For more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/tonycesare/EasternSabahMalaysianBorneo?authkey=Gv1sRgCPzZ6qepz_b68AE&feat=directlink
After exploring some of peninsular Malaysia we headed to Borneo –the island that Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei share. The Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah occupy the northern part of the tropical island, along with a small section in between the two that is Brunei. We went to Sabah specifically to see the endemic wildlife and wilderness and booked a 4-day tour that left from Sandakan, a small city on the east coast. Our incredibly friendly and helpful tour guide “Bert” and driver “Yus” met us at the Sandakan airport and spent the next four days showing us some of the amazing locations in eastern Sabah.
Our first stop was the Gomantong caves that are home to the swallows that make the nests used in “bird’s nest soup”. The Gomantng caves are also home to a large number of bats that produce and equally large amount of guano. The result is a heaping mound of bat excrement teaming with unimaginable numbers of cockroaches. Large and very poisonous centipedes crawl along the cave walls adding to the ambiance. If you have ever seen David Attenborough’s “Planet Earth” episode on caves, this cave was one they filmed. The cave was as creepy as it sounds but interesting because of the significance of the bird’s nests. They are so prized as a delicacy that guards were on patrol 24 hours a day to protect the nests from poachers (why anyone would eat anything from that cave, or bird’s nest soup in general is beyond us). However, the real excitement for us was that outside the cave where we saw our first wild Orangutan slowly moving among the trees high above the cave opening. The possibility of seeing a wild Orangutan was one of the main reasons we came to Borneo and we had mission accomplished on the first day! That evening we stayed at Billet adventure lodge on the Kinabatangan River and were lead on a night walk by a local guide. The jungle at night is always exciting and aside from the usual assortment of frogs, insects, sleeping birds and large spiders, Matt had the good eyes to spot a Leopard cat. This is a small wild cat that roams the jungles and according to our guide was a rare sighting. We felt pretty cool that we spotted something named “leopard” and went to bed with a feeling of accomplishment.
The following morning our good fortune continued on the dawn boat cruise down the Kinabatangan River. We saw heaps of Macaque monkeys (both long-tailed and pig-tailed) jumping around and playing in the trees; three different groups of proboscis monkeys; a crocodile; and two more wild Orangutans! The only disappointment was that we did not spot any wild elephants (local fisherman said a herd was there two days prior). Proboscis monkeys are found only in Borneo and are were a quirky sight with their round bellies and big noses. Some of the smaller Probiscus monkeys bounded between trees while the large males sat in a regal pose high in the trees surveying the land around. Seeing more wild Orangutans was again a thrill. One looked directly at us with indifference in its human like features while we looked back in awe. Adding to the experience was that we were on a beautiful river at sunrise with almost no one else around.
On day three we travelled from Sandakan by speed boat to one of three Malaysian islands in the Turtle Island Sanctuary. The islands are just 2 km from the Filipino Maritime boarder and 10 km from a few small Philippine islands. As the name implies the island we stayed on is a sanctuary dedicated to protecting sea turtles. Each night (mainly green) turtles come ashore to lay eggs. After they dig the nesting hole the turtles enter a trance-like state to lay their clutch of up to 100 eggs. This allows the rangers to collect the eggs for transfer to a protected hatchery (which is good as the island is also home to many very large monitor lizards). After 40 days incubation in specially dug sand-pits the newly hatched baby turtles are collected and returned to the wild.
We spent our day on the island snorkeling, spotting monitor lizards and taking in a spectacular sunset. Around sun-down newly hatched turtles started to appear in the hatchery and teemed with excitement ready to make their dash to the ocean. After dark all the tourists were allowed to go out and watch one turtle lay her eggs and watch the release of one clutch of baby turtles back into the wild (human contact is kept to an absolute minimum to protect the turtles). The little guys ran like hell for the water. Some of the baby turtles even ran across our feet as we stood still before finding their way to the big blue (Matt even got to pick up a wayward turtle and put him in the water at the ranger’s request). After most people went to bed a few of us stayed out a bit later and were allowed to watch another turtle lay her clutch of 93 eggs. We were amazed by the size of a full grown sea turtle and with such a small group the experience was quite intimate –you could hear the large turtle breathing heavily during the laborious process. On the boat ride back to Sandakan early the following morning we spotted two large sea-turtles mating as they came up for a breath – a circle of life type moment.
Our final day of the tour was spent at the Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary just outside Sandakan. Sepilok is on the edge of a large nature reserve and is dedicated to the re-introduction of injured and orphaned orangutans back into the wild. Once the juvenile orangutans acquire the skills to survive on their own in the wild, their interaction with people is kept to a minimum. However, some of the apes refuse to return to the wild and spend the rest of their days near the center. These are the Orangutan we saw during the morning and afternoon feedings. They were amazing to watch closely; graceful, flexible, acrobatic and powerful in the trees; human-like in many ways; and the juveniles were adorable. During the afternoon feeding a group of hungry Macaque monkeys were also on the feeding stand trying to sneak food from the Orangutans. As we walked out in the afternoon, a mother Orangutan with baby in tow was sitting on a railing just off the walkway. It turns out she was having a bad day and had been harassed by a large male. Maybe because of this, she had something against Tony and Matt because she clearly was agitated and kept approaching the two of them. Bert kept us at a safe distance, but it was exciting to see such an incredible animal in such close proximity.
Eastern Sabah was a highlight from top to bottom. We saw the wilderness and wildlife we came to view, had great luck with wild spotting (three Orangutans!) and were able to get up close with the rehabilitated Orangutans. While incredible, the sobering reality is that much of eco-tourism today is trying to see the amazing sights before they disappear. Orangutans are beautiful creatures that are now only found on two islands in the world and their habitat is decreasing steadily. Sea Turtles are in danger and much of Borneo’s wild areas are under threat. We had a fantastic time and hope that the environment remains protected and that the animals have a place to roam without the threat of extinction.
