Mabul Island

"Mabul" redirects here. For the Israeli film, see Mabul (film).

Mabul Island
Location of Mabul Island in Darvel Bay
Mabul Island Location of Mabul Island in Darvel Bay
Coordinates: 4°14′45″N 118°37′52″E / 4.24583°N 118.63111°E / 4.24583; 118.63111
Country	Malaysia
State	Sabah

Mabul is a small island off the south-eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysia. The island has been a fishing village since the 1970s. Then in the 1990s, it first became popular to divers due to its proximity to Sipadan island.

Located 15 km from Sipadan, this 20-hectare piece of land surfaces 2–3 meters above sea level, consists mostly flat grounds and aerial view is oval-shaped. Surrounding it are sandy beaches, perched on the northwest corner of a larger two square kilometre reef.

Mabul island is administered by Semporna, Tawau district.

Native Community

There are 2 main villages on the island i.e. "Kampung Mabul" and "Kampung Musu". From 1999 census, it was recorded that there are approximately 2000 villagers living in Mabul, half of them children below 14 years old. The majority are immigrants from relatively nearby clusters of islands of the southern Philippines. They are mainly Bajau Laut and Suluk Muslims who live a nomadic lifestyle.

Basic amenities include a mosque, schools, community and fishermen hall. The main transportation mode from one point to another is by boat.

Mainly fishermen, the village source of income depends on sea products such as squid and fish. Traditional fishing methods are called "Payau" and "Sangkaliya". Mabul fishermen prefers catches close to the Malaysia-Philippines borders, perhaps due to its abundance. An average fishing trip will take 3–5 days out in the sea. When the men return, their catches are being sold in the mainland, Semporna.

It was said that Mabul was owned by a man from Menampilik island. Back in the 1970s, he and the villagers then used to plant coconuts on the island, apart from fishing. Later in 1992, Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) purchased a part of land on the east of Mabul intended for tourism.

Diving Mabul

It is more correctly recognised now that the reason for the quality of the MUCK Diving is simply a result of overfishing uses of cyanide and dynamite by the local people of this area.

The reef is on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef slopes out to 25 to 30 m deep. There are several dive resorts operating on Mabul island.

Mabul is arguably one of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world. Flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus and bobtail squids are just a few of the numerous types of cephalopods to be found on Mabul's reef.

Many types of gobies can be found including the spike-fin goby, black sail-fin goby and metallic shrimp goby. Frogfish are everywhere -giant, painted and clown frogfish are regularly seen along with almost the whole scorpion fish family.^[1]

There are six resorts here, which provides accommodation for scuba divers - most located on the island or on stilts over the water, while one is on a converted oil platform about 500 meters from the beach. There are also several homestay & backpacker accommodations which also arrange diving. All of the resorts/homestays can arrange a day trip to the nearby island of Pulau Sipadan. Be warned that there is a permit system for Sipadan and all permits may be booked months in advance. Diving is good around Mabul itself there is a good wall at Panglima and the best muck diving sites are called Paradise. There is good diving at Kapalai especially the house reef.

Transportation

By Air Flights to Tawau Airport, the nearest airport to Mabul, from Kota Kinabalu take 55 minutes. From Kuala Lumpur it takes 2 and a half hours to get to Tawau, you then need to take a bus, taxi or minivan from Tawau airport to Semporna and from the jetty take a boat organised by your dive operators or resort to the Island.

References

↑ Sipadan, Mabul Kapali, - Sabah's underwater treasure, published by Natural History Publications.

External links

Coordinates: 4°14′45″N 118°37′52″E / 4.24583°N 118.63111°E / 4.24583; 118.63111

Islands of Sabah

Adal Ampak-Ampak Bai Baik Bait Bakau-Bakau Bakubang Bakungan Bakungan Kecil Balak Balambangan Balangkasan Balundangan Kecil Balungang Besar Balusuan Bangan-Bangan Banggi Bankawan Bangkuruan Batawan Batik Batik Kulambu Batu Laya-Laya Berhala Bilangan Billean Bingkulan Bisa Bodgaya Bohayan Boheydulang Bonting Bum Bum Bush Buwaning Daisy Danawan Daunan Delconte Dewa Dinawan Di Tg. Batai Di Tg. Pendaras Engot Evans Gaya Gatahan Guhuan Utara Gulisan Gusong Gusungan Hutan Rimba Jambongan Kabili Kahamkamman Kalampunian Kalampunian Besar Kalampunian Damit Kalangaan Kalapuan Kalumpang Kalungan Kalung Kalungan Kanawi Kaniogan Kapalai Kawan Kelautan Keramuk Keremat Kukuban Laila Lakatan Landayang Lankayan Langaan Lambidan Larapan Latoan Leonan Libaran Ligitan Lihak-Lihak Lihiman Limau Limauan Linkabo Lingisan Lungisan Lubukan Mabahok Mabul Maganting Maiga Majinkil Malawali Maliangin Besar Maliangin Kecil Malundangan Mamutik Mandag-Mandag Mandidarah Mangkalai Darat Mangkalai Laut Mantabuan Mantanani Manukan Mataking Mataking Kecil Mata Pahi Mati Menampilek Mengalum Merigi Modom Montokud Musa Nunuyan Darat Nunuyan Laut Nusa Kuya Nusa Tengah Omadal Pababag Pagassan Pakil Palak Pandan-Pandan Pandanan Pandawan Panimbawan Panukaran Papahan Pasir Patanunam Peduk Penampangan Plompong Pom Pom Puno Puno Puru Puru Sabangkat Saddle Saga Sakar Salakan Sand Sandy Sangai Sapi Sarangga Sebangkat Sebatik Sedam Selangan Selingan Sepanggar Si Amil Sibuon Sikarindingan Silawa Silogong Silumpat Silungun Simandalan Simial Sinamgil Sinjataan Sipadan Sipanggau Sipindung Sisipan Straggler Sulug Sulok Sungor Tabawan Tabilian Tabun Tagabua Tagujawan Tambisan Tambulian Tango Tanjung Tanjung Tiga Papan Tatagan-Tatagan Tegipil Tetagan Torongohok Terumbu Eberett Tetabuan Tibakan Tiga Tigabu Tigowis Tikus Timba Timba Timbang Timbun Mata Timur Tiong Kecil Tree Rock Udar Kecil Udar Besar Usukan

Source: List of islands in Sabah (Page 53/61)

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