Sisters’ Islands Marine Park
Sisters' Islands
Singapore’s first marine park, the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park spans the two “Sisters’ Islands” (Pulau Subar Laut and Pulau Subar Darat) as well as reefs off St. John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor. A turtle hatchery and coral nursery help rehabilitate the waters, while dive trails and intertidal guided walks keep visitors informed.
The Basics
The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park lies close to busy shipping lanes, with challenging currents and low visibility by tropical standards, so the two dive trails are only suitable for more advanced scuba divers. But muck divers and macro photographers will be rewarded with colorful sea slugs and nudibranchs plus other weird and wonderful critters. Intertidal walks offer sight of crabs, sea snails, flatworms, and sea stars. The turtle hatchery on Little Sister’s Island (Pulau Subar Darat) is not open to visitors.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park will mainly appeal to scuba divers, specifically muck divers and macro photographers.
- Permits are required to dive in the park, so it’s best to join an organized tour.
- Monkeys on Big Sister’s Island can be aggressive in search of food. Plan to picnic elsewhere, or store food undercover on your boat.
- Neither the St. John’s Island ferry nor the charter boats that run to Big Sisters’ Islands are suitable for travelers who use wheelchairs.
How to Get There
A ferry runs to St. John’s Island, whose western reef forms part of the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. The only way to visit the Sisters’ Islands is by chartering a boat from West Coast Pier or Marina South Pier to the jetty on Big Sister’s Island (Pulau Subar Laut) or joining an organized tour.
When to Get There
Plan your visit to Sisters’ Islands Marine Park around the tide times. Low tide is better for intertidal walks; high tide is better for snorkeling. Local dive operators know how the currents interact with the tide and plan trips around them.
Top Singapore Snorkeling Experiences
Compared to nearby Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore seas can be on the murky side, making snorkeling a disappointing experience with kids. Artificial reef at Adventure Cove Waterpark on Sentosa Island lets kids snorkel among tropical fish, including rays; older children will thrill to the chance of a shark encounter in the aquarium.
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