Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Jubilee Jubilations at the Sisters Islands Marine Park

Despite the wet weather, happy happenings continued at the Marine Park!
Photo by Stephen Beng shared on facebook.
In Jubilee August, there were trials of the newly launched dive trail at the Marine Park, lots of visitors to the newly opened Public Gallery, and more public walks. Thanks to the volunteers and NParks officers who made these possible.


Testing out the underwater dive trail

In August, the underwater dive trail at the Sisters Islands Marine Park were tried out.
Photo by Stephen Beng shared on facebook.
Here's a glimpse at one of the signs located on the dive trails that will encourage divers to learn more about the marine life at the Park as well as some of the issues that impact them.
Photo by James Costello shared on facebook.
Lots of fascinating creatures can be seen on the dive trail!
Photo by James Costello shared on facebook.
A sea star that is only commonly seen underwater in Singapore. We don't see this on the intertidal shores.
Photo by James Costello shared on facebook.
The dive trail was launched in June. The pilot dive trail will be ready for public access by end September 2015. Interested members of the public can sign up for the dive trails by contacting the list of approved operators, which will be finalised and announced on NPark's Sisters’ Islands Marine Park website. More about the dive trail by NParks.
Photo by James Costello shared on facebook.

The Public Gallery is a big hit!

Since it was launched in August, throngs of people visited the Public Gallery of the Marine Park located at the St. John's Island Marine Lab of the Tropical Marine Science Institute.
Photo by Adriane Lee on facebook.
Yes, we agree!
Photo by Karenne Tun on facebook.
There were lots of visitors to Public Gallery even during wet weather! Thanks to volunteers for helping out NParks staff to man the Gallery.
Photo by Adriane Lee on facebook.

Exploring the intertidal of the Marine Park!

Public walks at the Marine Park continued in July and August. They remained very popular. Participants and volunteers braved wet weather during the August walks.
Photo by Koh Kwan Siong shared on facebook.
Some were luckier!
Photo by Ian Siah shared on facebook.
They enjoyed sunny weather and blue skies! To minimise damage to the marine life and for safety of humans, visitors keep to the high ground of mostly bare sand, where there are still interesting marine life to be seen. With the help of experienced and trained guides, you will get to see them.
Photo by Richard Kuah shared on facebook.
There's so much to discover and learn on the shores of the Sisters Islands Marine Park! You will see more and do less damage to the shore if you go with an experienced guide. Here's more about why you should go on a guided walk instead of visiting on your own.
Photo by Becky Lee on facebook.
A great trip for families and friends.
Photo by Adriane Lee on facebook.
Among the interesting finds, this rarely encountered China moon snail.
Photo by Koh Kwan Siong shared on facebook.
More happy visitors in July.
Photo by Adriane Lee on facebook.
As usual, the walks would not be possible without the dedication of volunteers and NParks staff.
Photo by Richard Kuah shared on facebook.

Documentary on the Sisters Islands Marine Park

Tomorrow, 13 Aug (Thu), catch “Birth of a Marine Park” by Victor Tang on Discovery Channel Asia. As Dr Neo Mei Lin explains on her blog post: "you’ll get a glimpse of marine conservation efforts in Singapore that led to the formation of our nation’s first marine park. In this 30-minute documentary, you’ll get to see the various stakeholders involved in making this dream come true. From the government agency: National Parks Board, research institutions: Tropical Marine Science Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, and the passionate volunteer intertidal guides and divers – everyone chipped in!"

MORE about the Marine Park

Catch up with all the happenings at the Marine Park through the Sisters' Islands Marine Park facebook page. You can share your encounters, ideas and thoughts for the Marine Park here.

Photos in this blog are from those who shared on this facebook page. Thank you!

Share your finds on the facebook group called 'Things found in Sisters Islands'.



More about guided walks at the Sisters' Islands Marine Park on the NParks website.

More about what to expect at a guided walk.

Why should I visit with an experienced and trained guide? Why are places limited on a public walk? Which other shores are accessible to the public? and more in this wildsingapore page.

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