TURTLE ISLAND NATIONAL PARK

You can organize your own visit, but Turtle Island holidays are facilitated by the private company Crystal Quest, which resells the 50 daily permits issued by the park authorities to regional tour operators. Although the price is relatively high, we nevertheless recommend using an operator, as everything will be taken care of. The package generally includes transfer from your hotel in Sandakan to the pier, crossing, overnight stay, meals and, of course, turtle watching.

Day 1 : Meet at 9:15 a.m. at the jetty of Turtle Island National Park in Sandakan. Departure at 10 a.m., with a crossing time of just over an hour. On arrival, the Crystal Quest team will assign you to your room. Lunch is served between 12:30 and 2 pm. The afternoon is yours to explore the island, enjoy the beach and snorkel in the crystal-clear waters. The beach is closed from 5pm, as the turtles come to lay their eggs. The turtle conservation program's discovery center offers a 30-minute film at 7pm. Dinner is served at 7.30pm.

Turtle watching. Park rangers will pick you up as soon as a turtle ready to lay has been spotted. They'll take you to the nesting site and start measuring and tagging. The eggs are then collected and taken to the supervised incubator. Nests are dug in the sand and protected from predators by nets. The warden will then take you to release the baby turtles that have hatched during the day.

Day 2. Breakfast is served at 6:30 am and departure from the island is scheduled for 7 am. The boat takes you back to Sandakan landing stage.

Useful tips. The waters around Selingan Island are teeming with beautiful tropical fish and visibility is excellent. Don't forget your fins, mask and snorkel. The sun beats down hard, even if it's hidden behind heavy clouds. A high factor sunscreen is a must if you plan to swim or sunbathe.

Turtle watching takes place at night. If the rangers are equipped with powerful flashlights to show their actions, a headlamp may prove useful. Don't be surprised if you come across men with guns. The Philippines are not far away. To support the project, you can join the Turtle Nest Adoption Program for RM100.