Turtle Islands Park is found 40 km north of Sandakan and comprises of three islands, Pulau Selingaan, Pulau Bakkungaan Kecil and Pulau Gulisan. The recreation center is known for its security of the settling of two imperiled types of the ocean turtle, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the littler hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). The two turtle species lay their eggs here year-round.

The green turtle can live for a century and develop to 160 kg. They are jeopardized because of their eggs, which are viewed as a delicacy. The female comes shorewards to delve trenches in the sand and lay between 80-165 eggs. The Hawksbill turtle is somewhat littler with a length of the carapace between 70–90 cm. It lays around 100-180 eggs for each grasp. A while later the turtle comes back to the ocean.

Back in the recreation center, the eggs are revealed and gathered by the officers. They are taken to an incubation facility to shield them from being chased and from its characteristic predators, for example, reptiles. In around 50-60 days the turtles break out of their shells and is placed into the ocean by the officers.

The protection project was begun in 1927 and in 1966, the main incubation facility in Malaysia was embraced on Pulau Selingaan. Today the officers gather more than 600.000 eggs every year simply numbering Selingaan.

It is workable for guests to stay overnight at Selingaan Island yet it is restricted to around 50 individuals a night. It is just conceivable to go on a sorted out visit either through the establishment administrator, Crystal Quest or by operators in Sandakan or Kota Kinabalu.

How to get there:

From the airport
Every day flights to Sandakan from Kota Kinabalu morning and evening. The morning flight from KK leaves at 7 am and arrives in Sandakan at 7.45 am without a moment to spare to get a taxi from the airplane terminal. The pier is 9 km from the air terminal and cost RM25-RM30.

From the city
The pier is 2,5 km from Sandakan town. You can pass by taxi at around RM5-RM7 or do the stroll in around ten minutes. On the other hand, get a transport from the nearby transport terminal at Jln Pryer.

Must know
NO FLASH – it disorients the turtles and hatchlings, who use moonlight to locate the sea.