Some of the staff come to the Scuba Junkie office and take our bags down to the boat (on Saturday 31 August). We are told to stay here for a bit longer as we are waiting for one more person to arrive. After a while it’s time to go. We leave the “jetty” at 2.45pm.
The first stop is for verification of some kind - the boat captain ties up the boat then disappears for a few minutes leaving us to our own devices. Before too long we are back in business and cruising along the water to Mabul Island.
As we get close to what I believe is Mabul Island I spy an oil rig - aah not a normal oil rig. This is an old oil rig which has been converted into a hotel; I had researched for us to stay. Perhaps next time.
An hour after leaving Semporna we arrive at Mabul Island jetty. Not so much of a mission, but I say that having finished all four legs to get here.
We are taken up to the hotel reception and given a briefing first about the hotel / area then about the diving. I may not leave! The hotel provides locals MYR 1,000 reward if they find a turtle nest; which the hotel staff then relocate to a safe haven. They are expecting some of the eggs to hatch when we are here. Ummm yes please! Seeing turtles hatch then released into the sea is 100% on my list of things to see. Super excited!
I’m feeling pretty shattered so relaxing in the room for a good hour is great.
We had read earlier that they are fogging for mozzies at 5.30pm so we need to be out of our rooms. In one of our briefings earlier we were told we can walk around the island in about 20 minutes (not all along the beach) and that sunset is on the other side of the island. So off we go.
We end up walking through the villages a lot. Everyone is super friendly!
Sunset isn’t the easier to find, well, a spot to watch it. After a few false starts we end up at a dive place watching it.
Walking back to the hotel in the opposite direction has us walking through what seems like a fancy hotel of some kind.
Day time has almost passed over to night time, at times our torches on our phones help guide us. A few minutes later a guy on a bike comes by, perfect as we aren’t sure what way to go. We’ll follow him.
We are getting hungry so it’s straight to dinner when we arrive back at the hotel. I’m really surprised how many locals live here, totally wasn’t expecting it!
It was a much needed early night after the short night last night.
Sunday 1 September (what?! How are we in September???) I wake just before 6.15am again. Alarm isn’t going for another hour and a half. In the end I fully wake at 7am. I’m in no rush to get up and cracking.
Breakfast is nice and chilled.
In our briefings yesterday we were told the schedule for the following day is put up late afternoon. The boat that we are has us being at the jetty at 8.30am.
With our gear eventually all sorted it’s onto the boat we go.
Aah its lovely being out on the water again!
Our first dive is at Kapalai Island (the closest island to Mabul) - I had huge problems going down with my left ear. At one point I was about to throw in the towel. Thankfully it sorted itself out in the end. Great to be under the water again.
Saw – sardine run, giant trevally; reeftop pipefish; too many moray eels!!!; hawksbill turtle and lots more!
Once we are all back on board we cruise away to the middle of nowhere. Tea and banana cake is served. This is the life.
We see a turtle that comes to the surface for a breath; apparently they can last 5 hours without a breath.
Our second dive is close by. While my left ear wasn’t great it was better than earlier!!
Saw - 5 eagle rays; fire dartfish; cow fish; crocodile flathead; 2 green turtles and many many more fish.
As we arrive back at the jetty it’s wetsuits off; we have basically two hours to we head out for our third dive. For now it’s off lunch we head.
Eric (our Dive Master) advised he’ll be at the restaurant to do our dive log books. He amazed me with everything he remembered!!
For our third dive we have a short boat trip around the side of Mabul Island. Nice and close.
It’s choppy as (bro) getting out of the water. My sea sickness pills have definitely lasted well!
Saw – GIANT green turtle; hawksbill turtle; bat fish; day octopus; crocodile flathead; black spotted puffer fish and many others.
Back at the jetty we move our gear to where are tanks are for our night dive then head back to the hotel. Eric informs us he’ll be at the restaurant at 4.50pm to do our dive books. For now it’s our balcony we care about!
I didn’t bother writing anything down after our third dive as I knew Eric would remember everything - a bit naughty but hey ho!
