Permit system
How snorkeller permits are allocated from the same daily quota.
Permit guideThe daily quota covers everyone in the water, not just divers. Snorkelling Sipadan means booking a package months ahead exactly as divers do — and the reef flat where you will spend your time is genuinely worth it.
Yes, and it requires the same Sabah Parks permit divers need. A share of the daily quota is set aside for snorkellers, but it comes out of the same fixed total, is allocated to the same licensed operators, and must be reserved through a package in advance. You cannot turn up in Semporna and snorkel Sipadan.
This surprises people. Snorkelling feels like the casual option, and at most destinations it is. At Sipadan it carries the same booking lead time, the same cost structure and the same November closure as diving does. Plan it the same way.
The practical consequence: if you are travelling with divers, book the snorkelling package at the same time they book theirs. Snorkeller permits on a given day are limited and adding one later is often impossible.
No certification needed, but you should be a confident swimmer. This is open ocean over a wall, entering from a boat, often with current. Life jackets are provided and guides are attentive, but it is not a lagoon.
Sipadan's reef flat sits between roughly three and eight metres before the wall drops away, and that shallow shelf is where snorkellers spend their time. It is one of the better snorkelling shelves anywhere, but it is worth being clear about what carries to the surface and what does not.
Turtles, reliably. Green and hawksbill turtles feed on the reef flat and surface to breathe. This is the encounter snorkellers come for and it delivers — turtles at arm's length, in numbers, on almost every trip.
Reef fish in volume. Anthias, butterflyfish, parrotfish, triggerfish and wrasse over healthy hard coral. Visibility from the surface is typically excellent.
Bumphead parrotfish. Early morning on the reef flat, in groups. Audible before they are visible.
The wall edge. You can float over the drop-off and look down into open blue, which is the moment most snorkellers remember. Sharks and larger schools are usually deeper than you can meaningfully see.
What you will miss. The barracuda tornadoes form at depth. Grey reef sharks patrol the deeper wall. Turtle Cavern is a diving feature. Roughly speaking, snorkelling gives you the reef and the turtles; diving gives you the pelagics and the structure.
Per person, twin sharing, including accommodation, full board, transfers from Tawau, guided boat snorkelling, life jackets, and Sipadan permits for the days stated.
| Package | Sipadan days | Off-peak | Peak | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4D3N Sipadan Snorkelling | 1 | RM3,090 | RM3,230 | RB-4D3N-BD (SS) |
| 5D4N Sipadan Snorkelling | 1 | RM3,700 | RM3,880 | RB-5D4N-BD (SS) |
| 6D5N Sipadan Snorkelling Two permit days | 2 | RM4,820 | RM5,050 | RB-6D5N-BD (SS) |
| Package | Sipadan days | Off-peak | Peak | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D2N Mabul / Kapalai Snorkelling | — | RM1,880 | RM1,980 | RB-3D2N-BD-NSS |
| 4D3N Mabul / Kapalai Snorkelling | — | RM2,680 | RM2,820 | RB-4D3N-BD-NSS |
| 5D4N Mabul / Kapalai Snorkelling | — | RM3,420 | RM3,600 | RB-5D4N-BD-NSS |
Three guided boat snorkelling sessions daily at 08:30, 10:30 and 14:00, plus unlimited house reef snorkelling from the jetty. Solo travellers pay a 40% single supplement. Children 3 to 11 sharing with two adults pay 50% of the non-Sipadan snorkelling rate — but child rates do not apply to Sipadan days. Full terms on the packages page.
Both options put you on the same boats with the same guides. The difference is whether a Sipadan permit day is included.
You are travelling with divers and want to share the same days rather than wait ashore. You want turtles at close range in numbers you will not see elsewhere in Malaysia. You are a confident open-water swimmer who will use all three daily sessions. Or Sipadan itself is the point of the trip — in which case take the 6D5N, because two permit days cost far less added now than they do regretted later.
You want maximum water time for the budget. At RM1,880 for 3D2N you get shallow reef, the artificial reef structures, and unlimited house reef snorkelling — Kapalai's sandbar in particular is exceptional shallow snorkelling, and Mabul's house reef holds macro life that most people never see. Add a Sipadan day later if permits allow. See Mabul island and Kapalai.
The upgrade worth pricing. If you are snorkelling only because you are not certified, the gap between snorkelling and diving packages is roughly RM1,100. Getting Open Water and Advanced certified before you travel costs more than that, but it changes the trip completely — the tornadoes, the wall and the cavern are all below snorkelling depth. The route from uncertified to Sipadan-ready is mapped in diving Sipadan as a beginner.
No. Snorkellers come out of the same daily Sabah Parks quota as divers and must book through a licensed operator in advance.
From RM3,090 per person twin sharing for 4D3N with one Sipadan day, up to RM5,050 for 6D5N with two days in peak season.
Green and hawksbill turtles reliably and at close range, dense reef fish over healthy hard coral, bumphead parrotfish early morning, and the wall edge dropping into blue. Barracuda tornadoes and reef sharks are generally too deep.
Yes, sharing a room with two adults, but child discounts do not apply to Sipadan days — under-12s visiting Sipadan pay the full adult package rate.
Not really. Entries are from a boat into open water over a wall, often with current. Life jackets are provided and guides supervise, but confident swimming is expected.
Different rather than better. Sipadan has more turtles and the drop-off edge. Mabul and Kapalai give you more water time for the money, with shallow reef and artificial structures. Most snorkellers on a Sipadan package spend the majority of their trip at Mabul and Kapalai anyway.
Mixed groups travel together on the same schedule. Send your dates and group makeup and we will check permits for everyone at once.
Get dates & price See all packages