Water activities resume at Singapore’s Lazarus Island beach after oil spill

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) in a statement on Aug. 13 said swimming and all water activities are now allowed. Beach-front businesses such as those offering water activities are also back in operation.

Complimentary boat rides for visitors between Sentosa Cove and Lazarus Island are available on weekends between Aug. 17 and Sept. 1 to mark the reopening of the beach after clean-up operations.

The boats will run at 20-minute intervals between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and at 40-minute intervals between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Activities available over three weekends include a stand-up paddling class, and a three-hour guided walk and kayak adventure through St John’s and Lazarus islands.

On Aug. 3, Siloso Beach on Sentosa reopened to the public after the oil spill – the first of three beaches there to open to visitors. Palawan and Tanjong beaches are expected to reopen in August after cleaning is completed.

On June 14, a boat hit another vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which resulted in an oil spill that affected large swathes of the sea around Singapore.

The incident involved the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honor, which was stationary.