Up next – Mount Kinabalu: The highest peak in South East Asia.
Our first stop was the Gomantong caves that are home to the swallows that make the nests used in “bird’s nest soup”. The Gomantng caves are also home to a large number of bats that produce and equally large amount of guano. The result is a heaping mound of bat excrement teaming with unimaginable numbers of cockroaches. Large and very poisonous centipedes crawl along the cave walls adding to the ambiance. If you have ever seen David Attenborough’s “Planet Earth” episode on caves, this cave was one they filmed. The cave was as creepy as it sounds but interesting because of the significance of the bird’s nests. They are so prized as a delicacy that guards were on patrol 24 hours a day to protect the nests from poachers (why anyone would eat anything from that cave, or bird’s nest soup in general is beyond us). However, the real excitement for us was that outside the cave where we saw our first wild Orangutan slowly moving among the trees high above the cave opening. The possibility of seeing a wild Orangutan was one of the main reasons we came to Borneo and we had mission accomplished on the first day! That evening we stayed at Billet adventure lodge on the Kinabatangan River and were lead on a night walk by a local guide. The jungle at night is always exciting and aside from the usual assortment of frogs, insects, sleeping birds and large spiders, Matt had the good eyes to spot a Leopard cat. This is a small wild cat that roams the jungles and according to our guide was a rare sighting. We felt pretty cool that we spotted something named “leopard” and went to bed with a feeling of accomplishment.
The following morning our good fortune continued on the dawn boat cruise down the Kinabatangan River. We saw heaps of Macaque monkeys (both long-tailed and pig-tailed) jumping around and playing in the trees; three different groups of proboscis monkeys; a crocodile; and two more wild Orangutans! The only disappointment was that we did not spot any wild elephants (local fisherman said a herd was there two days prior). Proboscis monkeys are found only in Borneo and are were a quirky sight with their round bellies and big noses. Some of the smaller Probiscus monkeys bounded between trees while the large males sat in a regal pose high in the trees surveying the land around. Seeing more wild Orangutans was again a thrill. One looked directly at us with indifference in its human like features while we looked back in awe. Adding to the experience was that we were on a beautiful river at sunrise with almost no one else around.
On day three we travelled from Sandakan by speed boat to one of three Malaysian islands in the Turtle Island Sanctuary. The islands are just 2 km from the Filipino Maritime boarder and 10 km from a few small Philippine islands. As the name implies the island we stayed on is a sanctuary dedicated to protecting sea turtles. Each night (mainly green) turtles come ashore to lay eggs. After they dig the nesting hole the turtles enter a trance-like state to lay their clutch of up to 100 eggs. This allows the rangers to collect the eggs for transfer to a protected hatchery (which is good as the island is also home to many very large monitor lizards). After 40 days incubation in specially dug sand-pits the newly hatched baby turtles are collected and returned to the wild.
We spent our day on the island snorkeling, spotting monitor lizards and taking in a spectacular sunset. Around sun-down newly hatched turtles started to appear in the hatchery and teemed with excitement ready to make their dash to the ocean. After dark all the tourists were allowed to go out and watch one turtle lay her eggs and watch the release of one clutch of baby turtles back into the wild (human contact is kept to an absolute minimum to protect the turtles). The little guys ran like hell for the water. Some of the baby turtles even ran across our feet as we stood still before finding their way to the big blue (Matt even got to pick up a wayward turtle and put him in the water at the ranger’s request). After most people went to bed a few of us stayed out a bit later and were allowed to watch another turtle lay her clutch of 93 eggs. We were amazed by the size of a full grown sea turtle and with such a small group the experience was quite intimate –you could hear the large turtle breathing heavily during the laborious process. On the boat ride back to Sandakan early the following morning we spotted two large sea-turtles mating as they came up for a breath – a circle of life type moment.
Our final day of the tour was spent at the Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary just outside Sandakan. Sepilok is on the edge of a large nature reserve and is dedicated to the re-introduction of injured and orphaned orangutans back into the wild. Once the juvenile orangutans acquire the skills to survive on their own in the wild, their interaction with people is kept to a minimum. However, some of the apes refuse to return to the wild and spend the rest of their days near the center. These are the Orangutan we saw during the morning and afternoon feedings. They were amazing to watch closely; graceful, flexible, acrobatic and powerful in the trees; human-like in many ways; and the juveniles were adorable. During the afternoon feeding a group of hungry Macaque monkeys were also on the feeding stand trying to sneak food from the Orangutans. As we walked out in the afternoon, a mother Orangutan with baby in tow was sitting on a railing just off the walkway. It turns out she was having a bad day and had been harassed by a large male. Maybe because of this, she had something against Tony and Matt because she clearly was agitated and kept approaching the two of them. Bert kept us at a safe distance, but it was exciting to see such an incredible animal in such close proximity.
Eastern Sabah was a highlight from top to bottom. We saw the wilderness and wildlife we came to view, had great luck with wild spotting (three Orangutans!) and were able to get up close with the rehabilitated Orangutans. While incredible, the sobering reality is that much of eco-tourism today is trying to see the amazing sights before they disappear. Orangutans are beautiful creatures that are now only found on two islands in the world and their habitat is decreasing steadily. Sea Turtles are in danger and much of Borneo’s wild areas are under threat. We had a fantastic time and hope that the environment remains protected and that the animals have a place to roam without the threat of extinction.
Up next – Mount Kinabalu: The highest peak in South East Asia.
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