Seahorse Sipadan Scuba

I come back every year without fail, and it’s a must, especially in April or May when the water is crystal clear. Book early, though. The staff are very friendly and it feels like home. You can jump into the water from the deck, and there’s cheap fresh seafood. It’s all here.

I really liked having a spacious deck to hang out on between dives and at night. The hospitality and staff at Seahorse Sipadan Scuba were superb, and it almost felt like home. I took their 5d4n full-board dive package. Food choices are limited but tasty, the rooms are clean and comfortable, and the dive equipment is well maintained. I’ll definitely be back!

Seahorse is on Mabul’s southwest side, like several other operators, with wooden facilities raised on poles over the water. It offers full-board accommodation and scuba diving and snorkeling trips around Mabul. It advertises Sipadan dives, but doesn’t go there itself. Instead, it forwards guests to operators that are allowed to visit. The platform is a nice place to hang out and jump into the water. The facilities are very clean, better than basic but certainly not luxury. Meals are a simple, tasty Malay buffet, and the scuba equipment is in good condition. The big groups of Chinese beginner divers made this an absolute no for me. There’s only one boat going out for diving or snorkeling, so you’re stuck with that group and likely to visit beginner-friendly shallow sites, without the exceptional stuff. Unlike other operators, Seahorse doesn’t visit sites near Kapalai. My request for a second boat was declined. The groups also take over the space, are loud and voracious at the buffet. It wasn’t fun. Other drawbacks: walls between rooms are paper-thin, the floor shakes when someone walks by, and you can hear what’s happening next door. The compressor is noisy during the day, and the tap water is salty. I’ve heard other places have salty water too because they use groundwater. At low tide the water around the place is gone, so you can’t swim and the captain struggles to get the boat in and out. Staff confirmed Hotlink/Maxis mobile service works poorly here, though it’s great just outside the gate. And Wi-Fi? I don’t think so. Don’t get tricked by the Sipadan permits. You need to book one of the limited permits to dive there. If you arrive without one booked, they might say a permit is available only in a few days, so you’d have to stay longer to wait for the day you booked. I suggest coming here and asking several operators about permits for the next few days. It worked well for other travelers, who got a permit for the next day “surprisingly,” even though I’d booked what I was told was the “only available permit” earlier.

The friendly staff are really helpful, and this place feels like home to me.