Dolphins, Crocodiles, and Monkeys Sarawak Malaysia

Despite a rocky start, the dolphin watching tour along the Salak and Santubong Rivers was a day well spent. Sometimes it’s difficult for solo travelers to join daytrip groups, and private tours are pricey. Pickup details provided by the tour company were a bit sketchy – at least to me. Somehow, I overcame the obstacles. After a 45-minute drive to the river, I joined a group of 20+ Americans traveling together and waiting at the Santubong Boat Club. After months of solo foreign travel, it was strange being in the company of so many Americans. The guides and boat pilot were locals.

My young Iban driver talked about her life in the Borneo rainforest. She misses her parents, a simpler life, and Iban culture. When possible, she visits the home where she grew up. It’s a four-hour drive from Kuching, plus another 1.5 hours on the Rajang River to reach their longhouse in the Eastern Sarawak jungle.

American Tourists

The Americans were part of a US National Geographic tour. The leader was from Chicago. At first it was fantastic, but I soon realized (again) why I no longer travel in groups. Group dynamics were loud and a bit overwhelming. The guide asked for silence, so human noises wouldn’t alarm the wildlife – that lasted for a few minutes. There were some nice people, but after talking with several, I was exhausted trying to “explain myself” – i.e., why I was traveling solo, etc., etc. :o( – a curiosity that some won’t leave alone. Explaining yourself is a tiresome exercise when trying to focus on where you are – magnificent Borneo – rather than whose company you’re sharing!

Luckily, we saw Irrawaddy dolphins, Malaysian saltwater crocodiles, and proboscis monkeys! All were distant sitings away from the boat. Many in the group had fancy cameras with zoom lenses that would take up half a suitcase. Everyone was dressed in the latest REI-like outdoor adventure attire. It sounded like their itinerary involved two days and nights of seeing what it might take me two or more weeks to accomplish. There are so many new things to learn and understand in each country visited. For me, short, quick trips are frustrating and unfulfilling.

Photography

I found photography difficult. People rushed to the side of the boat where wildlife was spotted, obstructing the view for others. One person suggested that those seated on the side of the sitings stay put, so others behind them could also see – this worked for maybe five minutes. A few people perched themselves at the front of the boat dominating the most advantageous positions for photography and blocking everyone else… Some sat for hours in full-on sun without hats, scanning the river for dolphins and crocodiles. Their faces were bright pink at the end of the tour – surely accomplishing five years of skin aging during a few hours in the brutal Borneo sun. I gave up on taking photos and simply enjoyed the lush scenery.

The dolphins appeared as quick dark flashes in the river, steering clear of our boat. Dolphins have a symbiotic relationship with fishermen and follow them hoping to snag a few fish. There were small fishing boats operating on the river and several commercial sea bass farms along the riverbank. We passed isolated villages that seemed to be clinging to the mangroves, and saw areas along the river cleared of vegetation for development.

The crocodiles were mostly on or near the riverbank, some with their jaws wide open. Keeping their mouths open is said to help them avoid overheating, and it was a hot day. The monkeys were playful while eating leaves in the mangrove trees. Some got great photos with their ultra-high-zoom lenses.

Malaysian Mangrove Forests

Mangrove Forests grow near alluvium deposits (loose sand and silt) along river estuaries. It’s a natural habitat for proboscis monkeys. Various forms of marine life affected by saline water thrive in mangrove forests. Mangroves help “remove salt from brackish estuarine waters through ultrafiltration in their roots“.

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“Pneumatophores are specialized root structures that grow out from the water surface and provide the aeration needed for root respiration. They project above the mud and have small openings (lenticels) where air enters, passing through the soft spongy tissue to the underlying roots.” Britannica

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Plants in the saline mudflats include Pedada, Perepat, Api-Api, and Buta-Buta. Api-Api “form a barrier against waves and tides with their long, spreading root systems and pneumatophores”. They enable access to air in waterlogged soil habitats, especially in areas inundated by spring tides. My favorite rainforest plant – Nipah palm – covers fresh water areas.

