There’s only so much you can do in Singapore – shop, eat and gamble. But now there’s a new place to venture – Marine Park – claimed to be the first of its kind in the country, set up by the National Parks Board (NParks). And it’s not located within the concreate city of Singapore, mind you. The location – Sisters’ Islands –  located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore.

 

The Sisters’ Islands are actually made up of two islands – Big Sister’s Island and Little Sister’s Island, with area covering  39,000 and 17,000 square metres respectively. It is also known as Pulau Subar Laut (Big Sister) and Pulau Subar Darat (Little Sister) in Malay. We prefer them to be called Pulau Kakak Besar and Pulau Kakak Kecil though (*grin*). Both islands are separated by a narrow channel.

People believe when there’s heavy rain and thunderstorm, that would be the anniversary date the islands were formed. So, why would anyone in their right mind come here, considering you’ve to charter a boat from West Coast Pier or Marine South Pier to visit this place? Well, it’s a platform for outreach, education, conservation and research activities related to Singapore’s native marine life.

 

We’re not sure about telecommunication coverage but if you’re one of those who can’t stop checking facebook every two minutes, then you may want to give this place a skip. Beside learning and in the process appreciating marine life, there’re also programmes such as workshops, seminars, camps, guided walks and dives. There’re up to 350 species of reef fish and hard corals, as well as the newly found Neptune’s Cup Sponge in Sisters’ Islands.

There’s an interesting legend about these islands (they always do, don’t they?). There were two sisters named Minah and Lina, who were inseparable. Soon, a pirate came along and sought younger sister Lina’s hand in marriage, but she rejected him as she did not want to be away from Minah. The pirate then kidnapped Lina and brought her onto his boat (won’t it be easier to just marry both, since he was a pirate anyway?).

 

As expected in any fairy tales, Minah jumped into the water and swam after the boat in her desperate attempt to save her younger sister. But soon she started drowning and upon seeing this, Lina also jumped into the water to save her sister (and the handsome pirate did nothing but watched the show?). A large wave engulfed them and everyone died. And when the storm was over, voila, two islands emerged at the spot the sisters perished.

For the time being, guided walks are conducted free of charge. Each session (twice monthly) had been capped at a maximum of 15 people. Registration is based on first-come, first-served and so far, both sessions for August intake are fully booked. The park is expected to be fully completed in 2015 hence it is expected to start charging when fully operational.

 

For those who signed up with the NParks tours, transport to and from the islands will be provided. Otherwise, Singapore Island Cruise provides a private charter service from Marina South Pier to the Sisters’ Islands. A two-way trip would cost S$400 (US$322, £188, RM1,025) for a boat that can sit up to 12 people, for one day. An average boat ride to the island takes about 40 minutes. Thereafter, you can swim and snorkel around the lagoons and reefs but “permit” is required if you plan to camp there.

Below is the guided tour dates:

 

Date	Time	Online Registration Period
14 August 2014, Thursday	7.30am – 9.30am	FULLY BOOKED
15 August 2014, Friday	7.30am – 9.30am	FULLY BOOKED
10 September 2014, Wednesday	6.00am – 8.30am	1 August 2014, 12.00am – 8 August, 11.59pm
11 September 2014, Thursday	6.00am – 8.30am	1 August 2014, 12.00am – 8 August, 11.59pm
23 November 2014, Sunday	4.30pm – 7.00pm	1 October 2014, 12.00am – 8 October 2014, 11.59pm
24 November 2014, Monday	5.00pm – 7.30pm	1 October 2014, 12.00am – 8 October 2014, 11.59pm
22 December 2014, Monday	5.00pm – 7.30pm	1 November 2014, 12.00am – 8 November 2014, 11.59pm
23 December 2014, Tuesday	5.00pm – 7.30pm	1 November 2014, 12.00am – 8 November 2014, 11.59pm

 

 

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July 17th, 2014 by financetwitter

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