SINGAPORE – Sun seekers can now return to the sea for all water activities at Eagle Bay Beach on Lazarus Island, two months after the area was closed for clean-up in the aftermath of a major oil spill.

Sentosa Development Corporation 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 9am and 11am, and at 40-minute intervals between 2pm and 6pm.

Activities available over three weekends include a stand-up paddling class for $5, 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 reopen 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, resulting in the 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 Honour, which was stationary.

The next day, oil slicks stained the coastlines at East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay and Sentosa.

Oil slicks were also spotted at sensitive habitats in parts of the Southern Islands after the oil spill, including the lagoons on St John’s and Lazarus islands.