Mabul Island 1.39

Mabul is a small island off the south-eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysia. The island has been a fishing village since the 1970s. In the 1990s, it first became popular to divers due to its proximity to Sipadan island.Located 15 km from Sipadan, this 20-hectare piece of land surfaces 2–3 meters above sea level, consists mostly flat grounds and aerial view is oval-shaped. Surrounding it are sandy beaches, perched on the northwest corner of a larger two square kilometre reef.Mabul island is administered as a part of Semporna, Tawau district.Native settlementsThere are two main villages on the island, "Kampung Mabul" and "Kampung Musu". The 1999 census recorded approximately 2000 villagers living in Mabul, half of them children below 14 years old. The majority are immigrants from relatively nearby clusters of islands in the southern Philippines. These residents are mainly Bajau Laut and Suluk Muslims who live a nomadic lifestyle.Basic amenities include a mosque, schools, community and fishermen's hall. The main transportation mode between places is via boat.As most residents mainly work as fishermen, the village source of income depends on ocean-based products such as squid and fish. Traditional fishing methods are called "Payau" and "Sangkaliya". Mabul fishermen prefer catches close to the Malaysia-Philippine borders, perhaps due to the abundance of fish stocks. An average fishing trip will take 3–5 days out at sea. When the men return, their catches are sold at Semporna on the mainlad.It was said that Mabul was owned by a man from Menampilik island. Back in the 1970s, he and the villagers planted coconuts on the island, in addition to fishing. In 1992, Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART) purchased a part of land on the east of Mabul intended for tourism.