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."

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.

12 Sep (Sat): Talk on "Finding Community in Conservation"

Friends of Marine Park is an initiative supporting Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. Our speaker will share how community collaboration and their ‘kampung spirit’ have been key to making waves in marine conservation.

Hear from Ms Sam Shu Qin, on her experience volunteering with Friends of Marine Park on NParks Spotlight – Festival of Biodiversity Edition!

Date: 12 Sep (Sat)
Time: 10.30am

Register to be part of the Zoom session (Limited slots!) 

or stream the talk live on the NParksSG YouTube channel.

NParks ceases guided intertidal walks at Big Sisters Island

From the NParks website: "Thank you for your support for the intertidal guided walks over the past 5 years. As part of efforts to review the outreach and educational activities offered on the island, we are ceasing NParks-led guided walks at Big Sister’s Island."

Families at one of the first public intertidal walks in Aug 2014.

NParks also added: "Meanwhile, you can sign up for the free guided walks on St John’s Island held on the first Sunday of every month, or download a copy of the DIY trail guide and explore St John’s Island and the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre at your leisure. Alternatively, you can check out the guided tours at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin."

For a look back at the guided walks, check out the Sisters Islands Marine Park facebook page.

For MORE intertidal guided walks and other shore activities, check out Celebrating Singapore Shores.

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.

Sea turtle overload and other Marine Park happenings

The sea turtle hatchery was launched at the Marine Park in September! Intertidal walks resumed in October, and lots of other interesting sightings and happenings too!

Photos by Lisa Lim, Richard Kuah and Victor Toh.

Here's a glimpse of some of the recent happenings at the Marine Park.

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.

Busy January at the Marine Park!

A big start to the year as the Marine Park joins the community in Celebrating Singapore Shores for International Year of the Reef 2018. With a Marine Bioblitz, and workshop on plastics.

Visitors on Day 2 of the first public intertidal walks of 2018
Photo by Collin Tong.

A rescued baby sea turtle was released at the Marine Park. Volunteer guided walks at the Marine Park remains a big highlight. Meanwhile, the Friends of the Marine Park met up and the Kayaking Working Group made a working visit to the Marine Park.

Awesome year end 2017 at the Marine Park

As the year ends, an announcement from NParks: The Public Gallery on St John’s Island will be closed on 21 Dec 2017 (Thu) for maintenance. The Public Gallery will open on 24, 25, 31 Dec 2017 and 1 Jan 2018 but from 10 am to 11.45am only.

Visitors during the November public walk.
Photo by Belinda Tan.

Here is a look back at happenings in November and December! Sea turtles hatching, more intertidal walks, a dive at the marine park and more!

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.

Jam-packed June and July at the Sisters' Islands Marine Park

It has been a very busy June and July at the Marine Park! Our first dive cleanup, an important meeting of the Friends of the Sisters Islands Marine Park, lots of public walks, surveys of the marine park for impact of mass coral bleaching and more.

Photo by Stephen Beng.

Stephen Beng, Chair of the grouping saind "Friends of the Sisters' Islands Marine Park met to Strengthen ties within our ocean-loving community, to Share in our efforts to protect our Marine Park, and to Support the good work each of us is doing for our reefs."

Marvellous May at the Sisters Islands Marine Park

New animals at the Sisters Islands Marine Park! First sighting of a beautiful bannerfish, and a species of coral. A bioblitz also turned up some interesting finds and a sighting of dolphins!

Photo by Richard Kuah.

Meanwhile, volunteers continued to conduct intertidal walks for the public, and the public dives continue.

4 Jun 2017 (Sun): Marine Clean Up and Coral Rescue at Sisters Islands

For divers! Celebrate World Oceans Day in the first marine debris clean up dive at Sisters' Island Marine Park!

Ever wondered how coral restoration is conducted? Experience it first-hand as you team up with our local researchers to rescue our corals.