My Handy Tips for your time on Turtle Island, Borneo

There are a few different ways to see Selingan, aka Turtle Island, depending on your time frame and budget.

The first and most common is with a tour company. There are a few to select from but all will essentially do their tour in the same way. Your time on the island is dictated by the company Crystal Quest, which owns the accommodation, buildings and hatchery on the island.

 

With a Tour Company

The benefits of going with a tour company is everything is taken care of for you and you have that wealth of knowledge always on hand to ask all your questions to.

Pick up from hotel – Drop you back at the hotel

Information provided on activities, timeframes and of course everything related to the turtles

700 for 2 + 150 single supplement (this price can vary depending on the agency you choose)

On your Own, without a Guide

You will have to get in contact directly with Crystal Quest Via email and have some time up your sleeve as they may not respond straight away. Alternatively, if you’re feeling game and have some time to spare in case the answer is no, just rock up to the jetty and ask if there is a spare spot on the boat and a spare bed on the island.

The Differences

You must find your own way to the jetty

You obviously have no guide to ask for information

Find your own way back to the hotel the following day

Cost to be confirmed by Crystal Quest but approx. 500RM

General layout of the Day/Night Activities

Pick up at 8:45 am (with a tour company)

Taken to Jetty

Wait for them to load boats with supplies for the hotel

3 boats with approximately 10 people on each boat

Leave at 9:30 am

1 hour to the island

Free time until 12:30

Buffett Lunch

As soon as you’re done eating free time until 6:15

However out of the water by 5:30 as turtles may be coming into land

 You can hire snorkel gear if you don’t have your own

Mask and snorkel 20RM

Swim, sunbake, read your book, take a nap the choice is yours

Meet for sunset at 6:15 on the West side of the island

Information video at 7 pm

Buffett Dinner at 7:30 pm

Wait for a ranger to say there are turtles

Separated into 2 smaller groups depending on the tour group you’re with

I was in group two, so we were called to watch the laying at 9 pm (timings all are dependant on the turtles, sometimes they may not come until well after midnight)

Mostly Green turtles land and occasionally Hawksbill land on the Island

No camera flashes, torches or light of any description allowed, also no video (10RM camera tax for photos)

Rangers use red light as it doesn’t hurt the turtle’s sensitive eyes

 Turtles are in a trance like state while laying. it looks like they’re crying but this is just a duct near their eye to keep it lubricated and free from sand whilst they’re on the beach

Their hearing is not great, so they can’t hear people talking

Ranger keeps everyone at the tail end to watch the eggs being laid

Another ranger collects the eggs, ready to take to the hatchery

Tourists are rotated around so everyone gets an opportunity to take photos and watch

Once Mumma has finished laying and starts to cover the nest, photos allowed of her head and whole body

Ranger then checks length and width and records it

The Ranger will then check for tags, if not tagged, each flipper gets tagged and the turtle is officially a Malaysian citizen

The turtle that we watched had never visited Selingan before, so received brand new tags

The Ranger will then guide the group to the hatchery to watch the new eggs be labelled and buried

Our eggs were put in the “girl” hatchery eg more open to sunlight. This increases the temperature of the nest resulting in girl turtles.

Then down to the beach to release some turtles that had hatched during the day

once night activities completed off to bed

Following morning meet at 6:30 am for buffet breakfast and checkout (and catch an awesome sunrise)

On the boat back to Sandakan at 7 am

Arrive back at the Jetty by 8 am

Dropped back to your accommodation (if with a company)

Key points to remember as a responsible tourist and a decent human being

-ALWAYS follow the instructions of the rangers

-No flashes and no video means exactly that. If you use your flash it can disturb the turtle laying and she may not finish, or even head to the beach whilst still laying her eggs.

-stay behind the marked off areas. These are endangered turtles and you wanting to get a photo comes SECOND to the safety and wellbeing of the turtle. Don’t get too close

-it should go without saying, but some idiots still exist in this world. DO NOT TOUCH the turtle or the eggs

-you may be invited to pick up a baby turtle to help guide it into the water. ONLY do this if invited to. DO NOT touch the babies if you haven’t been asked

-watch where you walk and stay behind the ranger, don’t wander off and make your own path. You risk treading on the turtles or disturbing their nests

– I’m going to say it again because people get hyped up when they see a turtle and lose their senses like some crazed idiot. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE RANGERS.

– general rule of thumb is DON’T BE A DICK!!!

This is such a magical, once in a lifetime experience and one that everyone should be able to enjoy respectfully and enjoyably, as well as safely for the turtles. These are endangered species and should be shown the utmost respect and dignity.

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