The guided dives will be conducted by approved dive operators who meet all necessary criteria and who agree to adhere to regulations established by the National Parks Board (NParks). These include prohibitions on the removal or collection of any living or non-living components of the reef to safeguard the reef habitat and biodiversity within the Marine Park. Interested divers are required to sign up with the approved dive operators who will book the available dive windows, which will be secured on a first-come-first-serve basis.
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| Feather stars on a sea fan seen on the Dive Trail Photo by Heng Pei Yan. |
The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Dive Trail, consisting two separate trails with varying depths, have been marked with underwater signboards that serve as both station markers and underwater educational resources. Divers will be encouraged to contribute towards the upkeep of the dive trails, for example by helping to sweep off accumulated algae on the station signboards using cleaning brushes. Divers will be guided through 20 stations marked by signs which will bring their attention to the variety of marine biodiversity and reef features present in Singapore’s waters. To encourage participation in NParks’ Citizen Science programme, some stations will engage divers in simple biodiversity or water visibility surveys. (Please refer to Media Factsheet for more information on the dive trails.)
NParks will regulate the diving activities based on suitable dive windows and will maintain a cap of eight divers allowed for each trail at any given time to protect the marine biodiversity and avoid overcrowding. Dive windows will be limited to the existing condition of the marine habitat and periods when currents are suitable for diving, which will be determined using hydrodynamic predictions for the site. It is estimated that there will be two to four days with suitable dive windows in any given month. More dates will be updated on the website when available.
Sisters' Islands Marine Park Dive Trail
Nparks Media Factsheet 29 Oct 2015
To encourage a deeper appreciation for Singapore’s marine biodiversity, NParks developed Singapore’s first Dive Trail located at Pulau Subar Laut or the Big Sister’s Island, Sisters’ Islands Marine Park.
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| Marine life seen on the Dive Trail Photo by James Costello shared on facebook. |
Approved Dive Operators
To ensure dive safety while safeguarding the reef habitat, only dive operators that meet all necessary criteria and agree to adhere to regulations established for the Dive Trail will be approved to conduct the guided dives. Interested dive operators may contact NParks to obtain approval for conducting the guided dives.
The dive operators may differ based on the type of packages and the services they offer. Divers are encouraged to contact the approved dive operators listed on the NParks website for more information on their services and select their preferred dive operators.
Minimum Dive Requirements
To protect marine biodiversity, the Dive Trail is planned for divers with relevant dive experience and a certification beyond entry level from reputable international training organisations. The certification can be obtained by signing up with certified dive centres. Divers are required to have logged at least 20 dives with one local dive within the past two years. Good buoyancy control is essential to ensure that corals are not broken accidentally while diving. To ensure long term sustainability of the dive trails, training dives will not be allowed at the Diver Trail.
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| click on image for larger view |
Two separate trails with varying depths have been established to showcase the variety of marine biodiversity and reef features present in Singapore’s waters. Approximately 100m in length, the shallow trail will take divers around a circuitous loop to a maximum depth of 6m, and the deep trail will reach a maximum depth of 15m.
Divers will be guided through 20 stations marked by signs which will bring their attention to the variety of marine biodiversity and reef features present in Singapore’s waters as well as messages on conservation and responsible diving.
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| Marine life and signage along the Dive Trail. Photo by James Costello shared on facebook. |
About the Shallow Trail
The Shallow Trail is characterised by higher light levels and consequently higher hard coral cover as compared to the Deep Trail. Some corals along the Shallow Dive Trail were salvaged from reefs in Singapore that were threatened or designated for reclamation. They were relocated to the reef at the Shallow Trail and their condition is currently being monitored.
About the Deep Trail
The Deep Trail is characterised by lower light levels as compared to the Shallow Trail. It is located towards the end of the reef slope of the Big Sister’s Island, and reaches a maximum of 15m depth. Visibility — which is affected by the amount of suspended particles and algae in the water — is also lower at the Deep Trail.
Cost of diving at the Dive Trail
The cost of the dive trips will be set independently by operators and may differ based on the types of packages and the services offered. Divers are encouraged to contact the approved dive operators for more information on their services and select their preferred dive operators.
NParks does not collect any fees from dive operators for conducting guided dives at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Dive Trail.
How to sign up?
This and more about the dive trails on the NParks website.
Related links
- Volunteers testing out the Dive Trails
- Sisters’ Islands Marine Park dives open for registration from Today Online 29 Oct 15
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'.
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.
Share your finds on the facebook group called 'Things found in Sisters Islands'.
any possibility for the public to do snorkeling at this place ?
ReplyDeleteIt is possible to snorkel inside the swimming lagoons. But please don't go beyond the seawalls as the currents around the islands are very strong.
ReplyDeletethank you for the reply.
Delete