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Turtle Island
Park, Sabah
Turtle Island Park consists of a number
of uninhabited islands lying in the Sulu Sea, off the east coast of Sabah.
Turtle Island, or Selingan Island, is the largest of these islands and has
been developed to house the park's headquarters, a visitors' centre, basic
tourist facilities and a turtle hatchery.
The other islands are usually off limits to the casual visitor in order to
keep the turtles' natural habitat pristine.
Turtle landings usually occur after dusk. The park has a sensible policy of
allowing visitors to see only one landing a night. This allows undisturbed
nestings to go on throughout the night. Whilst waiting for the evening's
highlight, all that is left to do is to laze on the beach at sunset or
snorkel. The west side of the island is ideal for this. It's clean, quiet,
and offers some interesting coral and sea life. Wander around the island and
you'll be surprised at how many turtles would have landed in the last few
days; their tracks, like mini-tractors, remain in the sand for days.
The nearest mainland town to the park is Sandakan. Your tour operator will
organise a speedboat pick-up service to and from Turtle Island. It takes
about two hours to reach the islands by boat.
Key Tips
Turtles lay eggs at night, it is best to find out more about catching a
sighting at the hatchery, where they are very well informed.
How to get there
By Boat
From Sandakan jetty, you can arrange a speedboat to take you to Turtle
Island. The journey takes about two hours.
Accommodation Overview
There is limited accommodation on Turtle Island but you will have to book a
package with a tour operator to stay there.
SOURCE: TOURISM MALAYSIA
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