Tiga Island Park was established in 1978, although the area has been under protection as a forest reserve since 1933. It is located north of

Kuala Penyu Kuala Penyu Town ( ms, Pekan Kuala Penyu) is the capital of the Kuala Penyu District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 659 in 2010, with ethnic Dusun Tatana sub-group forming the largest s ...

, opposite the swampy

Klias Peninsula The Klias Peninsula ( ms, Semenanjung Klias) is a peninsula in western of Sabah, Malaysia. It consists of coastal wetlands which become the largest mangrove and nipa swamp area in Sabah's west coast and serves as a major nurturing ground for f ...

, in

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The park covers 158 square kilometres of mostly ocean, containing the 3 islands of Tiga, Kalampunian Besar and Kalampunian Damit. The islands were formed in 1897 by the eruption of

mud volcano A mud volcano or mud dome is a landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases. Several geological processes may cause the formation of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are not true igneous volcanoes as they do not produce la ...

Tiga Island Tiga Island, also called Tokanod, is a small island in the South Pacific Ocean. Tiga lies from Lifou Island, and from Maré Island in the Loyalty Islands. The Loyalty Islands are part of the greater archipelago of New Caledonia. Tiga is part ...

is now covered in dense vegetation; however volcanic activity continues in the form of bubbling mud and

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Ea ...

gas venting, although the last major outpouring of mud was in the early 1960s. Kalampunian Besar Island is now little more than a sandbar, eroded away by wave action. Known for its sugar-white sands and clear waters, it is popular for

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

and snorkelling.

Kalampunian Damit Island Kalampunian Damit Island ( ms, Pulau Kalampunian Damit) also known as Snake Island is an island located in the West Coast of Sabah, Malaysia. This island is part of the Tiga Island National Park along with the Kalampunian Besar Island and T ...

, little more than a large rock, is also called Snake Island. It is famous as a mating location for highly poisonous

sea snake Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are elapid snakes that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes Australasian terrestrial snakes, wher ...

s. Tiga Island Park is administered by

Sabah Parks Sabah Parks ( ms, Taman-Taman Sabah) is a conservation-based statutory body established in 1964 with the purpose of conserving the scenic, scientific and historic heritage of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The organisation ...

External links

Sabah Parks: Pulau Tiga National Park
National parks of Sabah Protected areas established in 1978 1978 establishments in Malaysia {{Sabah-geo-stub

See also

External links