Pandanan island

Pandanan Island is in the northeast of Semporna, near the western waters of Madjing, and boasts stunning scenery. The island is home to friendly military police who keep watch over the sea and relax in hammocks in the woods. The beach, where the white sand blends into the blue sea, is a particularly charming feature, with its dry branches transformed into snow-white by wind and sun, adding to the island’s unique landscape.

Fly Malaysia Airlines from your hometown to Tawau with stops in either Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur. Upon arrival in Tawau, you’ll be met by the Arcadia Resort transportation team and taken to Semporna (1 hour). Finally, a speed boat will take you to Pandanan Island in an additional 45 minutes.

How to get to Pulau Pandanan snorkeling spot?

Pandanan Island, in the Celebes Sea, is entirely surrounded by a coral reef. Along the western side of the island, the reef is majestically covered with hard corals and populated by an interesting amount of fish with the occasional sight of green turtles. Pandanan Island is located in the Celebes Sea, just a 40 minutes boat ride from Semporna, Borneo.

There are two main ways to access this spot:

To participate in a snorkeling tour organized by the nearby resorts of Mataking, Pom Pom and Mabul, or via the tour operators located in Semporna harbor. Snorkeling tours usually combine snorkeling in Pandanan and Timba Timba.
To stay at Arcadia Beach Resort, Pulau Pandanan only resort. With this option, the reef will be free for you to explore from the shore.

Pulau Pandanan snorkeling exploration tips

This spot is densely covered by hard corals (clubbed finger, starlet, finger, and staghorn corals) but also presents a good variety of fish which includes angelfish, threadfin butterflyfish, brown chromis, sergeants, and black triggerfish. Green turtles are occasionally spotted although less frequently than in neighboring Sipadan Island.

The corals are denser towards the shore and become more scattered on the open ocean until leaving room for a sandy seabed. Exploit the current and let it drift you alongside the shore keeping it on your left. You would want to stick to the area that has an average deepness of 3 to 10 ft/1 to 3 meters, this is where the fish is more abundant and the colorful corals make for good photo opportunities. Visibility and difficulty conditions are dependent on the conditions you will find, there is little protection from the island hence the water can get rough at times.

Water entrance for snorkeling Pulau Pandanan

If you are on a snorkeling tour, you will enter the water from the boat following the instructions of your guide, based on currents and conditions.If you stay at Arcadia Beach Resort, you will enter the water from shore. Check the sea conditions with the resort’s dive club

Length Of Visit

Many divers find that one to two weeks of diving around Pandanan, Matking, and Pompom islands is sufficient for their needs and satisfaction.

Fresh Water

Pandanan Island offers ample fresh water with no usage restrictions. A large freshwater container is available for cleaning cameras, and multiple rinse bins are available for dive gear.

Equatorial

As Pandanan Island is located near the equator, it is not known to have fairly uniform temperatures ranging from 27°C to 32°C. Also, the information about the humidity level is not specified in my training data.

Clothing

Attire on Pandanan Island is very casual, with light cotton clothing such as t-shirts and shorts being appropriate. There are no dress restrictions on the island.

Currency & Credit Cards

The currency used on Pandanan Island is the Malaysia Ringgit

Pandanan island