Is diving Lankayan on your bucket list? Then you’re in agreement with the experts! Lankayan Island Dive Resort is featured in the latest in the series ‘1001 Escapes To Make Before You Die’.

Highlighted in the feature is the remote privacy and beauty you will find on the island; the clarity of the azure waters where “the dive sites boast unbelievably colorful macrofauna … and regular sightings of whale sharks”

Want to start on your bucket list right away? Contact Dive The World to book your Lankayan diving holiday at Lankayan Island Dive Resort on blog@dive-the-world.com or call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794.

Have you previously had your hopes dashed of diving Sipadan because you couldn’t get a permit? With the MV Celebes Explorer your Sipadan diving permits are guaranteed! So if you want to dive Sipadan 4 days a week, then choose the only liveaboard in Malaysia.

MV Celebes Explorer is focussed on diving the best spots in Malaysia.

All you need to do is roll out of bed and into the underwater wonderworld of Sipadan to fin with hammerheads, or  discover flamboyant cuttlefish and mandarinfish while macro diving at Mabul and Kapalai.

Check out MV Celebes Explorer’s rates and our recent trip report here:

• Sipadan Permits Guaranteed on Celebes!
• Sipadan Trip Report: Celebes Explorer

Want to grab yourself some guaranteed Sipadan diving? Contact Dive The World to book your liveaboard holiday on MV Celebes Explorer at blog@dive-the-world.com or call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794.

Note: All prices quoted are per diver sharing and subject to currency fluctuations.

Sipadan, situated on the east cost of Sabah has been on every diver’s “must-do” list since receiving the thumbs up from Jacques Cousteau. If you are crazy about diving as much as possible without long boat rides in between your forays breathing under water, then liveaboards are the best option for you. So it made sense to add MV Celebes Explorer to our repertoire. The best part of the deal is that your Sipadan permits are guaranteed!

Diving Sipadan from the only liveaboard in the area alongside other divers who were boated in from surrounding resorts gave a clear picture of the advantages and disadvantages of cruising Sipadan aboard MV Celebes Explorer. Gavin Macaulay eagerly took up the challenge to experience it first-hand.

Find out whether boat trips lasting seconds rather than minutes actually can make a difference to your diving holiday. Do the service, food and accommodation measure up to resorts in the area – and does that even matter if diving is your top priority?

Read the full trip report to see for yourself:

• Ideally Placed to Explore Malaysia’s Finest Diving

Would you like to write your own MV Celebes Explorer trip report diving Sipadan? Contact Dive The World to book your liveaboard holiday at blog@dive-the-world.com or call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794.

Calling on all divers and tourists who care about the preservation of our marine life to support  Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) following a severe violation of their protected area on 14 Nov 09.

Many of you have experienced the crystalline blue waters and abundance of sea creatures at Lankayan.  These waters are part of the 46,300 hectare sanctuary patrolled by SIMCA to safeguard the biodiversity of marine life in the area.

A locally registered fishing boat with a crew of 9 Vietnamese nationals was apprehended on the evening of 14 Nov 09, but their 7 km long bottom gill net was only recovered the day after with dire consequences for many marine animals.

As there was no net onboard at the time of the arrest, the boat’s owner was initially fined a mere MYR 500 and the boat released. The SIMCA members were left with the arduous task of hauling in the heavy fish net manually.  It took them an exhausting 3 days to pull in just 4.5 km of the net!

The deadly haul from the night included: many trevally and tuna; 10 sharks – including guitar and black-tip sharks, some as long as 2m and a pregnant leopard shark; and 5 adult turtles – 4 of which were females, which is bad news for this endangered species.

They were able to save 4 leopard sharks, several stingrays, 2 guitar sharks and 6 turtles which were all set free – well done SIMCA!

News flash:
Good news is that the Sabah Fisheries Department have responded to SIMCA’s letter of complaint and there will be a hearing 1 Dec 09.
What YOU can do:
Please send a polite e-mail to Mr. Rayner Stuel Galid of the Fisheries Department, thanking him for their quick response and respectfully urging them to enforce stronger measures to safeguard SIMCA and other Marine National Parks.

