I’m so happy to come back to Sands Spit Island again. In my first visit, I said Sands Spit Island had one of the Most Beautiful Beaches of Sabah . After one year, I still say the same.
Sands Spit Island (Pulau Kalampunian Besar in Malay language) is a small island between Snake Island and Survivor Island of famous Pulau Tiga Islands Park. It was used to be a sand bar without any vegetation. Today it has grown so big that nobody thinks it’s only a sand bar.
Pic: landing on Sands Spit Island, the island far behind is Snake Island
Pic: thanks to Edward and Candy (from Borneo Starcruise) for bringing me here.
The long sandy beach of Sands Spit Island stretches over one Kilometer. The beach is so pristine and nearly 100% paved by white sand, the dust of heaven. Some gives this island another nickname “Long Beach Island” (which is more marketable).
The water here is also crystal clear and shallow, very suitable for swimming and snorkeling.
Sands Spit Island is isolated from civilization, so you are cut off from any interruption such as Internet. It is a great place for family to have a “pure” vacation, as parents won’t be “phubbed” by their children who are busy looking at their smartphone, LOL.
More and more travel agents know the beauty of Sands Spit Island and introduce it to their customers. If you visit Pulau Tiga Island, you must drop by this island.
In my second visit, I decided to explore the far end of the Sands Spit Island to see what’s there.
There were a few busybodies joining me too. 🙂 There were some tiny sandflies around this area. Just stay nearer to the sea to avoid them.
Pic: there is a narrow sand bar connecting to a small island far away.
During low tide, you can walk over to another island.
It’s kind of fun to stand in the middle where sea waves washing from both sides.
Look mom! I can split the sea like Moses.
Two families met and took a group photo.
You may watch the short video below to see the waves in motion:
After swimming and walking, we rested under the shade of the trees.
There is no man-made structure on this island, so Edward set up a canvas shelter and picnic area.
We had our lunch (fried noodle, fried egg, curry chicken, meat dumpling) on the island. The food tasted so good after we had some activities. Tourists from other group even asked us if the food was for sale.
Pic: enjoying meal in sea breeze of Sands Spit Island.
Everyone is happy. It just can’t get any better.
Too bad we had to leave at last, but we can always come back.
The fun hasn’t ended yet. Edward brought us for a Mud Volcano SPA on Pulau Tiga Island (Survivor Island) nearby.
We got all dirty after the mud bath. Now we had excuse to go to the beach again.
Pic: washing ourselves in the sea
If you would like to have fun like us on Sands Spit Island, you may book a tour with Borneo Starcruise.
For those who want to spend their holiday on Pulau Tiga, this article will give you a basic idea on what kind of accommodation and amenities you can find there. The two most important places are the tourist-friendly Pulau Tiga Resort and government’s Sabah Parks Base Camp. From the layout map below, you can see both sites is a stone’s throw away to each other. To know what is so fun about Pulau Tiga, please Click Here for Things to Do.
The following are their locations on Google map: View My Sabah Map in a larger map
Pulau Tiga Resort
If you plan to stay on Pulau Tiga, Pulau Tiga Resort will be your first choice. You can book the tour online at their website at www.pulautiga.com.my, where all the packages and information are listed. You can even ask them to pick you up at Kota Kinabalu city (KK). It’s so easy. They also have an office on 11th floor of Wisma Sabah in KK city center to book your tour. Just call their hotline at +60 10-947 8888 (phone, Whatsapp, WeChat) or visit their website (Online Booking available) for any enquiry.
Pic: jetty of Pulau Tiga Resort
Normally tourists stay there for 2 or 3 days. After you check-in, you don’t need to worry about food and activities, as the resort will prepare everything for you. There will be guide and staff to answer all your needs.
Once you enter the island, they will brief you so you will have a comfortable stay there. Btw, mobile phone coverage is good there, but I’ll turn off my phone anyway, hehe..
Pic: the Activity and Dining Hall of Pulau Tiga Resort
You will have your 3 meals and afternoon tea break in this hall. Free Wifi is available there.
