SINGAPORE: Big Sister Island reopened to the public on Monday (Oct 28) after three years of improvement works.

The renovated island has several new features, such as a floating boardwalk, a coastal forest trail and a tide pool in the lagoon where visitors can swim or snorkel.

The island’s new features give visitors more opportunities to get up close to Singapore’s rich array of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, such as coral reefs and mangroves, the National Parks Board (NParks) said.

Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, the country’s first marine park, plays an important role in conservation, research, outreach and education.

The blacktip reef shark, copperband butterflyfish and giant carpet anemone are some of the aquatic creatures that can be found in the waters around the marine park.

Although the park covers 40 hectares, only Big Sister Island is accessible to the public. Little Sisters Island, which is designated for marine conservation, remains off-limits.

Singapore announced in May that the southern islands – Kusu and Lazarus – had been chosen proposed site for the country’s second marine park. Lazarus Island and Kusu Island reefs are home to 97 and 141 coral species respectively, including some rare ones, NParks said.

Opening the park on Monday, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said Singapore’s rich array of marine biodiversity is under constant threat from climate change and environmental pollution.

“Singapore’s waterways are among the busiest in the world, serving one of the busiest ports internationally. There are many demands on our waters. For example, trade, shipping, industry, food and aquaculture, as well as recreation, to name a few,” said Mr Lee.

He also spoke briefly about a oil spill from a pipeline belonging to energy major Shell, which took place on October 20, saying no oil had been spotted at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park.

“Events like oil spills and coral bleaching are a sobering reminder of how vulnerable our marine ecosystems are.”

Visitors to Sisters’ Islands Marine Park can take a ferry from Marina South Pier. Singapore Island Cruise and Ferry Services will start ferry services to the marine park from Tuesday.

These are the new features visitors can look for.

Floating BOARDWALK