Diving @ Sipadan

Carbon dioxide vents, increased water temperature due to industrialization and climate change, homo sapiens’ gastronomical demands for sushi, an increase in eco-marine tourism, pollution… and the list goes on and on for reasons why our seas and marine life lay at the brink of destruction and death.

Senility, disease, high-speed travel, criminal activities that abound, natural calamities and disasters may also be some reason why my person too may be poised at the threshold of extinction.

These are just some morbid thoughts that intensify my determination to get to the bottom of the blue sea and enjoy God’s marvelous creation, which I only can view by donning my scuba gear. Unwittingly it is also one way to escape the morose feelings while overlooking the fact that one malfunction of my equipment in the depths or a famished shark could abruptly end my jaunt as well.

Admittedly this is not the best way to introduce an album. It was purposely done to give balance to the beauty and thrill that the photos were meant to portray. Beauty is better appreciated when it stands in stark contrast with the sinister.

check out number 3. Barracuda point is one of the dozens of dive sites around Sipadan island.

each number corresponds to a trip... all were plane rides except for #3 which was by boat from sandakan malaysia to zamboanga philippines.

Suvarnabhummi airport this was my first time to depart from this airport at daytime and i had the chance to take some photos.

nice cloud formation to KL

malaysia is nothing but palm trees

airport to KL train link

F1 racing crazed malaysians

awe inspiring petronas twin towers

1st class accommodations at KLIA-LCCT

the atm that won't give me money :(

getting used to malaysian currency

KL to Sabah... mt. kinabalu summit over the clouds. I'll climb you someday.

bus from tawau to semporna

semporna jetty

my first dinner at semporna...the chef was a batangeno. 25 ringgit

holiday dive inn where i stayed

Sipadan Scuba dive shop

inside the shop

aerial view of sipadan isle and reef

dive-site map

first day of diving did it at two islands 

2 boats to mantabuan

230-horse power

mantabuan beach

before the dive

Ingrid demonstrating the basics of underwater photography

frog fish

did drift diving here between the islands

gold spotted flat worm

a decommissioned oil rig now its a hotel.

I'd rather stay in these sea houses

muck diving at mabul

artificial reefs... batfish

with Florian doing wreck diving

300 ft there behind jun.

going over the days activities

dive buddy alex (french)

the jump sequence - back flip

last check...

the big splash

approaching sipadan island

another side of sipadan

dive buddies sandy (US) and florian (Ger)

ali (bisdak) and michelle (UK)... they just got married 6 months ago.

Ingrid (Austrian) my dive instructor showing off my advanced open water diver certificate after passing the oral exams.

on the boat to zamboanga

catching up on sleep

basilan island... abu sayaf territory

sun setting over sabah borneo

sunset afterglow