Paradise
Paradise 1 and Paradise 2are excellent sunset and night dive spots famous for their mandarinfish mating.
Paradise 1 and Paradise 2 are Mabul's sunset appointment. These shallow, calm sites — 5 to 10 metres, kind to every certification level — are famous for one of diving's great small spectacles: mandarinfish mating at dusk. As the light drops, the most flamboyantly painted fish in the ocean rise out of the rubble in pairs, cheek to cheek, for a few seconds at a time. Photographers wait motionless with red lights; everyone surfaces grinning. Maratua Paradise Resort is written up separately, rates and rooms included.
Paradise by day
By day the sites are honest, easy Mabul diving: seagrass and rubble patches hiding pipefish and gobies, anemone cities, and the general small-stuff density this island is known for. The shallow depth means long, unhurried dives — 70 minutes is routine — which is exactly what you want when the subjects are the size of your thumb.
Mandarin fish at dusk — book it deliberately
Our practical advice: book Paradise as your dusk dive deliberately rather than hoping it lands there in the rotation, and tell the dive centre it's the mandarinfish you're after — timing the entry to the last half-hour of light is everything. Pair it with the House Reef or Crocodile Avenue earlier in the day and you've had Mabul in one afternoon.
Contact us to dive at Paradise
- Depth
- 5-10 metres
- Visibility
- 10 metres (33 feet)
- Location
- North East of Sipadan Island.
| Dive site | Min depth | Max depth | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocodile Avenue | 5m 16ft | 20m 66ft | OW |
| Lobster Wall | 25m 82ft | 40m 131ft | OW |
| Ray Point | 5m 16ft | 15m 49ft | OW |
| Seaventures | 12m 39ft | 18m 59ft | OW |
| House Reef | 10m 33ft | 15m 49ft | OW |
| Eel Garden | 5m 16ft | 25m 82ft | OW |
| Froggy Lair | 5m 16ft | 10m 33ft | OW |
| Paradise | 5m 16ft | 10m 33ft | OW |
Divers: book your Sipadan permits in advance!