Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising about 600 metres from the seabed in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, built up by living corals growing on an extinct volcanic cone. The surrounding waters hold one of the richest marine habitats in the Indo-Pacific, with more than 400 fish species and hundreds of coral species, and the island has been a leading scuba diving destination since the 1980s. It was first declared a bird sanctuary in 1933, re-gazetted in 1963, and the surrounding waters were established as Sipadan Island Park, a roughly 16,860-hectare marine reserve under Sabah Parks classified as IUCN Category II; in 2004 the resorts that had operated on the island were closed and removed to reduce ecosystem impact, and the protected area was expanded further in 2015.
Facts
Designation Category Established Year Area (sq km) Classification
Governance TypeGovernance by Government 1 Governing Body
Governing Body (category) Sources
1. Sipadan (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationArticle text
The island sits within Sipadan Island Park, a marine park encompassing 16,860 hectares and managed by Sabah Parks.
Lead section
The island sits within Sipadan Island Park, a marine park encompassing 16,860 hectares and managed by Sabah Parks.
History section
The island was declared a bird sanctuary in 1933 by the colonial government of North Borneo and re-gazetted in 1963 by the Malaysian government.
History section, marine park declaration
In 2004, the island was declared a marine park by Sabah Parks and 6 hotel and resort facilities on the island were closed by authorities due to their impacts on the ecosystems.
Wikipedia lead extract, realm marine
The island sits within Sipadan Island Park, a marine park encompassing 16,860 hectares and managed by Sabah Parks.
Part Of: Malaysia, Lead paragraph
Pulau Sipadan) is the only oceanic island in Malaysia,
On Continent: Asia, Lead paragraph names Malaysia; continent follows from the atlas record for Malaysia
Sipadan (Malay: Pulau Sipadan) is the only oceanic island in Malaysia
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