Discover the Best Snorkeling in Sempora and Beyond

From secret reefs to world-class islands, Top Snorkeling takes you beyond the extraordinary. Created by snorkeling lovers, for snorkeling lovers.

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About Top Snorkeling

At Top Snorkeling, we believe snorkeling should be more than just a quick photo stop. It should be an adventure. That’s why we explore untouched reefs, hidden fairylands, and iconic islands that few ever get to see.

Top Snorkeling was founded in 2023 as the adventure partner to Turtle Garden Lodge. We cater both to TGL guests and the general public, offering unforgettable excursions across Semporna’s islands and sea.

If you love snorkeling, our excursions are designed to bring you face-to-face with turtles, coral gardens, schools of fish, unimaginable sea life, and breathtaking island views.

We provide quality gear with a wide variety of sizes. We know there is nothing worse than snorkeling with a mask or snorkel that leak or fins that hurt your feet. We provide - and require participants to wear - rash guard clothing to protect against the sun, small stinging things in the water, and other environmental hazards. Rash guard suits also virtually eliminate the need for sunscreen, which the coral appreciates.

Ever wondered what it feels like to glide so close to turtles and coral gardens that you could reach out and touch them?
(But please don't.)

Featured Excursions

The Ultimate Snorkeling Day

Our most popular adventure! Explore remote reefs far from the tourist routes. Swim through untouched coral gardens and schools of tropical fish in a mystical underwater fairyland. Swim with large pelagic fish on Kapalai Island and huge sea turtles on Mabul Island. Full day. Includes lunch and refreshments.

Snorkeling & Island Hopping

See the best of Semporna’s northern islands above-water and underwater. Visit Bohey Dulang’s volcanic crater, Timba Timba’s white sands, and pristine snorkeling spots that are not overrun with tourist boats. Full day. Includes all permits, lunch and refreshments.

Mabul Unlimited Snorkeling Pass

Exclusively for guests of Turtle Garden Lodge. Long considered the gateway to Sipadan Island, Mabul is a world-class snorkeling destination in its own right. Mabul's many reefs, sea turtles, tropical fish, and exotic underwater sea life are truly out of this world. This pass allows you unlimited guided snorkeling on Mabul for your entire stay.

Your Happiness Is Guaranteed

We know our excursions cost more than other island hopping tours. We've been on other tours. They are what motivated us to create Top Snorkeling. We believed we weren't alone in wanting an alternative to tours that pack you on a boat with dozens of other tourists, herd you on to islands, have you snorkeling among life-jacket-wearing "snorkelers" bobbing in the water, and focus more on photo ops than the actual experience. When we travelled, we always wanted to find a local to take us far away from the crowds to discover remote places that felt like they had never been visited before. Places that make you feel like it's being explored for the first time.

As fate would have it, we had the opportunity to become that "local". Our tours aren't designed for the standard tourist market. Our tours are designed for US. We created what we wanted and we invite other snorkeling lovers to join us.

Our excursions are amazing and worry-free. We don't just say that - we guarantee you are going to be happy you chose our excursion. If there's a problem, we'll do everything we can to make it right. If we can't make it right, get on the boat and tell us you want a refund. We'll give you a 100% refund and still serve you refreshments and lunch on the boat for the duration of the day.

Sea Etiquette

Participants must have the necessary snorkeling skills for the locations we visit and to use proper "sea etiquette." You don't need to be an expert, or even close, but you have to have basic snorkeling skills and be able to use proper snorkeling etiquette. Participants must be able to snorkel without the aid of floatation devices, such as life jackets, floatation rings, or human assistance. Participants must be able to propel themselves unaided against current. Participants must be able to clear their mask and snorkel of water. Participants must be able to troubleshoot equipment issues.

Our excursions go to snorkeling spots with virgin, untouched coral. We expect participants to leave the location in as pristine a condition as they found it. At some locations, you may float inches away from coral when the tide is low. At other locations, you may need to navigate channels between unpassable coral. At almost all locations, you will touch coral if you choose to stand. You are expected to be able to snorkel unaided by floatation devices and unassisted and to not touch coral. Touching coral is a major breach of snorkeling etiquette and is potentially damaging to the coral and harmful to you. (If you want to see the damage caused by tourists touching coral, go on another tour - you'll see the destruction!)

We have four rules of sea etiquette that we strictly enforce:

1. Don't touch coral. Don't touch it with your hands. Don't stand on it. Don't hit is with your flippers. Don't touch it. Period.

2. Don't touch marine life. Not only does this protect the marine life, it protects you. The Semporna islands have dangerous and even deadly marine life. We aren't talking sharks. There is a shellfish that if provoked will pierce the skin and inject venom. If it does, you have 15 minutes before you die. There are fish with venomous toxins. There are coral and other marine life that will cause severe blistering rash burns. There is a snake that is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. There are sea urchins that will shoot barbs into your skin when touched. Are you familiar with all of them? Then don't touch them and you'll be okay. Thankfully, none of these are aggressive, but they will react defensively if provoked. And touching provokes them.

3. Don't litter. Semporna has enough of a problem. Don't add to it.

4. Obey your captain and Top Snorkeling personnel's instructions. Our goal is to give you an amazing excursion that is safe, uneventful. We give participants a lot of freedom and we want you to enjoy that freedom. But we are dealing with the ever-changing sea and error-prone humans. A perfect environment one moment may become a dangerous environment in an instance. A participant may have a medical emergency that requires immediate evacuation. So pay attention to the boat, your captain and our personnel and obey their instructions. They are there to give you a great excursion and to make sure you and the other participants return to port safely.

Participants who do not have the requisite skills will be asked to stop snorkeling until we visit a location that is suitable for their skills. Participants who do not obey the sea etiquette rules will be told to return to the boat and cease participation for the remainder of the excursion. A participant whose participation is revoked will not be eligible for a refund under our Happiness Guarantee.

Book Your Excursion

Stay at Turtle Garden Lodge

After a day in the sea, relax at Turtle Garden Lodge, Mabul’s only Airbnb 5-star "Guest Favourite". Our intimate over-water house offers clean, comfortable rooms with luxurious mattresses, pillows and linens, en-suite bathrooms, ocean views, and a private deck—perfect for couples, friends, or groups.

Guests love our Michelin-quality dining, blending local flavors with international favorites, served with warmth and care. With turtles and coral gardens just 200 meters offshore, every moment at Turtle Garden Lodge is designed to be unforgettable.

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