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“Sarawak mangroves constitute about 80 families of shrubs and trees inhabiting shorelines and estuaries. They’re woody halophytic (salt tolerant) plants of great economic and ecological importance. These plants provide an energy source in the food chain, protecting coastal and marine ecosystems against natural calamities like seawater intrusion.” stuartexchange.org

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“Borneo Mangrove forests are harvested for firewood, charcoal, poles, thatch, and woodchips. Intertwined tree roots of mangroves grow densely together stabilizing and protecting the coastline from erosion.”

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“Kuching and other estuarine-located cities and towns, not only in Sarawak and Sabah but worldwide, have concrete structures built on former swampland.” The Borneo Post 

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Irrawaddy Dolphin

Cruising the Santubong is a great way to observe the illusive Irrawaddy dolphin. The Irrawaddy (Orcaella Brevirostris) is found in “scattered subpopulations near sea coasts, estuaries, and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia”. Sometimes called “river dolphins“, the species is more an “oceanic dolphin living in brackish water (between fresh and marine) near coasts, river mouths, and estuaries”.

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“Coastal living puts the Irrawaddy dolphin in significant danger. Pollution, habitat degradation, climate change, underwater noise pollution, and damming of rivers are all considered serious threats.” Samantha Ambie, Marine Mammal Conservation Officer, WWF Malaysia Marine Programme

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Irrawaddys resemble Australian snubfin dolphins and are grey to a dark slate blue color with a pale underneath. Their forehead is high and rounded, snout blunt, dorsal fin small, and flippers broad and rounded. I was surprised to learn that the killer whale and Irrawaddy are related.

Unlike dolphins in other parts of the world – South Africa and South America – “Irrawaddy are shy of boats, not known to bow-ride, and generally dive when alarmed”. They move slowly and sometimes “spy hop and roll to one side while waving a flipper and occasionally breaching”.

Saltwater Crocodile

The saltwater crocodile is “considered the most important reptile in Borneo“. It’s “existed in Malaysia for at least 46 million years and has a lifespan of 35 to 75 years”. Crocodiles prefer living in rivers, lakes, wetlands, or a brackish and saltwater habitat. Carnivorous saltwater crocodiles feed on “any animal that they can fasten their great jaws onto, including deer, water fowl, other reptiles, monkeys, wild boar, and even sharks”. They’re aggressive, apex predators.

Known as masters of disguise, crocodiles can look like dead logs floating down the river, or submerge themselves in mud banks. They can stun their prey with whiplash from their powerful tail. Crocodile attacks on humans are substantial in Borneo, especially children playing in the rivers.

Proboscis Monkey

Proboscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo. They rarely stray from their natural habitat – rivers, swamps, and coastal mangroves. Monkeys feed on mangrove leaves and live in organized harem groups, consisting of a dominant male and two to seven females with their offspring.

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“Male proboscis monkeys use their fleshy, pendulous noses to attract mates. Scientists think these oversized organs create an echo chamber, amplifying the monkey’s call to impress females and intimidate rival males.” National Geographic 

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Proboscis monkeys are the “primate world’s most prolific swimmers“. They leap from tree limbs, “hitting the water with comical belly flops“. They’ve evolved webbed feet and hands to “help them outpace crocodiles – one of their main predators“.

The male proboscis can reach 50 pounds, but females are about half that size. Adults “wear a coat of light brown fur that’s red around the head and shoulders but gray at the arms, legs, and tail”. Only males develop the large “namesake nose”.

“The rampant clearing of rainforests for timber, settlement, and oil palm plantations has depleted tracts of proboscis habitat. Fragmentation of the monkeys’ range forces them to descend from trees more frequently and travel long distances to find food. Their predators include jaguars and native people who consider the monkey a delicacy.”

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“Over the last 40 years, proboscis monkey populations have plummeted. They’re currently protected from hunting or capture in Borneo.”

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My next daytrip is to Boko National Park. The small, popular park is known for its abundant wildlife and “contains all variety of Bornean vegetation, secluded beaches, trekking trails, jungle streams, and waterfalls“.

We had a huge, exciting tropical storm yesterday evening – the strongest I’ve experienced so far. More later…