Food will be served in buffet style if there are many guests. The meals are usually a mix of Asian and Western food, just to name some, white bread, fried rice, noodle, fruit (watermelon, pineapple, papaya, etc.), vegetables (salad, cucumber, eggplant, etc.), hot dog, omelet, fish, squid, soy sauce chicken, french fries, lamb, mushroom soup. And free flow of coffee and water.
Pic: Survivor Bar in the dining hall, for you to get cold beer and carbonated drink
Pic: Sukau Room
You can watch TV (ASTRO satellite TV) in Sukau Room. Karaoke is open from 8pm to 11pm in Sipadan Room at other side. You also can play pool there (RM5.50 per game).
Pic: souvenir shop next to Survivor Bar in dining hall
Pic: you can have BBQ or play Ping-Pong here
Pic: Beach Volley Ball field
Pic: Watersport and Dive Center is nearby if you want to do kayaking, snorkeling and scuba-diving.
Pic: Survivor Lodge of Pulau Tiga Resort
Pic: the chalets are near to beach area
In brief, the Survivor Lodge of Pulau Tiga Resort has 20 standard rooms and 10 superior rooms (2 are family rooms). The resort can accommodate a maximum 70 people at a time.
Pic: the superior room in which I stayed
The room is well-furnished and gets everything I need. e.g. attached bathroom with hot shower, ceiling fan, air-conditioner, bed. The structure is a bit old but it’s clean and neat. Good job by their house-keeping service.
Pic: jetties of Pulau Tiga Resort (right) and Sabah Parks (left)
Sabah Parks is a government agency under the Ministry of Environment. Their main role is to conserve and manage Pulau Tiga national park and they have no commercial interest on the island, though their rest house and hostel are open for public. I’m trying to hint… you should not expect to be pampered like a tourist, though their staffs are friendly.
Pic: jetty of Sabah Parks
Pic: you need to buy ticket (Conservation Levy) here to enter the island. It’s only RM10 (≈USD3) for non-Malaysian adult.
Actually Sabah Parks has good facilities. You may check out the layout map above for detail.
Pic: The chalet of Sabah Parks can accommodate 4 guests and is equipped with kitchen, bathroom and furniture.
Pic: The cabin of Sabah Parks has kitchen, one bathroom and two bedrooms, each with bunk beds and can accommodate 8 people.
The chalet and cabins of Sabah Parks are open for public. You can book a bed as cheap as RM30 (≈USD9) per night, so it is an alternative accommodation on Pulau Tiga. However, they don’t provide boat transfer and food. You have to hire a boat to come here and cook/bring your own food. Other than accommodation, you won’t get any other service.
If you still insist to stay there, you may call Kuala Penyu office of Sabah Parks (Tel: +60 87-884695) to book a bed / room. To charter a boat, call Mr. Faizal at +60 13-8702021. The cost per charter boat (can take a maximum of 12 passengers) is about RM700 (≈USD212) for return-trip. To save money on boat transfer, you should go in big group to share the fee. The boat man will still charge you RM700 per boat, even if there are only two people going.
You also can camp at Sabah Parks for a small fee (about RM5≈USD1.50 per adult)
Pic: BBQ area and shelter near the beach of Sabah Parks station
Pic: World War 2 relic
Pic: soccer field
The Sabah Parks base camp is more “student-friendly”, I think.
Pic: administrative office of Sabah Parks
Pic: you can check out the Mini-Exhibition in administrative office between 9am to 4pm (open daily). The entrance is free. You can learn about flora and fauna in Pulau Tiga Park, but the photographs and specimens are very old. To learn more about Sabah Parks, you may visit their website at: www.sabahparks.org.my.
Pic: there is a tidal swamp near Sabah Parks office, with beautiful mangrove and small lagoon. You can see many fishes trapped in the lagoon during low tide.
FYI, there is another island accommodation named “Borneo Survivor Resort” at east side of the Pulau Tiga island. Currently it is closed and taken over by new management from YTL. I saw them busy doing construction at the site. You can expect a new resort opens in near future.
