The Island of Fun is back in business. For a good few weeks, Sentosa's beaches were closed to all water activities because of an oil spill that spread to its shores. But after massive clean-up efforts, Siloso Beach is open ahead of schedule – with Tanjong, Palawan, and Eagle Bay beaches soon to follow.
Some background: On June 14, a Netherlands-flagged dredger lost engine and steering control and collided with a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel, causing a major oil spill. This necessitated the closure of a number of beaches in Singapore, including the Sentosa and Southern Island beaches.
Just to give an idea of the scale of the clean-up, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) coordinated clean-up efforts involving more than 300 trained workers. In the past month and a half, they've deployed booms to contain and absorb oil, combed the beaches to remove contaminated sand, and employed various techniques to flush oil from hard-to-reach areas. Across six sessions, close to 450 volunteers also showed up to remove tar balls and marine debris from the beach. Detailed oil surveys were carried out to ensure that no pesky oil deposits remained lurking underwater and in the seabed. As final reassurance, The National Environment Agency (NEA) has deemed that water quality levels at Siloso Beach are back to normal.
That means swimming and sea activities are back on at Siloso Beach. However, you'll have to wait until mid-August to frolic in the waters of Tanjong Beach, Palawan Beach, and Lazarus Island's Eagle Bay Beach.
In the meantime, businesses on Sentosa Island are offering attractive promotions to lure visitors (like you) back. From now until August 31, enjoy deals and discounts at Sentosa's attractions and dining venues, such as 1-for-1 happy hour promotions at Ola Beach Club, a Game of Karts experience at electric go-kart arena Hyperdrive, and 20 percent off Wings of Time when you pay with Mastercard. There are 20 different promotions to explore – check it all out here.
READ MORE
The ultimate guide to Sentosa
Stay in cosy 'tiny houses' on Lazarus Island
The best weekend beach getaways from Singapore