We head to the jetty for 5.45pm; managing to catch some of the sunset before Manson (our dive master) arrives just after 6pm. It’s like rush hour here! With people waiting for the boat back to Semporna as well as other night divers.
I’m definitely nowhere near as nervous as I was before our first night dive. Going straight from the jetty I think helps.
We are the last group to go in; as its high tide we only need to walk down a couple of steps before getting into the water. It’s not exactly easy being fully kitted out!
I had elected to have my torch tied onto my BCD, much easier for when I need to equalise.
When we surface I’m like wow! We saw some really cool stuff. High five to us for surviving a night dive!
Saw – porcupine fish; black porcupine fish; green turtle; hermit crams (they are so cool); frog fish; trumpet fish; cornet fish; razor fish; harlequin sweet lips; commensal shrimp and of course lots more.
As soon as we have put our gear back it’s straight to the restaurant we head. Dinner is over in 30 minutes (8pm); still lots of time.
Night diving is definitely not going to become my thing but I did really enjoy tonight. We saw way more than I expected. I think being in a group of two (plus Manson) was much better! Our other dives today had 4 of us (plus Eric) but they worked really well.
Manson comes and joins us to do our dive books. It seems all of the instructors / dive masters do this after each trip - I’m impressed. What’s even more impressive is how they remember everything we saw!!!
Shower time! If only there was hot water - it’s luke warm - it would be wonderful.
What a wonderful first full day on Mabul Island it’s been. I feel like I’ve been away from HK for so much longer than two days. Brilliant!!
Monday 2 January I wake at my normal hour, just before 6.15am. This will be handy for our 3 dive days at Sipadan. Today we need to be on the jetty at 8.30am; great not to have to rush.
It’s nice and peaceful sitting here on the balcony listening to the sound of the wind within the trees and the odd bird chirping.
Getting into the boat at the jetty proves difficult - there are some big as waves! I inform Eric I’ll wait to the end before getting on board, the less time I have on a rocking boat the better.
Our first dive is less than a 10 minute boat ride away. Still just as choppy here.
This was probably the worse dive I’ve done - we were supposed to go deep but the current moved us so much that Eric has problems getting us back on track. Just when I got my left ear sorted he signals to advise we are going up. What??! In the end we hover around the 10 meter mark while he goes up then come back to join us. We head down, seeing absolutely nothing at all! Well other than the 5 of us. Really unpleasant. In the end Eric calls it and we start the super slow ascend to the surface. We at least manage to see a couple of schools of mackerels before we surface.
Back on board the boat I’m starting to feel a bit woozy; staring at a land mark does help a bit. Thankfully we are going back to the hotel in between dive 1 and dive 2.
I basically jump off the boat as soon as we are back at the jetty. Aah dry land!
Thankfully a good hour and a half helps sort me out.
Dive two has us diving under the oil rig. The current is pretty strong so we use the rope to get down. Yep my left ear played up a bit.
Once down it was great - so many fish!! At one stage the four of us lose Eric. He informs Lauren and I later on that he could see the four of us looking in different directions and thought that we were looking at something cool. Nope, just trying to find you! In the end he said he realized something must be up so he swam to us. It was great to see him again!
Saw – Frank the Tank (MASSIVE grouper); tassled scorpionfish; common lionfish; yellow boxfish; giant barracuda; giant trevally; cornet fish; long fin bannerfish; bicolour parrotfish; red tooth trigger fish and so much more!
Back to the hotel we head - this time for one hour twenty minutes. After rinsing my hair we head to lunch. To say it is knotty is an understatement.
Lauren has the afternoon at the hotel. I met the other two on the jetty at 2.20pm and start the fun task yet again of putting the wetsuit on! Never an easy job.
Dive three is a short boat trip away. On arrival we can see the bottom - always a good sign me things that the visibility will be good. Alas no.
About half way the visibility starts to get really bad; Eric advises we are to stay close to our buddy. With Laur not here I’m with Eric. At one stage I turn around to see the other two and they are nowhere to be seen. Thank goodness for the bubbles! When we finish Eric informs us we were diving in mushroom soup!
