Seaventures Dive Resort, Mabul and Kapalai
Explore Sipadan and Mabul from the world’s one and only dive rig - a retired oil platform turned resort
per person, full board
Overview
Green Fins silver Member
This resort is committed to sustainable practices. Staying here helps protect the oceans and our natural world. Learn more about Green Fins
- Unique converted accommodation - the ultimate recycling project
- Fun and friendly “by divers, for divers” atmosphere, ideal for social guests
- Unlimited diving on the house reef, right beneath the resort
- Support for tec diving - including courses, facilities for gear, and rental rebreathers
Seaventures is a unique dive resort with outstanding facilities for scuba students and divers of all skill and comfort levels, as well as a fantastic team - dedicated to safety and comfort both above and below water. Located on a refurbished oil rig off Sabah’s northeast coast, this resort provides the perfect base for exploring the region’s exceptional diving. Enjoy easy access to both Mabul and Sipadan, as well as local muck and macro hotspots, and the house reef beneath the rig’s massive metal platform base. Seaventures is the only hotel of its kind, offering a ‘by divers, for divers’ approach in one of the planet’s most sought after destinations - complete with eco-conscious operations and all the comforts of home.
Rooms
Standard room
1 x Double bed or 2 x twin beds, sleeps 2
Air conditioning, Ensuite bathroomfrom $210 /night
Resort checklist
Meal plans:
- Full Board
Diving in Mabul and Kapalai
TurtlesYear round
TrevallyYear round
Rare OctopusNot frequently
Exotic cuttlefishNot frequently
Clown frogfishYear round
Giant frogfishYear round
MandarinfishNot frequently
SeahorseNot frequently
Unique crabs & shrimpsNot frequently
Exotic NudisYear round
Artificial reefsYear round
Ghost pipefishNot frequently
Update Oct 2023 - The nearby island of Sipadan will be closed for the month of November every year in order to give the reefs and marine life a respite from dive tourism
Mabul and Kapalai can be summed up in one word - ‘muck’! At Mabul Island and Kapalai, diving is all about diversity and interesting critters, rather than great visibility and big fish. Although there are some interesting reefs, they are not a patch on those of Sipadan nearby. But the mix of different habitats around Mabul and Kapalai means a great diversity of life and these islands have become well known for unusual species and ‘muck’ critters. There are even artificial reefs around Mabul and Kapalai that have attracted a great deal of life - including giant groupers for those that need their big fish fix!
A typical dive on Mabul or Kapalai might mean hunting for leaf scorpionfish, frogfish, ribbon eels, different crustaceans and ghost pipefish. Blue ring octopus are also commonly found here. The sheltered sandy bays are home to more sought after ‘muck’ critters including the elusive mimic octopus, Ambon scorpionfish, frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, sea horses and some unusual nudibranchs. Wherever you dive, you will encounter amazing numbers of reef fish, schooling snappers and goatfish, sting rays and gobies in the sand, anemones in the shallows with their resident ‘Nemos’, and - this being Sabah - passing turtles.
