Sandy Bar, Mantanani Island - Sipadan
Sandy Bar on Mantanani Island is a good spot if you’re into the smaller things. It’s a classic muck dive, really, all about searching the sand for critters rather than big pelagics or dramatic reefs. We've spent many a dive here poking around at 14m, looking for nudibranchs, maybe a flamboyant cuttlefish if you’re lucky, or tiny crabs doing their thing. Visibility can be a bit variable depending on recent weather, but it's generally calm enough for a relaxed potter. Definitely one for macro photographers and those who enjoy a slower, more deliberate dive.
- Location
- Sipadan, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 6.703100, 116.340800
- Type
- muck
- Maximum Depth
- 14m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Best Time to Dive in Sipadan
The warmest water temperatures in Sipadan occur in August, averaging 30.6°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.5°C
- February: 28.3°C
- March: 28.9°C
- April: 29.7°C
- May: 30.3°C
- June: 30.3°C
- July: 30.2°C
- August: 30.6°C
- September: 30.5°C
- October: 30.4°C
- November: 30.0°C
- December: 29.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Sipadan
- AH KONG TONGUE - 19m
- Ah Long Rock - 18m
- Alternative Reef (reef)
- American Wreck (wreck)
- Arthur Reef, Sapi Island (reef)
- Asmarqa Point
- Australian Wreck (wreck)
- Bakkungan Kecil
- Barracuda Point (reef)
- Barracuda Point (drift)
- Barracuda Point Udar Besar - 18m (drift)
- Blue Water Wreck - 15-30m (wreck)
- BUNGA LAWAS - 50m (wreck)
- Centre Point
- China Town
Nearest Dive Centres to Sandy Bar, Mantanani Island
Marine Life in Sipadan
Home to 147 recorded species including 111 reef fish, 11 sea snails & nudibranchs, 9 sharks & rays, 5 seagrass & algae, 4 other, 4 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Small-eyed Squirrelfish (Myripristis murdjan) - Reef Fish
- Hound Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus) - Reef Fish
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Staghorn coral (Acropora millepora) - Hard Corals
- Crazy Fish (Butis butis) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Herring Scad (Alepes vari) - Reef Fish
- Branch coral (Acropora florida) - Hard Corals
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Black Spinecheek Gudgeon (Eleotris melanosoma) - Reef Fish
- Yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Rock Cod (Cephalopholis formosa) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Lanternfish (Myctophum nitidulum) - Reef Fish
- Silver Javelin (Plectorhinchus gibbosus) - Reef Fish
- Peacock wrasse (Halichoeres argus) - Reef Fish
- Fig cone (Conus figulinus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Delicate Feather Star (Phanogenia gracilis)
- Bar-tailed Flathead (Platycephalus indicus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Sandy Bar, Mantanani Island
Based on average water temperature of 29.7°C, currents 12 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories