Mabul Island
Mabul ( Mal. Pulau Mabul ) is an island belonging to Malaysia in the Celebes Sea. It lies about 30 kilometers south of Semporna and 80 kilometers east of Tawau off the east coast of Borneo.
Description
The approximately 0.25 square kilometer island has a length of 0.8 km and a width of 0.5 kilometers. [Note 1] because of the tourist use only weak wooded island rises up to 8 meters from the sea. In the Waterside area there are settlements of the Bajau.
Pulau Mabul belongs together with the islands of Pulau Kapalai, Pulau Danawan, Pulau Ligitan, Pulau Si Amil and Pulau Sipadan to the so-called " Ligitan Group".
Population
There are two villages on the island - Kampung Mabul and Kampung Musu. A majority of the inhabitants belong to the ethnic groups of Bajau and Suluk Muslim and sound comes from relatively nearby island groups in the southern Philippines.
Are located at public facilities on the island of a mosque, a community center and a primary school ( Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Mabul ). In 2009 148 boys and girls were taught at school. The main means of transport is by boat.
Around the island life also known as sea nomads. Depending on the season and flow they are with your house boats just off the coast in the east or west of the island. The group of Pala'u lives exclusively on boats where they are born and die. Your livelihood they deserve in general begging and sale of self-caught small fish at local dive centers.
The main source of income of the villages are marine products such as fish and small handmade souvenirs for tourists. The traditional fishing methods are called " Payau " and " Sangkaliya " means. Most fishermen on Mabul fishing near the Philippine- Malaysian border, where it is usually secluded and quiet. An average fishing trip lasts 3-5 days and the fish are sold in Semporna.
In the 1970s, Mabul was owned by a man from Menampilik, who used the island to plant coconuts. Sipadan Mabul Resort 1992, the (SMART ) bought part of the land and made available for tourism.
Underwater world and diving
Pulau Mabul is located on the edge of a continental plate; the seabed is 25 to 30 feet deep here. The underwater world around the island hosts a variety of cephalopods such as cuttlefish, the splendor, Blue Ringed Octopus, Mimic Octopus or the bobtail squid. In addition, different types of gobies live on Mabul Reef, such as the spike -fin goby, black sail -fin goby and metallic shrimp goby. Are widespread frog fish as well as the families of the scorpion and stone fish.
There are several dive resorts on Mabul and the possibility of a converted, about 500 meters from the beach rig to stay. Some families take tourists as guests at on ( " Homestay "). From Pulau Mabul from a day trip to the nearby island of Pulau Sipadan can be organized.
Mabul is a well known place for macro underwater photography.