100k Coral Initiative plus new coral facility at St John's Island

 100k Corals Initiative announced: to plant corals in Singapore over the next 10 years and beyond. A new facility at Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre, St. John's Island will grow corals for this effort. Corals will be cultivated by coral restoration experts and researchers from the National University of Singapore at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory. 

A training programme will also be developed by NParks, St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory and Friends of Marine Park for citizen science monitoring of the transplanted corals. Volunteers will be trained to assist with coral husbandry and underwater monitoring techniques. More details of volunteer training opportunities will be shared when ready.

You can visit the St John's Island facility by joining the guided tour of St John's Island held on the first Sunday of every month. Or do a self-guided tour with the Trail Guide - free for download from the NParks website.

More details: media articles, press release on the wildshores blog.

Big Sisters' Island reopens!

Big Sisters' Island reopens with new features for visitors. You can now snorkel or swim in the lagoon. Or if you prefer to stay dry, view marine life from the floating boardwalk, or climb to the hilltop view deck through coastal forest.

To visit Big Sisters' Island, take a ferry from Marina South Pier via Singapore Island Cruise or Marina South Ferries from 29 Oct 2024. The Island is open to the public 7am to 7pm every day.

More details from media articles.

Big Sister's Island to reopen in 2024

Big Sister’s Island will reopen to the public in 2024. New features include a trail through the island's forest, and snorkelling in a lagoon. NParks will be working on increasing accessibility to the island when it opens.

The forest trail in Big Sister's Island will culminate in a hilltop view deck, where visitors can see neighbouring offshore islands and birdwatch.

Artist's impression of the lagoon tidal pool in Big Sister’s Island.

More about the Marine Park on the NParks website.

Sisters’ Islands Marine Park closed until end Mar 2024

Sisters’ Islands Marine Park is closed for enhancement works till end March 2024 - from the NParks website.

The Sisters Islands seen from St John's Island

But you can still visit the Marine Park Gallery at St John's Island! 

Big Sister’s Island closed from 10 April 2021

NParks announced that "As part of our cyclical inspection of structures in our parks, our appointed Professional Engineer found the jetty at Big Sister’s Island to be in need of repair. To ensure public safety, Big Sister’s Island and its jetty will be closed for repair works from 10 April to October 2021."

Big Sisters' jetty (right).

Update: NParks announced "As part of our cyclical inspection of structures in our parks, our appointed Professional Engineer found the jetty at Big Sister’s Island to be in need of repair. To ensure public safety, Big Sister’s Island and its jetty will be closed for repair works. There is a delay to the jetty repair works at Big Sister's Island due to the Covid situation. We will be updating the reopening date after consulting the contractor carrying out the repair works."

Book online before visiting the Public Gallery at St John's Island

Update on 3 Jan 2021: To allow everyone the opportunity to enjoy the displays whilst maintaining a comfortable social distance, entry into the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Public Gallery on St John’s Island is via online booking only.

The maximum number of visitors is capped at 20 pax per session and visits will be limited to 30 minutes. Book a slot to visit the gallery here.

No mass coral bleaching at the Sisters Islands Marine Park

Volunteers checked up on the Marine Park shortly after the 'Circuit Breaker' was lifted. There was some urgency because Dr Jani Tanzil alerted us that mass coral bleaching may have started on our shores since the second week of June.

Healthy leathery soft coral on Small Sisters Island
overlooking Big Sisters Island during the predawn survey.

Dive surveys and intertidal surveys were conducted. Fortunately, during the actual surveys, no mass coral bleaching was seen at both Small Sisters Island and Big Sisters Island, although there were signs that corals had suffered some bleaching recently.

16 Jul (Thu): 8pm "Striking a Balance – Responsible Recreation for Healthy Reefs"

Stakeholders of the Friends of the Marine Park at the Sisters Islands Marine Park come together to discuss "Striking a Balance – Responsible Recreation for Healthy Reefs".

EIA for Sisters' Islands Marine Park for public viewing 24 Feb-23 Mar 2020

NParks plans to build, among others, a boardwalk and floating pontoon on the Sisters Islands Marine Park. Their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for these plans is now available for public viewing from 24 Feb to 23 Mar 2020.

Artist impression of proposed floating pontoon.

More details below.

Happy New Year from the Marine Park!

Great news for the New Year! Now open again: Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre at the St John's Island National Marine Laboratory. It was closed due to asbestos being found on St John's Island. More about how to get there, and what you can see and do at the Centre here.

As the year ended, volunteers conducted more awesome intertidal walks, divers explored the reefs, a massive artificial reef structure was deployed at the Marine Park and the Friends of the Marine Park met on the islands.

Big Sisters Island: intertidal walks suspended, some beaches closed

From the NParks website: The monthly Intertidal Guided Walk is temporarily suspended as marine debris washed ashore containing asbestos have been found at four isolated areas along the beaches in the lagoons on Big Sister’s Island.