Marine Protected Areas are set up to safeguard breeding grounds for marine life. Considering the devastation this vessel caused in just 1 night, we can only imagine the hidden cost to our marine environments from unseen fishing. It is imperative the government take a more proactive position  to safeguard the exquisite Sabah diving destination, which in turn will ensure the region continues to receive vital tourist dollars.

Calling all Eco-Tourists
Another way you can help is by vacationing in the area.  Yes, by taking a holiday at the Lankayan Island Dive Resort you contribute financially to the continuation of SIMCA’s mission!

So, are you dreaming of a tropical island holiday in Malaysia finning with schools of barracuda, or exploring the coral reef with clown fish? Contact Dive The World right away to book your dream Lankayan diving holiday at blog@dive-the-world.com or call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794.

Source: SIMCA

Below are some images from the incident.

Warning: they can be upsetting and are not for the faint hearted.

Looking for something to do between dives? Glass-bottom boats and kayaks are popular activities along Sabah’s coast, especially because the seas are often quite placid and teeming with sea-life, ideal requirements for both these past-times.

Sipadan Water Village on Mabul, however, has brought a unique opportunity to Sabah’s shores to experience both of these activities at the same time. It’s called the Molokini.

You’ll be forgiven if it reminds you of a glass salad bowl, but the Molokini is a canoe made entirely from a transparent polycarbonate, the same material used in the manufacturing of bullet proof glass and fighter jet canopies.

The nett result is a durable, see-through hull that turns your canoe into a giant snorkeller’s mask and allows you to see the underwater riches of Mabul’s shoreline right below your feet as you silently glide on the surface.

Paddling over coralscapes and underwater eco-systems has never before revealed so much of what’s going on below without actually getting wet.  It is a great way to share the wonders of the ocean with your non-diving buddies.

For a limited time Sipadan Water Village will be renting out the Molokini to their guests at a special rate of only RM30 per hour or RM15 for 30 minutes. It’s an affordable and fun alternative to snorkeling or plain old vanilla sea kayaking.

To find out how affordable the rest of your diving holiday will be at Sipadan Water Village at Mabul, Malaysia, contact Dive The World. Call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email blog@dive-the-world.com.

After a forum post showing shark finning on Mabul near Sipadan that we told you about on February 2nd, the diving community made enough fuss about it for the local authorities to sit up and notice.

A reporter and diver from a Malaysian national daily, New Straits Times, wrote an article about the forum thread telling of the diving community’s outrage over the photos allegedly depicting a shark finning operation on the island of Mabul, not far from Sipadan. The graphic photo from the forum appears along-side the article.

The article also outlined replies from the Director of Fisheries, who said that shark-finning, provided it fell within the fishermen’s licenses, is not illegal, whilst the Sabah Tourism Minister said protecting local resources and the image of Sabah were important.

This clearly set the inter-departmental ball rolling, because on Tuesday, a Sabah daily paper, Daily Express, published this article detailing discussions by the Semporna Tourism Action Council (STAC), which is made up of members from the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Sabah Parks, Sabah Fisheries and Sabah Tourism Board. Members from WWF Malaysia and local tourism stakeholders are also represented.

Whilst the opening paragraph of the article states that STAC is proposing a ban on shark fishing and finning, it concludes with the council rather toying with the idea of restoring the shark population to establish whether shark fishing and finning could be sustainable if guided by a National Plan of Action – in which case, they reason, banning it would not be necessary.

In the final paragraph it then says “while thanking the public for their concern, the council felt that the issue had been blown out of proportion, which could effect the local communities that depend on tourism for their livelihood.”

How does the saying go? You can’t have your shark fin and eat it?

Are you looking for a way to make your diving holiday about more than just diving? Do you want to contribute and better then marine environment?

For the 12th year running, Sipadan Water Village Resort in Sabah, Malaysia, is celebrating Mabul Marine Day and you will have a chance to make a difference.

