Sipadan Island: Hanging Gardens

As the name suggests, this pretty dive site has a profusion of colourful soft corals; some shaped like cauliflower plants and even grape-like shapes growing from under hangs along the wall.

The reef top is about 6 metres and plunges steeply to the depths. Here, you will encounter colourful crowds of reef fish such as butterfly fish, angelfish, squirrelfish, boxfish and lots of nudibranches. Friendly sweetlips and groupers will curiously check out divers - great for underwater photography. Small ledges encountered usually have small shrimps wedged between bubble coral, fire tail gobis darting about their burrows and the occasional lobster peering out between crevices. As the site is located on the western part of the island, dives should be in the afternoon, with better sunlight penetration. The soft corals come alive and extend their body size by almost three times when currents sweep the reef all providing a breathtaking view.

# posted by kamals @ 10:28 AM