As a safety precaution, we have cordoned off the affected beaches. We aim to complete the removal works by end June 2018 and will resume the guided walks thereafter. In the meantime, the affected beaches are closed to the public. We seek your understanding for the inconvenience caused.

Amazing April at the Marine Park

The Friends of the Marine Park had a great time doing outreach at ADEX 2018.

Photo by Lisa Lim, at the Celebrating Singapore Shores photo booth.

Here's a glimpse of the happenings in April including intertidal walks at Big Sisters' Island and a meeting of The Friends of the Marine Park.

Marvellous March at the Marine Park

Volunteers of the Marine Park had a blast with outreach efforts at a mall. And on Sentosa island too, including screening of 'Birth of a Marine Park'. There was also a Workshop on reefs at the Marine Park public gallery. All to celebrate International Year of the Reef 2018. Meanwhile, public walks continued with exciting finds for everyone.

Here's a glimpse at some of the happenings...

17-18 Mar: 'The Fun Odyssea' - community launch for kids and the family

For kids and families! This March school holidays, join Captain Patty Parrotfish and its supportive sidekick, Izzy Isopod, on their journey discovering treasures of the sea!

click on image for larger view

Admission into Sentosa is FREE from 10 - 18 March for ALL locals and local residents! For entry via Sentosa Express, tap your EZ-link card to enter while locally registered IU vehicles can just drive through!


Here's the programme for the weekend!

click on image for larger view

The marine community comes together to present this explosion of fun! The Friends of the Marine Park will be among the many marine community members celebrating at this event.

- Live mural painting
- Film screening including Blue Planet II
- Arts and crafts workshops
- Meet marine scientists working in Singapore

10-18 Mar: "Our Home, Their Home” at Seletar Mall

Volunteers of the Marine Park will be at Seletar Mall this school holidays to share through fun activities and talks. Come and support us!

Discover Singapore’s amazing marine biodiversity by observing specimens of octopuses, corals and other fascinating animals. You’ll get to learn about threats they face through exciting child-friendly games stations with an inflatable slide and human claw machine! Also, create your own marine critters at our arts and crafts workshops on weekends! See you there!

15-18 Feb 2018: Change in Public Gallery opening hours for Chinese New Year

If you are planning to visit the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Public Gallery on St John’s Island, do note that it is only open from 10am to 11.30am on 15 Feb (Thu) and is closed from 16 to 18 Feb (Fri-Sun).

A huge marine touch pool is one of the many fascinating displays
at the Public Gallery on St John's Island.

The Marine Park Public Gallery will reopen on 19 Feb (Mon) with the usual opening hours.

• 10am to 2.30pm on weekdays;
• 10am to 3.30pm on Saturdays; and
• 10am to 5.30pm on Sundays and Public Holidays.

More about the Gallery from NParks.

Awesome October at the Marine Park

The first St John's Island public walk was held, while rainbows brightened up the intertidal walks at the Marine Park! Dive surveys give us a glimpse of life underwater.

Photo by Kar Mun.

The Friends of the Marine Park met again, while more information about the sea turtle hatchery being set up at Small Sisters Island.

No ferry to St John's Island during Kusu Pilgrimage Season: 20 Oct - 17 Nov 2017

The regular ferry to St. John's Island will be suspended during this traditional season. Limited parking and expect boarding delays at Marina South Pier for other Southern Island destinations during this traditional season.

Traditionally happening on the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, 100,000 devotees and visitors are expected to visit tiny Kusu Island for the annual pilgrimage season.

Update on 21 Oct on the NParks website: "The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Public Gallery on St John’s Island is closed from 20 October to 17 November 2017, as the daily scheduled ferry services to St John’s Island is temporarily stopped during the Kusu Pilgrimage season. Please visit the Public Gallery from 18 November onwards."

Spectacular September at the Sisters Islands Marine Park

On 2 Sep, Minister Desmond Lee launched the free volunteer guided walk at St. John's Island, which is part of the Sisters' Island Marine Park and hosts the Marine Park Public Gallery.

The Public Gallery now has many additional features, including a mangrove display and a huge touch pool. Volunteers also continued to bring the public on intertidal guided walks at Big Sisters Islands. And more happenings...

August National Day celebrations at the Marine Park

On National Day, a small team surveyed another side of the Marine Park - the western shore of Pulau Tekukor.

Pulau Tekukor, with the two Sisters Islands on the horizon
Photo by Heng Pei Yan.

Thanks to Heng Pei Yan, the Drone Commander, we get a drone's eye view of the island. Thanks to Desmond Ong, we get an underwater look at the Sisters' Islands. And thanks to volunteers, visitors got a view of the intertidal treasures during the regular monthly walks.