Book your spot with Dive The World and participate in the various environmental pampering activities the resort has lined up.

The 12th Mabul Marine Day will, for the 2nd year, be the focus point of a longer celebration of Mabul Marine Week, designed to enhance the profile and message of Mabul Marine Day and give operators in the sought-after diving destination a chance to contribute.

Numerous joint activities are planned for the celebrations and to accommodate the ever-growing number of participants, activities will be hosted twice during the 2nd Mabul Marine Week on the weekends of 18-19 July and 25-26 July.

On the first day, Sipadan Water Village Resort will facilitate a sea clean-up to restore the environment. The second day centres around reef rehabilitation and coral transplanting programs. Guests will get to transplant broken coral to various damaged reefs and help accelerate reef recovery.

All bookings for Mabul at Sipadan Water Village Resort the 12th Mabul Marine Day and the 2nd Mabul Marine Week will be charged at normal rates with no surcharges for participation in the events.

If you would like to be part of this worthwhile eco-initiative, book with Dive The World by calling +66 (0)83 505 7794 or email blog@dive-the-world.com.

A picture post on the WetPixel forum showing shark finning on Mabul Island sparked an outcry from the diving community and a flurry of emails to the Sabah Department of Fisheries.

Enquiries regarding the forum thread made the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister sit up and take note.

In a SMS reply to enquiries, picked up by the Daily Express on Saturday, The Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun, acknowledged the influential power of nature lovers and how their actions could influence the tourism industry of Sabah.

The Minister said he would call for an investigation of the alleged shark finning, as well as whale processing. He also said his officials would be instructed to underscore the Ministry’s stand to the District Officer in Semporna and highlight his deep concern about these alleged controversial activities in Mabul.

In the message the Minister added “we need to be sensitive to the global views to protect our tourism industry if we want to continue attracting more foreign visitors to Sabah, especially from the high-end markets. A small mistake or even inaction could have a major repercussion on the industry.”

There has been much controversy around Sipadan recently, including a proposed resort and oceanarium development on Mabul, of which an opposition group on Facebook has garnered nearly 4,000 members.

But it’s good to know that Sabah’s Tourism Ministry takes the value of it’s eco-treasures seriously – a boon to those who want to dive the treasures of Sipadan.

Singapore is now a short flight away from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and the diving treasures that awaits at Malaysia’s top diving locations while staying in exquisite diving resorts.

You now not only have 1, but 2 options for low cost flights from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu, thanks to AirAsia’s recently established route and the new arrival to Sabah’s shores, Jet Star.

With 2 daily flights between them able to bring Singapore based divers to Kota Kinabalu, access to Sabah’s diving is that much easier.

Check out their individual websites now for cheap flights and then contact Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or email us at blog@dive-the-world.com to take advantage of the magnificent diving to be had at the other end of your low cost flight.

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort, built over a shallow reef and a sandbank, has built, yes that’s right, built an island.

No longer do guests have to feel stranded on a wooden platform, because sand between their toes is just a short stroll away.

The island is built on an extremity of the resort, so there is water lapping all around and, for the most part, has uninterrupted views out over the sea.

It’s the ideal place from where to enjoy those legendary Sabah sunsets after your third dive, and with a mobile bar provided, a good time is to be had by all.

November and December is the perfect time to check out this and other facilities at Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort with our 10% discount offer for your perfect diving holiday.

Low Season 8 days 7 nights with 20 dives
Price: Was US$ 1,582 Now US$ 1,424 Save US$ 316 per couple

Includes: Accommodation on a twin-sharing basis, breakfast, lunch and dinner, return transfers from Tawau Airport to the resort. If you are a single diver, either share with another diver, or pay a single supplement for your own bungalow. For non-divers, a 20% discount is applicable to the rate.

Diving Includes: Boat rides, dives, night diving and unlimited shore dives, English-speaking dive masters, tanks, weights and weightbelts and park fees.

Diving Excludes: Diving equipment, which can be rented upon arrival.

To book, contact Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or email: blog@dive-the-world.com.