Saw – Giant turtle; juvenile sweetlips; black blotched porcupinefish; Anna’s chromodoris; red clown frog fish; ocellated flounder and lots of others.
We met Eric at the restaurant at 4.50pm to do our dive books before heading upstairs to the bar and comfortable seats. Laur reads her book while I pick up a book all about diving with sharks This is the life!
Sitting here eating dinner you would think we are in a sauna - it’s so hot!
Instead of heading back to the room we decide to go for a walk; we drop the bag on the balcony then head off. It’s still very humid. Where is the ocean breeze I ask?? Not where we are that’s for sure.
As soon as we leave the hotel grounds and see in the local village we realize we don’t have our phones to guide us like we did last night. Whoops.
We get ourselves to the sea (nice and easy) then are unsure what way to go. Thankfully two people are walking towards us so we hover then follow them :) We realize we are entering the (sea) grounds of a hotel; on arrival at security we say we just want to walk around. No problem we are told, so off we head.
We get told “no” as we try to go down two ‘roads’. As we are walking back we pass three guys with big guns. Right, let’s pick up the pace! Not easy in the dark and when the platform isn’t even. Fingers crossed neither of us end up in the sea.
Tomorrow we are on the first boat to Sipadan which means breakfast at 5.45am and being on the jetty by 6.15am sharp. It’s going to be an early start!!
I wake just after 4.30am on Tuesday 3 September - not surprising given I was in bed so early last night. A few minutes later I hear the call to prayer. I remain where I am until my alarm goes off at 5.25am.
As we are about to head for breakfast the heavens open. Buggar. Let’s hope it’s just a passing downpour and not here to stay.
The breakfast options aren’t exactly endless - bread with two spreads. But it’s something and I need to eat to take my sea sickness pill. Thankfully the rain has disappeared but the wind is still around.
On arrival at the jetty we are told to put our wet suits on and get our gear. We depart the jetty at 6.30am; within seconds it becomes apparent this won’t be a smooth sailing!! We hit some big waves along the way.....and have the rain pelting us. Well this is fun, NOT!! When one of the dive masters screams we all realise this really is big.
On arrival at Sipadan Island we all have to get off and sign in. It’s nice to be off the boat. Earlier on the jetty we had been shown the permit the hotel provided to the Island for us to dive - our details need to match when we sign in.
We are given the days briefing while on the Island.
As we are walking back to the boat we come across a dead baby turtle :(.
We have four dives around Sipadan - each one was amazing. After the first three dives we head back to Sipadan Island for our surface time.
It was all about sharks (hammerhead, white tip, grey reef, baby grey reef (so cute!!)), turtles, school of jack fish, massive grouper and a tuna today. Well there was lots more but these were the highlights for me. On our last dive we saw a hammerhead shark - it made us work for it (swimming after it) but boy oh boy it was worth it!!! We were all over joyed.
When we are all back on the boat we have a quick stop at Sipadan Island to drop off the flag then cruise back to Mabul Island.
We get back to the jetty less than 20 minutes after leaving Sipadan - the complete opposite journey to what we had this morning! My hair is a complete nest!!! Not even rinsing it with water helps. Aah ya, brushing it later is going to be far from fun.
We chill at the jetty for a bit then I head to beach where there are chairs under an umbrella. Don’t need to get sunburnt.
Brushing my hair is a mission and a half. I have every piece of salt from the sea in there!!
Feeling clean from the shower we relax in the room before going to the bar to complete our dive books. It’s great to relive what we have seen today. Amazing!!
It’s another early night - I’m going back to Sipadan tomorrow, this time on the 7.15am boat so the alarm is set for an hour later than this morning, at 6.25am.
Wednesday 4 September I wake well before my 6.25am alarm. Nice not to have to get straight out of bed. No call to pray this morning. I’m off to Sipadan Island again. Woo Hoo!!
Breakfast is its normal affair - helps with the sea sickness pill taking.
