Sipadan Diving: Permits, Fees and Where to Stay
Contents
Sipadan rises 600 metres from the seabed in the Celebes Sea, a small island ringed by reef walls and topped with protected forest.[1] Sabah Parks closed all accommodation on the island in 2004, so you sleep elsewhere and come over for the dive.[1] The boat ride from Semporna takes about 45 minutes by speedboat in calm seas.[1] Read the Sabah Parks Sipadan Island Park overview.
Choose a base, then arrange your Sipadan day
The nearby resorts on Mabul and Kapalai are the usual bases for diving Sipadan.[1] A mainland base in Semporna works too: boats leave from the tourist jetty at Kg. Bangau-bangau, about one hour by fast boat.[1] Sabah Parks lists 42 registered dive operators, and you book Sipadan through one of them.[2] Ask your operator where you will stay, which jetty the boat uses and what happens if no permit is available for your date.
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Check the permit process before paying
Operators can book up to six months ahead at the Sabah Parks Head Office in Kota Kinabalu or the Park Office in Semporna.[2] You pay a 50 percent deposit at booking and the full amount two weeks before the dive date.[2] If you cancel more than two weeks before, Sabah Parks keeps 10 percent of the fees and returns the rest. Cancel less than two weeks before and all payments are forfeited.[2] Permit issuance and availability are decided by Sabah Parks.[2] A 2016 report on the Sabah tourism ministry's site put the limit at 120 divers a day, so popular dates fill up early.[3] See the Sabah Parks Sipadan booking guidance and operator directory.
Read the fee categories separately
Sabah Parks charges two fees per person. The conservation fee is RM 100 for international visitors and RM 50 for Malaysians. The scuba diving fee is RM 350 for international visitors and RM 250 for Malaysians.[1] These are park fees only, so ask your operator what the package price adds for boats, guides and gear. See the Sabah Parks fee list.
Keep the trip details flexible
Get your base, departure jetty, permit status and return plan in writing from your operator. Boat times shift with the sea, so do not squeeze a tight onward connection into the same day. For broader trip ideas, see our Malaysia travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Sabah Parks: Sipadan Island Park. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [2] Sabah Parks: Diving at Sipadan Island. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [3] Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah: Sipadan gazetted for marine preservation (2016). Retrieved October 20, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. All accommodation on Sipadan closed in 2004. Stay on Mabul or Kapalai, or on the mainland in Semporna, and dive Sipadan on a day trip.
Book through one of the 42 dive operators registered with Sabah Parks. Operators can book up to six months ahead at the Head Office in Kota Kinabalu or the Park Office in Semporna.
About 45 minutes by speedboat in calm seas. The main departure point is the tourist jetty at Kg. Bangau-bangau in Semporna, about one hour by fast boat.
Pay a 50 percent deposit when booking and the full amount two weeks before the dive date. Cancel more than two weeks ahead and Sabah Parks keeps 10 percent. Cancel later and all payments are forfeited.
The conservation fee is RM 100 per person for international visitors and RM 50 for Malaysians. The scuba diving fee is RM 350 for international visitors and RM 250 for Malaysians.
No. Sabah Parks decides permit issuance and availability, so confirm your date with the operator before you book non-refundable travel.
Sabah Parks points to the resorts on Mabul and Kapalai as bases for diving Sipadan. Semporna on the mainland also works. Compare the transfer and permit arrangements each operator offers.
Confirm your base, operator, permit status, fees, departure jetty and cancellation terms. Leave a buffer day after the dive for sea conditions.
