Internet at http://
www.jaring.my/~bdivers. It even includes a photograph
gallery but is slow to unload because of all the graphics,
including maps. The following details have been taken from
the Internet information.
General
Sipadan
is Malaysia's only oceanic island. Covering a total of 12
hectares (30 acres), it is a rocky outcrop that rises dramatically
from the ocean floor. Except for an encircling, narrow sand
beach the island is covered in thick rain forest. It has a
low profile and is less than a mile in circumference.
The
island was declared a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the colonial
Government of North Borneo and regazetted again in 1963 after
independence by the Malaysian Government. Large numbers of
birds have been seen on and around Sipadan, including frigate
birds, sea eagles, reef eagr t wood pigeons, starlings, sunbirds
the Nicobar pigeon.
Most
notable feature of the invertebrate fauna is the large number
of robber or coconut crabs (Birgus latro). They live
in the strand vegetation and are voracious and robust scavengers.
Trails criss-cross the island for those who like to explore
and see more of the vegetation and wildlife.
The
island itself is in the care of the Ministry of Tourism and
Environmental Development's Wildlife Department. Seven park
rangers are stationed on the island to oversee affairs and
minimise any disturbance to female turtles while they are
laying their eggs. You have to obtain permission from them
if you want to watch a turtle laying its eggs.
Collection
of flora and fauna, dead or alive, is prohibited.
Director
in charge of the Borneo Divers' operation is Ron Holland.
Agill Bajerai is the resort manager. Accommodation is in twin-share
beach huts made from local materials. They are equipped with
built-in beds. Bedding and towels are provided as well as
mosquito nets. Each hut has a ceiling fan, electric light
and 220v power points.
There
are centralised toilets and showers - the water is heated
by solar panels.
Meals
are served in the large dining hall, where there is a bar
and ample room for getting together with other divers, dancing
and staff presentations. The on-site shop stocks films, sundries
and other items. There is a radio telephone for mainland and
overseas communication.
The
centre is equipped with a Bauer compressor and the 3000 psi/80
cu ft tanks are fitted with American-style, Kvalves. A wide
variety of equipment is available for rental. A regulator
with pressure/depths gauge, compass and octopus is $20.00
a day ($8.00 discounted price for those diving with Borneo
Divers). BCD's are $15.00 ($6.00), shorts or wet suit jacket
$15.00 ($6.00), Lycra suits are available at $10.00 ($4.00).
Other items for rent include masks, fins, torches, bootees,
fins and snorkels.
On
their first day at the Lodge, a beach dive with the divernaster
is obligatory. Divers are not allowed to go out on the boats
until the following day.
Three
boat dives are arranged each day, two in the morning and one
in the afternoon. Beach diving is unlimited but buddies are
required and everyone doing night dives must be out of the
water by 10pm.
The
centre requires a full, 12-hour surface interval between each
day of diving.
Diving
is from custom-built, fibreglass boats powered by twin 45hp
outboards. Three boat dives a day are arranged. Each is accompanied
by a divernaster.
These
are the views of BSoUP members who have been to the island:
Anthony
Holley
'Yes,
it does get crowded. Yes, you can get bad vis. But Sipadan
is still a great place for diving. Where else can you see
turtles everywhere - quite often a dozen or more on a dive
and quite approachable.
White-tip
reef sharks are very common, with greys regular early morning
at Barracuda Point, and hammerheads if you know where to find
them - I had a 3m-one come quite close three days on the trot.
Big
schools of jacks and barracuda have their regular haunts and
are truly awesome, swirling all around.
A
school of big humphead parrotfish cruise past as if you were
not there; one girl stopped counting at 100. Cleaner stations
abound and most fish are very tolerant of divers.
Yes,
there can be a dozen boats at Barracuda Point at 9am. Yes,
there are five resorts there and two operators come over from
nearby Mabul most days but you can still see no other group
on your dive.
I
was there at Christmas and New Year when there were probably
over 350 divers about but still had great uninterrupted dives
by choosing the right site at the right time. Visibility and
weather were not great for paradise but everything is relative.
Recent
surveys found that the coral is in good condition, even improving,
and the fish population is increasing. Most divers are very
conscious of their buoyancy - few novices go, anyway -and
little damage is done to the coral, especially compared to
that done by feeding turtles and nesting triggerfish. Just
hang and watch them sometime!
There
is a limit to what the island can tolerate but the situation
is constantly monitored and is not a problem at the moment.'
Malcolm
Hey
'Set
aside your romantic vision of a sun-soaked island in a tranquil,
turquoise sea. Think instead of a 20-mile sea crossing through
beating rain. But, on arrival, the sun shines, the local people
smile and greet you ashore and you realise that the crossing
was but a reminder to add a Pelican dry case to your shopping
list.
Topside,
Sipadan is, so far as the tourist-divers world will allow,
an idyllic unspoiled island with dense rainforest covering
all but the narrow fringing beach.
At
the height of the season, there are probably 200 divers diving
Sipadan three, four and even five times each day. Undoubtedly
the island's waters are over-dived but the Dive Centres are
well managed and organise the diving so no site is overloaded.
Underwater,
Sipadan is dream territory. Turtles, of course, are synonymous
with the island and rarely did we dive without having good
turtle photo-opportunities. Dense shoals of fish - batfish,
bump-head parrot fish, jacks and barracuda are another feature
that 1 have not experienced to the same extent elsewhere.
The
reefs do lack the colour of the Red Sea insofar as there is
not the profusion of colourful soft corals but this is more
than offset by the dramatic drop-offs and shoals of fish.
Inevitably
a current flows. Gentle enough to allow photography but the
water movement - and hence diver movement - means that much
photoshooting is reactive rather than carefully planned. Return
visits to specific locations test the skills of the boathandlers
and divers ... as well as their luck!
The
house drop-off is the exception. Here there is little water
movement and photo subjects stay put till the next visit.
The house reef is said to be the best shore dive in the world
... and few are likely to dispute this claim.'
Hilary
Driscoll
'The
diving is very convenient with cylinders readily available.
The accommodation was clean and the sheets were changed each
day. The washing facilities were immaculate though not luxurious.
Fruit, biscuits, hot and cold water were available all the
time.
Diving
was very convenient. The interesting house reef was only ten
paces from the dive centre.
The
destinations for each day's boat dives were stated in advance
so you could choose which ones you wished to go to. Once you
had dived them all, which you could do in four days, you knew
which ones you preferred.
You
boarded the boats fully-kitted and it took no more than five
minutes to reach any of the sites. They just whizzed you round
the island from the beach.
There
was a myriad of subjects, from turtles to big shoals of barracuda
and jacks as well as many white-tipped reef sharks. There
were also many subjects for close-up photography when you
started looking.'
Peter
Rowlands
Why
is it always me who arrives at a time of poor visibility?
Over the years I've come to accept I'm jinxed and unfortunately
Spiadan was no exception, but I did see the potential of this
pearl of an island after a long journey including several
modes of transport.
The
diving regulations at Borneo divers didn't prove flexible
enough for my style of diving (in when I want, out when I
want and without anyone else) but I understand their need
to cater for a wide variety of capabilities including visiting
divers staying for two or three days as part of their Far
East itinerary.
I
saw, and was impressed by, all of the promised subjects but
the water clarity was not good enough to achieve good shots
except in macro, so I was frustrated and disappointed with
my results. Like most underwater photographers, the results
dictate the memory of the location.
It
amazed me that the reefs were still generally in good condition
despite the highest concentration of divers I have seen anywhere.
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