Talang-Satang was Sarawak's first marine protected area, and it exists for one reason: turtles. Four islands — Talang-Talang Besar and Talang-Talang Kecil off Sematan, Satang Besar and Satang Kecil off Santubong — carry the great majority of the state's turtle landings, chiefly green turtles with hawksbills among them.
Because the park is a nesting sanctuary rather than a resort, access is deliberately limited. Satang Besar takes day visitors for snorkelling and beach time; the Talang-Talang pair are managed far more tightly, and are reached mainly through volunteer conservation programmes run with Sarawak Forestry, where participants help with nest relocation and hatchling releases.
