The Anambas Islands are composed of 238 islands located just 150 nautical miles from Singapore - a hidden world in the midst of the bustling South China Sea. It is thought that these islands were once part of a larger continent called Sundaland, an ancient land of Asia that became submerged about 8,000 years ago when the ocean water rose at the end of the last ice age. Once fertile valleys and lowlands became submerged, and forests became reefs, lagoons and a rolling continental shelf.


During these years, as the ocean claimed the continent, people were forced to flee in all directions, thus the islands and its people became trading ports and sea faring people. These were “sea people” of ancient times: people that traveled the sea bringing their language, crops such as rice, their dogs and other animals, and know-how that has influenced the world as we know it today.

We had first arrived the Anambas Islands in 2006 on the suggestion of Raffles Marina colleagues and immediately felt at home. Now, years later, we are collaborating with friends from Indonesia and Singapore to implement long-term marine conservation programs and to our great joy, we have learned that the people of Anambas embrace our efforts.

With the help of Wallace J Nichols (sea turtle expert), our first project is focused on helping them establish a protected area for endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles that frequent the Anambas Islands to nest on its white sand beaches.