Turtle Cavern (Turtle Tomb) – cavern, qualification needed
Turtle Cavern, also called Turtle Tomb, is a small cave system in the Drop Off wall where turtles are said to have lost their way and drowned; skeletons of turtles and other animals lie inside. The entrance is at about 18–22 m (sources differ) and giant groupers often wait outside. Sabah Parks states that cavern diving needs specialist training and equipment and that divers must be accompanied by a local divemaster. Most recreational divers stay on the outer wall, where green and hawksbill turtles are frequent.
Facts
- Region: Malaysia – Sipadan & Semporna
- Area: Sipadan Island
- Depth: 18–30 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: cave, wall
- Coordinates: 4.1147, 118.6314 (approximate)
- Highlights: green turtle, hawksbill turtle, giant grouper, turtle skeletons
- Permit: A Sabah Parks permit is required for every day on Sipadan. Independent diving is not allowed: permits are booked by licensed dive operators/resorts and issued at Sabah Parks' discretion; the daily quota is shared between operators (176 per day since 2019 per Wikipedia and Scuba Junkie; some 2026 operator notices cite about 252 – confirm). Divers need at least Advanced Open Water. Park fees on the Sabah Parks site: scuba diving RM 350 (foreigners) / RM 250 (Malaysians) plus a conservation fee of RM 100 / RM 50. Dive operators can book up to six months ahead. Sipadan was closed to divers for all of November 2023 and some operators state this is repeated every November – check before booking.
- Issuer / contact: Sabah Parks – Sipadan Island Park
- Phone: +60 88-523500
- Email: hello@sabahparks.org.my
- Website: https://www.sabahparks.org.my/contact-us
- Sabah Parks head office (Kota Kinabalu); Sipadan Island Park office in Semporna: +60 89-782039. Permits are booked by licensed dive operators, not by individual divers (https://www.sabahparks.org.my/services/diving-sipadan.
- Unverified: Published guides name this site but do not give its position; the marker is placed roughly off the island and does not show the real side or spot.
- Tips: Entering needs cavern/cave training and a local divemaster (Sabah Parks); without it stay outside on the wall. Sipadan itself needs Advanced Open Water and a Sabah Parks permit booked through your operator.