I have to swap out my BCD; for whatever reason the staff are constantly getting Lauren and I mixed up. Luckily it’s an easy fix. Lauren will need to deal with her BCD when she heads out.
Thankfully the boat trip to Sipadan Island was like a different sea to yesterday morning - completely smooth.
I really appreciate a good dive master! Yesterday morning we were given a quick briefing on the do’s and don’ts of the day. Nothing like this this morning.
Like yesterday, on arrival in Sipadan we get off the boat and go to sign in.
We are then given a briefing on Sipadan Island as well as the day ahead. Whoops, I take back what I said earlier - he’s just doing it differently.
We have three dives around Sipadan - in the same dive spots as yesterday. Each was amazing! Unfortunately, like my first dive yesterday, my regulator was leaking on the first dive so I was taking in sea water. Not pleasant.
Like yesterday, after the first two dives we headed back to Sipadan Island for our surface time.
Today’s highlights were the numerous turtles and sharks; feeling like I was swimming in an aquarium (the last dive in particular) and seeing an amazing array of fish. The ocean is one awesome place!!
Once back at the jetty I brush my super matted hair! Doing so after each dive seems to have helped a bit.
We do our dive log books an hour after getting back to land. Some pages (of the fish etc guide) we were told we saw everything. Certainly felt like it!!
I join Laur at the beach - it’s so nice and peaceful sitting here.
Closer to sunset we head off, in the direction of the sun, to find a wharf we are allowed on. The majority are for a particular hotel and are manned with security.
This certainly is the life!
The three young local girls who were next to us asked for a selfie before they left. So cute!
Melly, our dive master from yesterday is leaving Mabul Island tomorrow so there is a party on the beach. We sit for a bit watching a few intense games of beer frisbee. Lots of fun!
As I sit here on our balcony listening to the call to prayer, the noise of the fan and the noise of people chatting and singing from the restaurant I feel lucky to be in a position to be able to travel the world to see some pretty bloody amazing things (both above and below the sea).
Thursday 5 September I wake well before my 6.25am alarm yet again. I could have easily done the early boat to Sipadan and not needed an alarm!!! Hey ho. Today is the last day for diving at Sipadan.
We have three dives around Sipadan Island - two of the sites we had done before. Yet again saw some amazing things. I actually find diving with reef sharks to be kind of relaxing, not sure I’d feel the same if it was out in the big blue (ocean). The second dive was in a crazy up / down / washing machine current, not at all enjoyable!! Thankfully the last part wasn’t as bad.
Highlights from today’s dives were the crazy amount of turtles, the school of jack fish, the reef sharks and the endless array of fish. Just amazing!
On the trip back to Mabul Island we have a wee race with the other Scuba Junkie Sipadan boat.
Post completing our dive log books we chill for a bit in the restaurant before heading to the beach.
Sitting here listening to the sounds of daily life; the sea as well as some of the dive staff playing guitar and singing is great.
Around the time of the call to prayer the mozzies decided to make an appearance. Yeah no, you aren’t welcome! It becomes a bit much after a while, back to our balcony we head.
We eat dinner with Sarah and Marty (who were on our boat today and I also dived with them yesterday) and get lots of ideas for holidays in Asia.
Friday 6 September I wake just after 7am. It had been an odd night - my right ear was quite sore / tender which made sleeping a little tough and there was crazy heavy rain around midnight which I got up to see. Thankfully the rain has all gone now.
Our last day diving today :(.
Sarah and Marty are at breakfast when we arrive. Definitely a lot busier than the previous few mornings.
We have two dives at Kapalai Island before coming back to the hotel for lunch.
The afternoon dive is opposite the hotel at the Seaventures (oil rig) house reef. I have huge issues with my right ear going down - not fun at all!!
Highlights for today’s diving was the school of yellow tail barracuda; a school of bluestripe snapper; bump head parrotfish; dragon seamoth and a harlequin shrimp.
Eric (DM) and I meet at 4.50pm to do my dive book. It’s amazed me how all the DM’s have been able to remember the fish we have seen on all the dives. I guess when you do it so often it becomes second nature.
