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"Turtle Island Park 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 hatcher."
Turtle Island Park consists of a number of uninhabited islands lying within the Sulu Seas, 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 bounds to the casual visitor. The nearest mainland town to the park is Sandakan. This was the former capital of Sabah, and was once in the mid-1970s, the heart of a "seemingly" booming timber industry. The town today is probably most renown for the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (Sepilok), which is located on its outskirts.
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 evenings highlight, all that is left to do is to laze around the beach or snorkel. The west side of the island is ideal for this. They are clean, quiet. They offer some interesting coral and sea life for a decent day snorkelling. Wander around the island and you'll be surprised of how many turtles have landed in the last few days, their tracks, like mini-tractors, remain in the sand for a number of days.
Last viewed - May 16, 2008
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