Semporna, aku nak datang.

Pulau-pulau di Semporna

Daerah Semporna, Sabah dianugerahkan dengan 5 tapak menyelam bertaraf antarabangsa. Tapak-tapak menyelam ini bakal memuaskan hati para pencinta samudera, penyelam skuba dan malahan kepada pasangan yang mencari tempat untuk berbulan madu. Sila skrol ke bawah untuk mendapatkan maklumat mengenai  Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Mabul, Pulau Kappalai, Pulau Mataking and Pulau Sibuan.

Pulau Mabul

Pulau Kapalai

Kapalai is similar to Mabul, but there is no actual island, only a large sandbank. The most well known dive site here is Manadrin valley, but several of the other dives sites are well worth a visit.

Kapalai, Mandarin Valley: Slope to about 20m. Hard corals, then sand. Small underwater mound. This dive site has its name from a dragonet that can be found there and that has a beautiful color like the clothes of the Chinese mandarins. It lives during the day under the spines of sea urchins. Also very interesting were the that I found there. Go out to the small underwater mound - there were several leaf fish there last time. Leaf fish can shed their skin and in such a way adjust to the surrounding reef. I saw one, where some yellow ascidians were growing on his skin right over the eye. There is also a mushroom coral (Heliofungia a.) on the sand with some white anemone pipefish (Siokunichthys n.) living inside. Check it out.

Kapalai, Ray Channel: This is a sandy channel with the reef on one side. The special fish, you find here and nowhere else in Mabul is the dragonfish (Pegasus). This small animal lives in pairs on sand and feeds on invertebrates. Actually, I have spent half an hour at just one coral block here. There are some leaffish here, a spiny devilfish lives close by, and there is a small baby-anglerfish here. I observed, how it changed from gray to red in only 4 days.

Pulau Sibuan

Famed for its beauty even before the days of Sipadan, Sibuan Island is incomparable where underworld splendor is concerned. This small island situated 30 minutes away from Semporna mainland is best known for its untouched magnificence. Regal coconut trees border the island and entice you from afar.

This snorkeling heaven is second to none when sought after by sun bathers and leisure seekers. Bestowed with abundant water attractions above and below, the isle's crystal blue waters are a sight for sore eyes. The water is crystal clear and its visibility will stretch your gaze into its lively depths. Corals and fishes will glimmer and flicker at you as you watch from above.

The natural treasures of this island are its greatest assets. Here, you can still find wild deer in secluded coves. Dugongs, a cousin of the American manatees were known to swim the tides. Now they are hardly ever seen but are still held as one of Semporna's secrets.

Diving Sipadan's reefs, Jacques Cousteau was spellbound. "Go to Sipadan to see the schooling barracuda, to Mabul to see the seahorses and the erodes reefs of Kapalai to marvel at the detrius-like leaf fish" divers were told. Still today you will find turtles nesting under your beach hut on stilts and giant coconut crabs climbing the branches of a coconut palm. It has been said that the number of creatures on these reef surpass that of the tropical rainforest.

The coconut palm which grows in abundance here is precious to the people. The flesh and juice of a young fruit quenches the thirst. Sugar is made from the palm nectar and its wood is excellent for construction. Palms are thatched for roofing and leaves are weaved into baskets.

The natural glory of Sipadan remains. An arising awareness of the frailty of its natural wonders has rallied the defence of the island.

Mabul, Crocodile Avenue: Flat sandy area from 5m to 20m. Remains of some palmtrees. Some divers hate this dive site, I love it. It is a sandy area, so there are empty stretches of sand with oases of life. Our diveguide found some seahorses there every time. The absolute record were 8 seahorses found by Ben. Then there are sand eels, double-ended pipefish, crocodilefish, special tube anemones, ghostpipefish (Harlekin- and  Seagrass-), cowfish etc. I even saw some turtles, humpback parrotfish, barracudas, mackerels and a small eagle ray there. Night dives are also very good here. We found lots of sepias, cuttlefish and special nudibranchs (for example the Spanish Dancer, Asteronotus c.) and lots of crabs. One of the highlights was a small boxer crab, that Alex found on some rubble.

Mabul, Seaventure Platform: Flat sandy area on about 17m. Some coral blocks, pillars of concrete, piles of metal rods. This is a old oil platform that has been converted into a hotel owned by Seaventures Dive Resort. It stands on huge pillars. You dive underneath in 17m of water (Deco after more than 60min dive!). An amazing dive site! There are several piles of metal rods, look close, and there are always several frogfish (yellow to red, black and gray) sitting on them. Inside the largest pile there is a huge moray eel. His head must have a diameter of about 15cm! I couldn't make out the tail, but it must be several meter long. Then we also found: ghostpipefish (Harlekin and seagrass), waspfish, nudibranchs (Halgerda, Cromodoris etc.), stonefish, flying gunard and close to the pillars always lots of batfish and flutefish.

Mabul, Lobster Wall: Wall, some small caverns. Lot's of hydroids. The place is not that nice to look at, but it is again a place for many nudibranchs, anemones, shrimps and in a small cave I even found a babycowfish. Great nightdives. 

Mataking Island sits an hour and a half from Sipadan Island. East of Semporna, this island is about 40 acres in size. Lying on the edge of the continental shelf, Mataking is surrounded by fringing reef of hard and soft corals. Sharing the same Alice Channel as Sipadan Island, it offers just as much magical and tropical underwater treasure.

The waters here are inhabited by exclusive species of corals such as staghorn, brain and many more. Rainbow runners, leaf fish, sweetlips, gobies and the occasional whale shark on their migration route roam the water here.

The island is sheltered by exotic trees. This sanctuary is where birds and butterflies choose to rest. Coconut crabs scurry around busily on the white sands. The barracuda point, turtle playground and picturesque reef make every veteran diver's list.

Artikel bahasa orang putih tu aku salin dan tampal a.k.a Copy and paste

dari web site Pejabat Daerah Semporna. Bukannya tak tahu mahu describe pasal pulau-pulau tu, tapi untuk menjimatkan masa dan tenaga. Lagipun, itu memang info yang sahih dan terbaik. Manalah tahu orang putih tersesat ke blog aku ni, boleh juga dia baca.. Haha.

Sekiranya anda berhajat untuk kurangkan sedikit beban dompet anda tu dengan melawat pulau-pulau di atas, lebih-lebih lagi musim cuti sekolah nak dekat dah ni (jangan datang musim haji.. hehe) ada banyak agensi pelancongan yang boleh dihubungi. Antaranya Kasturi Harum Travel & Tours. Aku boleh rekemen sebab tahu sedikit sebanyak tentang latar belakang mereka dan mendapat undian yang sangat memberangsangkan di laman lookp.com 

Tiket penerbangan keseluruh pelosok Malaysia pun diorang boleh tempah. Mungkin tempah bilik penginapan pun boleh. MUNGKIN ya, MUNGKIN...Nanti you orang runding lagi baik-baik. Haha..

Aku bagi pancing, pandai-pandailah mengail ikan sendiri. 

Personal untuk dihubungi 016-7417154 Mr. Izwan.

Untuk menguji keberkesanan artikel ini, mulakan berbualan anda dengan "Assalamualaikum / hello, saya ada terbaca tentang perkhidmatan anda di blog cremin muka" haha.. (nak ambil nama katanya...)

Ingat lagi tak tajuk post ni? Jangan fikir banyak... tempah tiket penerbangan sekarang...