![]() |
| The Paradise island of Pulau Satamu |
With the kind courtesy of the Maritime port authority of Singapore and the Singapore shipping association, I had the opportunity to visit the pristine island of Pulau Satamu . Located just under an hour from the marina south pier, this tiny island is home to swaying coconut trees, crystal clear opaque waters ,vibrant corals and the iconic Raffles lighthouse. Restricted to public, Pulau Satamu only opens for MPA guided tours during the Singapore maritime week.
![photo SAM_0026.jpg]() |
| Marina South Pier |
On the day of the tour, we assembled at the Marina south pier bright and early to take the ferry over to the island. Unlike Tanah Merah and Harbor front terminals, the marina south pier services the smaller southern islands of Kusu and St John's. As we waited for our turn to board, many small boats dotted the horizon, overshadowed by the large shipping vessels.
Once on board the ferry, we received a quick briefing from our captain who had a great sense of humour.
"In case of any emergency", he said
, "the life jackets can be found under your seat. Wear it and just jump lah! If you cant find one, grab whichever one you can and jump lah! " As soon as he said that, the entire crowd erupted in a fit of laughter :)
![photo SAM_0059.jpg]() |
| On the deck hoping to see dolphins |
The infinite stretch of vivid blue ocean greeted us as we set sail .Since, I tend to easily get sea sick , I stood on the deck throughout the journey and enjoyed it immensely! The cool ocean breeze along with the excitement of visiting a secluded island and possibly sighting dolphins made me stick to the deck like glue.
![photo SAM_0056.jpg]() |
| Islands on the way |
As we steered past Singapore's posh Sentosa cove, the seascape transformed and became more clear and vibrant. Tiny islands such as these occasionally popped up leading to a frenzy of photo enthusiasts clambering over to the deck to get the perfect shot (me included)! I had often seen small islands from the aircraft but seeing them up close was an incredible experience.
![photo SAM_0053.jpg]() |
| Island Ahoy! |
![photo SAM_0069.jpg]() |
| Raffles Lighthouse at Pulau Satamu |
Land Ahoy!
After sailing for about an hour, we soon approached our destination as the little island of Pulau Satamu (
translates as 'one tree island' in malay)could be seen in the distance. The iconic Raffles Lighthouse stood out in all its opulence against the vivid blue sky. Built in 1855 and named after the founder of modern Singapore, the Raffles lighthouse is a shining beacon of Singapore's maritime history. Today, it stands at a height of 95 feet and consists of a main and standby beacon with a range of 20 nautical miles.
![photo SAM_0119.jpg]() |
| The Raffles Lighthouse |
![photo SAM_0078.jpg]() |
| Clear blue water and vibrant corals |
As we disembarked at the jetty, we were asked to explore the island freely . Walking around, I for one was awe struck at the sight of clear blue water abundant with beautiful hard corals! Due to the low tide, they were clearly visible in the shallow waters and were a sight to behold!
These coral reefs are protected and are part of a surveying program conducted by the national parks board in conjunction with various organisations. International techniques developed by Reef check have been adopted for this program.
After exploring around for a bit, we headed up to see the lighthouse. The staircase was quite narrow and only a few people were allowed at a time. While walking up, I saw these large windows that overlooked the ocean. As i climbed higher, the view became more vibrant and beautiful. Once on top of the lighthouse, miles and miles of blue ocean greeted me . I stood there quietly and felt thankful for this incredibly rare opportunity .
