Sipadan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising

600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed. It is located in
the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It
was formed by living corals growing on top of an
extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to
develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo
Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine
habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish
and hundreds of coral species have been classified in
this ecosystem.
Sipadan Island was at the top of Rodale's Scuba Diving
Magazine Gold List for 'The Top Dive Destination in
the World'. In fact it shared its top spot with 2 other
destinations known for the diversity of their marine life
the Galpagos Islands and Truk in Micronesia.

Frequently seen

Hawksbill Turtle.

in the waters
around Sipadan:
green and
hawksbill
[1]

turtles
(which mate
and nest there),
enormous
schools of
barracuda in
tornadolike
formations as well as large schools of bigeye trevally,
and bumphead parrotfish. Pelagic species such as manta
rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and
whale sharks also visit Sipadan.
A turtle tomb lies underneath the column of the island,
formed by an underwater limestone cave with a

labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain

many skeletal remains of turtles that become lost
and drown
before finding the surface.

[2]

Location of Sipadan Island in Darvel Bay

Sipadan Island

Sipadan Isla

Location of Sipadan Island in Darvel Bay

Coordinates: 4652.86N 1183743.52E

Country
State

Malaysia
Sabah

1/3

History
In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. The matter was
brought for adjudication before the International Court of Justice and, at the end of 2002, the Court awarded
the island along with the island of Ligitan to Malaysia, on the basis of the "effective occupation" displayed by
the latter's predecessor (Malaysia's former colonial power, the United Kingdom) and the absence
[3]

of any other superior title. The Philippines 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.
The island was declared a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the colonial government of North Borneo and regazetted
in 1963 by the Malaysian government.

[4]

In his film Borneo: The Ghost of the Sea Turtle (1989)

[5]

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."

[6]

Filipino militant attacks

On 23 April 2000, 21 people were kidnapped by the Filipino Moro pirate group Abu Sayyaf. The armed
terrorists arrived by boat and forced 10 tourists and 11 resort workers at gun point to board the vessels and
brought the victims to Jolo. All of the victims were eventually released.