Mabul is the island many divers use when Sipadan permits are scarce or when they want slower, weirder underwater life. The reefs and sandy slopes are famous for macro diving: nudibranchs, frogfish, pipefish, cuttlefish, and other small creatures that reward people who look closely.
It is also a useful compromise for mixed groups. Divers can head underwater while non-divers snorkel, walk the village paths, or look across the water toward the oil-rig dive platform and the open sea beyond.