Eric tells me how we become a DM - engineering wasn’t for him! So fascinating.
I join Laur on the beach - super relaxing!
I manage to get to the end of the jetty to see the bright orange sun disappearing for the day. Always a great sight!
Before dinner we chill on the balcony - I must get one of these in my next apartment. So relaxing!!
It’s a small sleep in on Saturday 7 September, nice not having to rush! Sitting here on the balcony listening to the birds chirp and seeing people walk by is nice and chilled. A good start to the day.
Breakfast is busier than the other mornings.
I head to the jetty for some sun. On arrival it’s a bit mad with people everywhere - waiting for their boats to go diving or waiting to get into the jetty here (for their course). I wait to everyone is done before going to get a mask, snorkel and fins for snorkelling.
Snorkelling is great! Soooo many fish. I really love the ocean.
In the end the sun is too much so I head back to the beach under an umbrella to read.
I’m thinking another swim might be in order when Laur arrives. We head to the jetty. Earlier in the week we had seen people jump off the jetty. Takes me a few goes but I get there. Good fun!!
It’s so chilled just treading water and chatting. Manson jumps in to join us as does a couple of the other DM’s.
I’m just chilling minding my own business when a fish comes and bites me - right that’s it, I’m out!! So not expected.
Back to the beach and umbrella to read. This is the life!
The flies begin to get to me so I head back to the room to shower and finish packing. I definitely got some colour from my time on the jetty earlier.
Check out is nice and easy - we need to pay for our night dive and get the deposit back from the beach towels.
It’s strange sitting here at lunch knowing we aren’t diving this afternoon. Definitely having withdrawal symptoms. Must plan another dive trip and soon!
We head upstairs to the bar area to chill before heading to the jetty for our 4pm boat back to Semporna. It’s a lot more comfortable here!
We leave the restaurant / bar at 3.45pm and head to the jetty. I’m not ready to return to normality. As we arrive there is a bit of activity on the jetty; then more boats return chatting about their dives.
Our amazing dive masters are all on the jetty waving us goodbye. What an amazing week we have had with them! We get no more than 100 meters away from the jetty and are called back. Yes I’ll happily stay. Alas no, it’s for two people to have a conversation.
On arrival back in Semporna we take our bags from the jetty and head back to the Scuba Junkie shop. It’s a quick 3 minute walk but along the way pass lots of people trying to sell their seafood catches and Durian, no to all.
I left my bags with Laur and went to order food for us to take away. Returning back to the same place we ate lunch at last week. It was super busy!! I was told to come back in 20 minutes.
Before 20 minutes was up our driver arrived - right off I go. A few more minutes wait then Laur arrives; everyone is already in the van waiting. Hey ho.
Watching the sun set driving to the airport is lovely. Like last night my photos won’t do it the justice it deserves.
We arrive at the airport 1.15 hours after leaving Semporna. Can’t believe our holiday is nearly over.
Thankfully the line to print our luggage tags aren’t too long; people take so much more time than they should though.
After putting our bags through a security scanner we then do the bag drop. Nice and easy!
It’s a bit of a circus getting to the passenger only section then through security but we make it and manage to find two seats together. The pineapple chicken rice is as tasty as I remember it last week.
It’s another circus to board the plane. We are asked to get into zones (based on our boarding pass); seems odd given they are boarding all zones together. We then have to walk down the stairs and onto the tarmac. Both doors at the front and back of the plane are open for business (boarding the plane).
Sitting here watching people, come from ahead and behind, trying to find their seat and space for their luggage is entertaining! The poor flight attendant starts to lose his mind. It’s all good and well having two entrances onto the plane but perhaps they need to divide everyone so it’s smooth sailing.
Thank goodness this flight is short - everyone around me is either speaking super loudly or watching something on their phone without headphones. Aaaah!
We depart Tawau 15 minutes ahead of schedule, excellent!
It’s been an amazing week (seems like so much longer) on Mabul Island. I’d love to return.......tomorrow please!