My day 2 in Pulau Tiga is as exciting as first day. Today I’m going to Snake Island (Pulau Ular or Pulau Kalampunian Damit) of Pulau Tiga Park. I’ve seen the video of dozens of highly venomous Yellow-lipped Sea Kraits or Banded Sea Kraits (species: Laticauda colubrina) roaming on this island. The poison of this sea snake is 3 to 4 times more potent than cobra!
Snake Island (Pulau Ular)
The trip to Snake Island is optional. You can pay RM40 (≈USD12) to visit two islands (Snake Island and Sands Spit Island) of Pulau Tiga Park. The tour also includes a snorkeling trip off the island, so it is a good deal.
We depart at 9am and reach the Snake Island after 15 minutes. They only allow you to go during good weather.
According to a legend, Snake Island is the resting place of a heart-broken princess, whose lover is turned into rock by black magic of her sisters. The angry king penalized the evil sisters by turning their islands into mud volcanoes (Pulau Tiga).
Snake Island is so small that you need only 15 minutes to walk one round of the island.
Besides a jetty and a shelter, there is no other facility on Snake Island.
Pic: a warning sign. Watch your steps! You must be accompanied by a guide. We are happy to have Mr. Mohammad Syaheer, the “snake catcher” from Pulau Tiga Resort, to go with us.
Though Snake Island is tiny, it has interesting plant such as tall Pisonia tree, which has smooth bark and grows well in sandstone, limestone and shale of Snake Island.
At first glance, Snake Island looks like an ordinary island with rocky shore. I saw the feather and dropping of white-bellied sea eagle, a bird that preys on sea snake.
Actually the sea snakes are sleeping in the crevices between the rocks. Mohammad is so brave to pull one of them out of the hole. I can’t forget it’s one of the most poisonous snakes in the world!
He even let us to touch and hold the sea snake. Surprisingly, its skin is dry and feel like plastic. We only saw two sea snakes. The guides say probably it’s not mating season and most sea snakes go hunting in sea during daytime.
After the visit to Snake Island, we stop briefly on Sands Spit Island (Pulau Kalampunian Besar), which is only a few Kilometers away.
Pic: old aerial photo of Sands Spit Island (Source: Sabah Parks)
Sands Spit Island was used to be a sand bar in the sea (see photo above). Technically, it didn’t look like an island.
However, over the years, some vegetations such as Casaurine trees and salt-tolerant creeping vine (Beach Morning Glory) set foot on Sands Spit Island, giving this white sand bar a green cover. A new island is born…
Personally, I think Sands Spit Island has the BEST Beach in Sabah. The white sandy beach is long and unspoiled, and the sea water is the clean crystal blue color.
Pic: you can see Pulau Tiga from Sands Spit Island
We enjoy every moment on this lovely island. Our footprints are the only human trace on Sands Spit Island. I don’t mind staying there whole day long, but sadly, we have to leave…
As the last activity of the island tour this morning, our boat sends us to Tiga Trail, a snorkeling point near Pulau Tiga. In lucky day, you can see sea turtle there.
Pic: the dark area in the sea is coral reefs rich with marine creatures
The water is warm and only 1 to 4 Meters deep. The weather is nice, so the visibility underwater is very good. The corals are in healthy state, with many reef fishes foraging among rich variety of seagrass and hard & soft corals.
FYI, you can rent snorkeling gears (snorkel, mask and fins) for RM30 (≈USD9) per day, if you don’t have any. For those who are not a good swimmer, they can use the life jacket from the boat.
Pulau Tiga Resort also has a dive center on island. To go deeper to see more marine creatures such as nudibranchs, cuttlefish, bamboo sharks and marbled stingray, you can arrange with the resort for scuba diving trip in Pulau Tiga Park. For non-divers, they still can experience diving in Discovery Scuba Diving programme (RM200≈USD61 per person, RM300≈USD91 for two).
