Chek Jawa Inter- tidal zone on the north- eastern tip of Pulau Ubin. Chek Jawa takes its name from a village that once existed in the area, and which was home to fishermen. In 1992, plans were announced to undertake a land reclamation project on Chek Jawa, and residents of the village were resettled in late 2000.

However, in December 2001, the Ministry of National Development decided to defer the reclamation project for at least ten years after a campaign by local naturalists and scientists highlighted the ecological importance of the area. Staff of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research started providing guided walks on Chek Jawa for the public. The National Parks Board (NParks) was then given responsibility for managing visitors to Chek Jawa. In 2005, work began on developing boardwalks and other facilities for an increasing number of visitors.

Chek Jawa has multiple ecosystems: a natural coastal forest blankets the hill overlooking Chek Jawa; seagrass flourishes in the lagoon, providing shelter and food for snails, crabs and shrimps; the lagoon is ringed by natural sand bars; and further out to sea is a coral rubble area which is almost always submerged, except at extremely low tides.

Photo credit: Ria Tan