 Sipadan Island | |
 Interactive map of Sipadan Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 4°6′52.86″N118°37′43.52″E / 4.1146833°N 118.6287556°E /4.1146833; 118.6287556 |
| Administration | |
| State |  Sabah |
| Division | Tawau |
| District | Semporna |
Sipadan (Malay:Pulau Sipadan) is the onlyoceanic island inMalaysia, rising 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed. It is located in theCelebes Sea off the east coast ofSabah,Malaysia. It was formed by livingcorals growing on top of an extinctvolcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of theIndo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 400 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. The island sits withinSipadan Island Park, amarine park encompassing 16,860 hectares and managed bySabah Parks.[1]
In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute betweenMalaysia andIndonesia. The matter was brought for adjudication before theInternational Court of Justice and, at the end of 2002, the Court awarded the island along with the island ofLigitan to Malaysia, on the basis of the "effective occupation" displayed by the latter's predecessor (Malaysia's former colonial power, theUnited Kingdom) and the absence of any other superior title.[2] ThePhilippines had applied to intervene in the proceedings on the basis of their claim to Northern Borneo, but their request was turned down by the Court early in 2001.
On 23 April 2000, 21 people were kidnapped by theFilipinoMoro pirate groupAbu Sayyaf. The armed terrorists arrived by boat, forcing 10 tourists and 11 resort workers to board the vessels at gunpoint, after which they brought the victims toJolo. All of the victims were eventually released. As a result of the attacks, the island management together with Ligitan was put under the MalaysianNational Security Council (NSC).[citation needed] The perpetrators were jailed in 2024.[3]
On 8 July 2019, Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad has agreed in principle to return the management of both islands from the NSC back to theSabah government under Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry with the takeover will be done once the federalCabinet approving the request.[4][5]
The island was declared abird sanctuary in 1933 by the colonial government ofNorth Borneo and re-gazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian government.[6] Thecoral reef ecosystems of Sipadan and nearbyMabul Island later received recognition as scuba diving destinations during the 1980s,[7] with the first resort opening on Sipadan in 1984.[8] In 2004, the island was declared amarine park bySabah Parks and 6 hotel and resort facilities on the island were closed by authorities due to their impacts on the ecosystems.[9][8] The area of protection was expanded by 6,846 hectares in 2015, bringing total area within Sipadan Island Park to 16,860 hectares.[1]
The island's coral reefs have led to its international recognition as aScuba diving destination.[10] In the filmBorneo: The Ghost of the Sea Turtle (1989)[11]Jacques Cousteau said: "I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art".[12] Visiting Sipadan Island requires a permit issued bySabah Parks. Since 2019, there are 178 permits available each day.[citation needed] In 2016, four dive marshals were also appointed to monitor scuba diving activities on the island.[1] The island was closed for 1 month in November 2023 in an effort to allow the ecosystem to recover from human disturbance.[13]
Frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan:green andhawksbill turtles[14] (which mate and nest there), enormous schools ofbarracuda in tornado-like formations as well as large schools ofbig-eye trevally, andbumphead parrotfish. Pelagic species such asmanta rays,eagle rays,scalloped hammerhead sharks andwhale sharks also visit Sipadan. A turtle tomb lies underneath the column of the island, formed by an underwaterlimestonecave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that become lost and drown before finding the surface.[15]Killer whales have also been sighted around the island.[16]
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