Blue Paradise: Diving Sites I'll Never Forget

Every diver I know can remember perfectly when he or she caught the diving bug. For some it's when they first put on a wetsuit, for others it doesn't happen until they see their first underwater fish. For me, personally, it only happened on my 3rd dive, when I saw a great white shark during a cage diving session I took part. Witnessing this incredible creature that had been part of my consciousness ever since I saw "Jaws" as a teenager was truly a life-changing experience. Far from being terrified, I couldn't wait to get back into the water for more.

I'm telling you this because, as an experienced diver with over 400 dives to my name, that feeling has never really gone away. It's something that I've successfully passed on to my children in the hopes that they too will get to see the things I've seen in all my driving adventures. This level of experience has also made approach to diving a little differently. Whereas once upon a time I would've scoured the world, trying to dive in as many different places as possible, nowadays I prefer taking my sweet time and getting the most out a select number of locations before moving on. To that end, the only two places where I've spent considerable time this year are in Malaysia. Both were new to me despite being internationally known as diving hotspots, and both left a mark that won't soon be erased.

The first was Sipadan Island, which, as you may know, sky-rocketed to fame after French explorer Jacques Costeau raved about it in his film "Borneo: The Ghost of the Sea Turtle". And indeed, the area around the island is prime for diving, featuring some of the most diverse marine life you're likely to encounter this side of the Galapagos Islands. Sipadan itself doesn't have any accommodation options, so you'll have to book a room at one of the nearby resorts on Mabul Island. Once you're there, however, there's no limit to how often you can go diving and how many dive spots you can visit.

In my first day, I went to explore Barracuda Point, a treasured spot located off the island's north coast. Almost instantly I found myself surrounded by a swirling vortex of blacktail barracuda, the likes of which I had never before encountered in such massive numbers. There must've been several thousand swimming around me, thus creating one of those amazing moments that divers live for. After that it was time to visit Turtle Cavern. Now, this place was once believed to be a sort of mausoleum for turtles, who presumably came here at the end of their lives to meet their maker. In recent years, however, scientists have debunked these claims, saying that it's simply a matter of them getting lost in the complex system of interconnected caverns. Whatever the case, you'll get to see the skeletons of turtles who've met their demise here, which makes for a rather spooky attraction indeed.

Sure enough, after my time in Sipadan was over I was itching to get back into the water. So I took a trip to Layang Layang, a resort island that shares its name with a nearby atoll. Here I could enjoy all of modern life's amenities while still being a stone's throw away from one of Mother Nature's most stunning dives. Now, it must be said that the atoll itself isn't large, but it does encompass no less than 13 linked coral reefs. Needless to say, this translates into an amazingly rich coral life, one teeming with all sorts of colorful species. My personal favorite has to be the hammerhead shark, the sight of which instantly brought back memories of that faithful day when I had my first shark encounter so many years ago. And indeed, this incredible-looking creature is found in large numbers in Layang Layang, particularly in and around the aptly-named Shark's Cave. This is also the place to go to if you want to see other big fish in action, including the likes of giant frogfish and dogtooth tuna.

All in all, I treasure the two aforementioned diving experiences deeply. Malaysia truly is a diver's paradise, and I am fortunate to have spent my last vacation over there. Maybe next year I'll be able to bring the kids along and we can have a nice family outing as well. One thing's for certain, though: knowing me, I'll be back in my wetsuit in no time.
Photo Credit:

Barracuda Point: Bobby San Buenaventura

Hammerhead Shark: Jeff Litton