Turtle Islands National Park

Turtle Islands National Park is a Malaysian marine protected area made up of small reef-fringed islands off the east coast of Sabah, noted for regular sea-turtle nesting and conservation work.

The park comprises a small group of Malaysian islands and adjacent reef areas where green and hawksbill turtles nest; a few islands host hatcheries and staffed visitor facilities allowing supervised night visits to observe nesting and hatchling releases.

The area was designated to protect sea-turtle nesting habitat and is managed for conservation and eco-tourism, with patrols, hatchery work and visitor programmes operating on the islands.

The park lies in the Sulu Sea off northeastern Borneo, administered from Sandakan in Sabah and close to the maritime boundary with the southern Philippines.

• Turtle landings: Night-time turtle landings are the main attraction and are typically observed from permitted, guided walks on the beaches after dark.
• Getting there: Access is by boat from Sandakan on Sabah's east coast; island accommodation is basic and regulated to reduce disturbance to nesting turtles.

What to See #

• Pulau Selingan (Selingan/Turtle Island): One of the best-known visitor islands with staffed turtle hatchery facilities and simple overnight accommodation, used for guided night watches of nesting turtles.
• Pulau Bakkungan Kechil: A smaller island with beaches that receive nesting turtles and limited visitor facilities; used for conservation patrols and nesting surveys.
• Pulau Gulisan: An island included in the park's protected group with nesting beaches and reef habitat important for turtles and other marine life.