MY · Sabah · 4.60°N 118.86°E

pom pom island

A small coral island where green turtles feed off the jetty and nest on the beach.

Best time
March to October is generally best for diving and snorkelling. December to February is wetter, with rougher boat rides and cloudier water. The turtles are around all year.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Tawau (about 2 hours 45 minutes), drive just over an hour to Semporna, then take the resort's speedboat, about 45 minutes. Boats run at set times, so match your flights to them.
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MY · Sabahpom pom island4.60°N 118.86°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A small coral island where green turtles feed off the jetty and nest on the beach.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingPom Pom IslandMY, Sabah
KLpom pom island
≈ 1,912 km from KL, as the crow flies
Turtle beach Pom Pom Island, semporna sabah

Photo: Profmauri · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A small, flat coral island north-east of Semporna, with a few resorts and nothing else. Green turtles feed around the jetty most days and nest on the beaches at night, and the island's turtle programme moves nests to a hatchery and releases the hatchlings. Come for two or three slow days of snorkelling, diving and beach.

Makan

  1. Resort mealsFull board is the norm, as there's nowhere else to eat on the island.Map ↗
  2. Seafood in SempornaPick your fish at the restaurants on stilts by the jetty on your last night.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Turtles off the jettyGreen turtles graze around the island, and you can often watch them from the jetty before you even get wet.Map ↗
  2. SnorkellingWade off the beach to the reef, or join a resort boat to nearby sites.Map ↗
  3. Macro divingSlow dives over sand and coral for nudibranchs, shrimps and other small critters.Map ↗
  4. Hatchling releasesWhen a nest hatches, staff let the babies go at sunrise or sunset, and guests can watch.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Phone signal is weak and Wi-Fi limited, so download what you need before the boat.
  • Keep torches and camera flashes off near nesting turtles at night.
  • If your flight lands after the last boat, sleep in Semporna.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.