Turtle Islands Park (Taman Pulau Penyu) is located within the Turtle Islands, which lie in the Sulu Sea[1] some 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) north of Sandakan in Sabah, Malaysia.[2] It consists of 3 islands - Selingaan, Bakkungan Kechil and Gulisaan (often spelt with -an instead of the traditional -aan), including the surrounding coral reefs and ocean. The Park is noted for its green turtles and hawks
bill turtles which lay their eggs on the beaches of the islands. The name Turtle Islands, however, refers to 10 islands, 3 of which are part of Turtle Islands Park of Malaysia, and 7 which belong to the Municipality of Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. On 1 August 1966, the first turtle hatchery in Malaysia was established on Selingan, funded entirely by the Sabah state government. In 1972, Selingan, Bakkungan Kechil and Gulisan were designated as a Game and Bird Sanctuary. In 1977, this status was upgraded to that of a Marine Park. Permanent park staff monitor the turtles, protect the hatcheries and tag the turtles for research purposes. Libaran Island is also designated within the park boundaries, however it is not a major turtle hatching spot. Turtle Islands Park is administered by Sabah Parks.
