EXPLOREEXPRESSACT!
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St.
John's Island
41ha, mangroves, coral reefs, rocky shores and natural
sandy shores. Swimming, camping and chalets.
Uniquely Singapore!
The reefs of St. John's Island are only 15 minutes from the city
centre by fast boat! More about our city
reefs.
St. John's Island houses several government facilities, but there
are still portions of the island accessible to the public. There are
also short stretches of natural shores that have some of the most
exquisite corals and other reef life. These shores are rather delicate
so please be gentle when visiting them. There is also a small patch
of mangroves.
History of St. John's Island
A former quarantine station for leprosy cases and a penal settlement
for political prisoners and ringleaders of secret societies.
St. John's island today
In recent times, the western end of the island hosts a $30million
Marine Aquaculture Centre. This large hilly island also has swimming
lagoons, beaches, picnic grounds, trekking routes and soccer fields.
Marine life of St. John's Island
St. John's natural shores is ringed by coral
reefs with a variety of hard and soft corals. St. John's Island
also has small patches of mangroves,
which shelters a rare variety of mangrove tree. For some reason, dolphins
seem regularly sighted at St. John's.
Join a guided nature walk on St. John's Island conducted by
the Tropical Marine
Science Institute. See also the wild
shores of singapore blog.
More
tips for visitors
There
is a daily ferry from Marina South Pier currently provided by Singapore
Island Cruise, see their website for their latest charges and
ferry schedule.
You can also charter a fast work boat from Marina
South Pier. Rates will have to be negotiated with the operator
which depends on their availability and diesel prices among others.
The work boats operate 24-hours, but the booking desks at the Pier
only opens during office hours. The work boats generally service business
for ships in our harbour. These boats are not intended for leisure
trips and are not designed for comfort.
There is an admission charge of 50cents per person for those arriving
by private charter. This fee is incorporated into the ferry cost for
those taking the ferry.
There are chalets and camping facilities available on the island.
These are managed by the Sentosa.
More
on the Sentosa website It is advisable to consult Sentosa if you are
bringing large groups even if it's just a day trip.
Facilities include: Swimming lagoons, toilets, shelters and picnic
areas. No food on sale on the island.
Kusu Pilgrimage season is held during the ninth month of the
Chinese lunar calendar. During this time, about 100,000 pilgrims make
the trip to Kusu island. Ferry services to St. John's Island, road
access to Marina South Pier and other regular services may be suspended
and changed. Check the Sentosa
website and Maritime Port Authority
website for the latest updates nearer the event. Public information
on this will also be posted on the wild shores of singapore blog.
More about preparing for a trip to the shores
More FAQs about visiting the shores
How to take photos on the shores. |
Links
General description
Field
guides and references
- Wildfact
sheets introduction to common marine life in Singapore.
- Tan, Leo
W. H. & Ng, Peter K. L., 1988. A
Guide to Seashore Life. The Singapore Science Centre,
Singapore. 160 pp.
- Ng, Peter
K. L. & N. Sivasothi, 1999. A
Guide to the Mangroves of Singapore II (Animal Diversity).
Singapore Science Centre. 168 pp.
- Lim, Kelvin
K. P. & Jeffrey K. Y. Low, 1998. A
Guide to the Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore
Science Centre. 163 pp.
- Tan, Ria
and Loh Tse-Lynn, 2004. Guidesheet
to the Amazing Marine Life of the Southern Shores of Singapore.
- Tan, Ria
and Alan Yeo, 2003. Chek
Jawa Guidebook. Simply Green. 219.
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