Besides rich marine ecosystems, Pulau Tiga Park is also rich in terrestrial flora and fauna. In fact, Pulau Tiga is first protected as a forest reserve, before it is turned into a marine park. To me, Pulau Tiga is the Kingdom of Reptiles. Other than sea kraits, I saw many other reptiles such as the Yellow-ringed snake below:
Again, Syaheer the snake catcher is in action. Yellow-ringed snake is almost a guaranteed found if you do a night walk in the jungle of Pulau Tiga, especially after rain. Some says its poison is mild and cause only serious headache, but some says it’s fatal. Well, the only way you can find out is to let it bites you, just kidding.
Yellow-ringed snake is passive, so it is never a problem to the guests. FYI, its yellow color will fade if it’s very hungry. Python also lives on this island but I saw only its abandoned nest. I spotted the small Lizard Snake twice, but they flee so fast that I can’t photograph them.
The main predator of Pulau Tiga is Monitor Lizard. You can find a dozen of them wandering at the kitchen area behind the resort. Most of them are 4 to 5 feet long. Normally they stay away from human so they never pose a danger to tourists (as long as they don’t provoke the lizard). Below is a 1-min video of them:
Monitor lizard lives happily on Pulau Tiga like a king. If it lives in city, it’ll just become one of the road kills or have tyre mark on its long tail.
Skink and lizards are just everywhere. To name a few, I saw or heard Rough-backed ground skink, Striped tree skink, Brown skink, Green tree lizard and Tokay gecko.
Pic: near the coastal area, hermit crab is also everywhere.
You can see Oriental Pied Hornbill early in the morning (6am-7am) around resort. I also saw 4 of them perching on a Casaurina Pine in a night walk. They told me the guide and guest saw a white hornbill 2 years ago, probably an albino. Other birds that you can see on Pulau Tiga are Megapod, Frigate Bird, Magpie Robin, Blue-naped Parrot, Great Egret, White-breasted Woodswallow, Nightjar, etc.
Pic: a crab-eating frog in the mangrove stream outside my room. It’s one of the few frogs that can tolerate saline environment.
Long-Tailed Macaques are present in the island, but they prefer to stay in the wood. They can become a major nuisance if tourists feed them.
Monitor lizard and python also prey on this naughty monkey. You can ask the resort staffs who witnessed the terrible scenes of monkey being consumed alive by those reptiles. I hate monkey, so their stories sound awesome to me, especially the part that monitor lizard swallows the head of a baby monkey. Yes, I’m sick, whatever. Anyway, the island needs predators to control the monkey population.
Pic: Ranggu and Keruing trees dominate the island forest
There are 8 nature trails of different length in Pulau Tiga (see map below). The resort tells me they find pangolin and coconut crab in the forest.
Pic: Putat Laut tree (Species: Barringtonia asiatica) only grows on undisturbed beach. Its huge drift seed can survive for 15 years.
Just walk around the beach, you will see some interesting trees such as Putat Laut, Ketapang (Umbrella Tree) and Penaga Laut.
There are so many more to see in Pulau Tiga. I stayed there for 3 days 2 nights and explored only one-third of the island.
Funny, though I’m from Sabah, I learned about Pulau Tiga Island in a foreign TV game show named “Survivor” in year 2000. In this reality game series by CBS network, 16 Americans were competing with one another on Pulau Tiga and the sole survivor took away $1 million. The Survivor TV series is so famous that it gives Pulau Tiga a new nickname “Survivor Island“. The game is long over but not my desire to visit this wild tropical island.
Pulau Tiga means “Island of Three” in Malay language. In 1978, Pulau Tiga is gazetted as a Marine Park, which covers an area of 158 square KM (96% is sea rich with coral reefs). The Park consists of 3 islands, namely, Pulau Tiga (Survivor Island) being the main island, Pulau Kalampunian Besar (Sands Spit Island) and Pulau Kalampunian Damit (Snake Island). To visit Pulau Tiga, just drive 2.5 hours, about 114 KM from Kota Kinabalu city (KK) to Kuala Penyu town, then take a 20-minute boat ride to reach the island 15 KM away.
