Sibuan Island

Sibuan Island is located at the North of the Semporna Marine Park. Looking through Google Earth, Sibuan shaped like a chilli.

This island has a land area of 15 hectares and very flat covered with coconut trees. The coconut trees are grown in neat rows indicating the trees are systematically planted by human and not grew up by themselves.

Judging by the height of the tree, the coconuts trees are at least 60 over years old. That was after First World War and base on my history knowledge of Tawau, at that time the Japanese are doing coconut planting in vast area in this part of Sabah (North Borneo at that time). The Japanese farmers all evacuated from Sabah after the Second War World. Their agriculture property "confesticated" by UN and taken over by local Chinese.

But was Sibuan Island a Japanese coconut plantation 60 over years ago ??

Sibuan At one time the economy of the island was based on the coconut plantation – an old copra production shed was seen in 1980 (Piper, 1981). The plantation is no longer actively managed, but there is some harvesting of coconuts judging by the piles of discarded husks. A small plot of maize was seen close to the huts in 1999, but otherwise there is no cultivation. http://www.sempornaislandsproject.com

I am very impressed by Sibuan's beauty of white sandy beach and swaying coconut trees dotted with some fisherman stilt wooden houses.

It is not surprising that in the Internet reckon Sibuan Island the most beautiful island in the Celebes Sea.

The huts are temporary home of Bajau Laut fishermen. Huts made with mangrove/coconut posts and thatched with plaited coconut leaves.

There are only 10 over houses/huts on the island. How nice if I have a house to live in such an peaceful and charming environment. But....

.....most people left the settlement present on Pulau Sibuan in 1999 after a pirate raid in 2000. http://www.townplanning.sabah.gov.my

Sibuan is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful islands in the Celebes Sea, and has the most beautiful beach closest to the mainland Semporna. Allister Lee AQUATASTIC http://www.allisterlee.com/2010/10/sibuan-island.html

Sibuan southern end has a deeper water channel allowing speed boats to come in even in low tide.

Sibuan Island is a popular training ground for PADI Open Water Dive Course.

This is also the reason why we came to this island, the boat we follow is the boat for a group of Diving learners and their instructors who come to the island for diving training.

Sibuan Island is part of Tun Sakaran Marine Park, a public marine park set up only several years ago by Malaysian Government for both tourism and marine protection.

Several kilometers from Sibuan Island are seaweed farms in the middle of the sea. Seaweed farms provide economy improvement to the local people, an Endeavour of Malaysian Government to help remove poverty of the locality.