Kapalai is a fantastic holiday destination. Although it is called an island, it is actually a large sandbar on Ligitan Reef. There is a very exclusive resort with beautiful villas built on stilts. Kapalai used to be a real island, covered with vegetation, but over the last few hundred years it has become submerged. There are no beaches, although at low tide you can walk across the sand bar and sunbathe on the circular artificial beach. Kapalai is all about snorkelling and diving.
The best dive sites in Kapalai Island are Kapalai House Reef, Mid Reef, Siu Siu Point, Little Okinawa, Black Ray Channel, Kapalai Rock, Gurnard Ground and Cleaning Station. The list of critters you can see at Kapalai is almost endless. They include nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, scorpion leaf fish and many more. These amazing creatures are often hidden in the corners of the reef, so remember to look beyond the blue. Keep an eye out for frogfish, mandarin fish, ghost pipefish and crab eye gobies. The blue ringed octopus and wonder octopus, both masters of disguise, can be found hiding in the nooks and crannies of Kapalai. Some of the more interesting looking cuttlefish such as the flamboyant, papuan and reaper cuttlefish have been known to make an appearance.
Kapalai is available all year round. The best time is from April to June. Visibility around Sipadan is over 30 metres. From May to August you may also be lucky enough to be on the beach at the time of turtle nesting.