Pic: the jetty and office of Pulau Tiga Resort in Kuala Penyu
You can follow the boat of Pulau Tiga Resort, but please note that you need to book the island tour package in advance. They also provide land transport from KK to Kuala Penyu for a fee. Since I went with my own transport, I just parked my car in front of their office.
Of the 3 islands, only Pulau Tiga Island has accommodation, the other two islands are uninhabited. I was staying in Pulau Tiga Resort for 3 days 2 nights. You can look at the layout map of Pulau Tiga above to see what are on the main island.
Pic: Pulau Tiga, a.k.a. Survivor Island
The main island, Pulau Tiga is the biggest island of Pulau Tiga Park. It is formed by eruption of several mud volcanoes hundred year ago. Pulau Tiga is relatively flat, with the highest point reaching 100 Meters only. You only need 6 hours to walk one round of the island.
Pic: the famous Snake Island (Pulau Ular or Pulau Kalampunian Damit)
Pic: Sands Spit Island (Pulau Kalampunian Besar)
Pic: the jetty of Pulau Tiga Resort on Pulau Tiga Island
The weather was good and the sea was calm, so it was a smooth ride.
As seen in TV, the sea of Pulau Tiga is crystal clear.
Pic: Survivor Island welcoming me.
Pic: the sculpture left behind by the “Survivor” TV reality show
After registration and getting my room key, the resort gives me a short briefing on what they have and what we can do on the island. I just can’t wait to enjoy the sun and the sea!
There are many tall trees in the resort area. Pulau Tiga is a national park, so nobody is allowed to cut any tree. Most of Pulau Tiga is densely forested. Pulau Tiga is one of my favorite islands, due to its undisturbed lush forest and rich flora. Most Sabah islands have beach but no forest.
Mud Volcano
Another geology feature not found in other Sabah islands is the Mud Volcano. There are 3 mud volcanoes on Pulau Tiga. According to the guide, two of them are dry up. The active and largest mud volcano is in the center of Pulau Tiga. You can look at the trail map for its location.
The 1,100-Meter jungle trail to the mud volcano is just behind the Pulau Tiga Resort.
Beware of “Mud Monsters”! LOL. On the way, you will see muddy tourists returning from mud volcano bath. A visit to Pulau Tiga is incomplete without getting yourselves covered in mud. Some says the mud possesses medicinal and therapeutic properties which are good for skin, but most get dirty just to have fun.
The trail is mostly flat and easy to walk. You will reach the mud volcano in 20 minutes. If you are lucky, you will see red-faced megapods galloping into the wood. There are about 10 of such wild fowls living in Pulau Tiga, and hundreds of forest skinks foraging on forest floor.
The mud volcano is just next to the shelter. More mud people appear.
The mud volcano pool of Pulau Tiga. I can smell mild odor like rotten egg in the air.
The mud volcano is still active. You can see gas seeps in the mud, sometimes coming with loud burping sound. About 86% of the gas released from mud volcano is methane. The activity emits gas and new mud rich of minerals to the surface, so the mud pool is always “fresh”.
There are two mud pools at this mud volcano area. The smaller one (see photo above) can take less than 10 people. This mud pool is very shallow but a few times stickier than another pool behind it.
Kid also enjoys the mud. I remember when I was a kid, if I was covered in mud like this, my mom would beat the crap out of me.
The bigger mud pool is more “watery” and deeper (about 4 feet). There are two ropes that help you to balance in the deep mud. Mud volcano is not quick sand pit. Instead of sinking, you will float on the mud, due to the buoyant force of dense mud. Therefore, it is perfectly safe even if you can’t swim. But little kids are better accompanied by adult.
Seeing so many people have fun wallowing in mud like buffalo, I also join the party. The mud is cooling and sticky. Though the mud is mainly fine particles, it mixes with coarse substances such as dry leaves fragment and grainy stones. I relax myself and without any effort, my body just floats on the mud surface, cool… There are a lot of mosquito, so I apply mud all over my face and body to stop them, haha.
