Fodor's Expert Review Turtle Islands National Park
Three islands—Selingan, Bakungan, and Gulisan—and their surrounding waters comprise this marine wildlife reserve where, throughout the year, endangered green and hawksbill turtles come after dark to dig nests and lay their eggs in the warm sands. The eggs are then gathered by rangers and transferred to hatcheries to keep them from poachers who sell the eggs as delicacies. Wildlife officials permit visits to the islands. You can take a one hour speedboat ride north from Sandakan, by organized overnight tour only, and places are limited. Most Sandakan tour operators can arrange trips.