Penang

Penang National Park was established in 2003 at the north-western tip of the island of Penang, in peninsular Malaysia, and at some 25 km² it is the smallest national park in the country. It had previously been a forest reserve.

Its most singular feature is the meromictic lake of Pantai Kerachut, one of the few in the world and the only one in Malaysia. It is a seasonal body of water that forms behind the beach when the rains build up fresh water behind the sand bar: that fresh water sits on top of the sea water seeping in below without mixing with it, creating two layers of different salinity and temperature that do not combine. The lake opens to the sea and empties periodically, and the phenomenon occurs only a few months a year.

The park also protects lowland rainforest, mangroves, beaches and reefs. Its beaches are a nesting area for green and olive ridley turtles, with a conservation centre that protects the nests, and the forest is home to dusky leaf monkeys, macaques, otters and coastal and forest birdlife. Its proximity to the densely populated city of George Town makes pressure of use its main challenge.