Selingan Island or also fondly known as Selingan Turtle Island, is a safe haven for the green and hawksbill turtles. Both turtle species are currently endangered but the island serves as place for them to safely lay their eggs.
Just 40 kilometres north of Sandakan’s coasts in the Sulu Sea, the island is a designated National Park and turtle conservation area, which you can visit and stay at to witness the amazing scene of turtle landings themselves!
Turtle landings happen throughout the year and the turtles normally go to shore after dusk to lay their eggs. The best time to go to Selingan would be between July and October when the weather is calmer.
Besides witnessing the turtles laying eggs, you will also be able to see how the collection of eggs and tagging of the mother turtles is done. Another highlight of your visit would be witnessing the release of cute baby turtles back to the sea! Other activities that you can enjoy during your time at the island is snorkelling.
There are also other islands locate within the national park, which are Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan islands. No visitors are allowed to stay the night on these islands because of the conservation works and research studies that is being carried out there. However, it is also possible to arrange day visits to these islands.
Experience getting up close and personal with this Borneo endangered wildlife, for a start check out our Selingan Island 2D1N Package.
Dizcovery Asia is a local tour operator based in Sandakan, Sabah, North Borneo.
We are the best and most flexible tour company in Borneo, able to tailor make tours that are personal, great value for money and fuss free.
Dizcovery Asia is highly regarded in the industry and has won numerous international awards and is highly recognized.
Past customers speak highly of our tour guides who are highly equipped with tremendous wildlife and nature knowledge.
A tour to Selingan Turtle Island is added as
complementary to other must-see destinations in Sabah
so you can optimise your travel here. The following tours
are curated and works great with most travellers wanting
to experience the best wildlife excursions.
Most basic package that we offer includes visits one of Sabah’s iconic treasures, the Turtles
Visit Selingan Island, along with a trip to Sepilok Orang-Utan and Borneon Sun Bear Centres, in Sandakan
Explore Sandakan's fantastic beauty on a 3 days journey with us, capturing the best parts of what Sandakan's nature has to offer
Of course! Just speak to our tour consultant and we will help you walk through your customised itinerary.
CONTACT USNot to be dramatic but we literally had the best 3 days of our lives! We were so lucky and saw the ‘Borneo big 5’ animals as well as baby turtles and female turtles laying eggs!
Lou B via TripAdvisor
Aug 2022
We spent one night on Selingan ('Turtle') Island, a magical place where we were honoured to be included in the nightly monitoring activities of turtles as they came ashore to lay their eggs.
Amy P via TripAdvisor
Aug 2022