More people come. They were scared at first, then they laughed at one another and even started mud wrestling. The mud is sticky so you better take off your shoes and jewelry before entering. A small boy even lost his pant. I advise you not to wear your favorite cloth too, as the mud stains can be hard to wash away.
Pic: a small mud pool for facial mask
After the mud bath, you can walk to the beach to clean yourselves in sea water. My flip-flop is so slippery with mud that I almost trip over it a few times. You better don’t wear flip-flop with open end, or it’ll be very hard to walk. My body is also so heavy with the mud.
There is a water tank nearby, but the water volume is too small.
You can watch people have fun in Mud Volcano in the video below:
Pagong-Pagong Beach
Near to the Mud Volcano area is a junction to Pagong-Pagong Beach about 800 Meters away. Very few tourists walk this trail so it is not maintained properly.
When I was approaching the beach, I saw hundreds of hermit crabs on the trail and on the shrubs.
After a long walk and moving around a few fallen trees, I reached Pagong-Pagong Beach at the north side of Pulau Tiga. The beach is wide and covered with yellow sand. I can see Snake Island and Sands Pit Island from there. Nothing really impressive but the good thing is – there is nobody around so the whole beach is yours and you are free to do anything. 😉
This beach is one of the main filming sites for the “Survivor” reality show. The 16 contestants were divided into two groups, one group was based in Pagong-Pagong Beach, another at Tagi Beach.
Larai-Larai Beach
Another nice beach that I explore next day is Larai-Larai Beach at west side of Pulau Tiga Island. If it is low tide, you can walk on the beach from Pulau Tiga Resort to Larai-Larai Beach and reach there in 45 minutes.
I go to Larai-Larai Beach because it’s the best spot to photograph sunset. And they tell me there is an interesting rock that looks like bird (Batu Burung). Please be informed that there are a lot of sandflies at this remote beach in late afternoon. I don’t recommend you to go there without applying insect repellent with DEET formula, unless you want to go home with dozens of itchy bites that last for week.
When I arrive the western end of the island, I see large area of rocky shore. There are pockets of sea water trapped among the rubble during low tide, and you can find goby fishes, anemones, shrimps, seashells, etc. in these tide pools. Quite fun to look at.
Pic: the “Bird Rock” (Batu Burung)
The sunset view is really magnificent at Larai-Larai Beach. I took many great shots. However, high tide hit the beach after dusk, so I have to walk 3 KM in the dark forest of Larai-Larai Trail back to the resort. Again, I want to remind you that such activity is for those who are adventurous. Don’t bring your city girlfriend there for sunset. It won’t be romantic.
The ferry of Sabah is neither high-tech nor luxury, but some tourists find it very interesting. If you drop by Kuala Penyu town, may be you can try the free ferry ride, which operates until 3pm. There is another bigger ferry in Menumbok (going to Labuan) too.
Kuala Penyu Ferry
(Note: This ferry is No Longer in Operation. The following is just old story)
Kuala Penyu town is about 115KM away from Kota Kinabalu city. This area is not well-developed. The only reason tourists come here is heading to Pulau Tiga (Survivor Island), the snake island.
Above: old shoplot of Kuala Penyu town.
For tourists who return from Pulau Tiga trip, you may drop by Kuala Penyu town to check out the 50+ years old wooden shoplot. The huge bird nests in the shoplot is also quite a view because the house swifts come back to build their nests generation after generation.
Above: The Membakut River is about 200 Meters in width. There is no bridge so ferry service is the only mean to connect both sides.
You would see a long queue of cars waiting to board at the ferry behind the Shell petrol station. The ferry is small and slow, and only able to take 7 to 9 cars per trip. You will have to wait for your turn for over 20 minutes (it would take longer time especially in weekends when there are many cars). If your car crosses to other side (Ulu Membakut area) by ferry, it will cut down the travelling distance back to Kota Kinabalu by 15KM?
Above: there is no gate barrier at the front and rear of the ferry, look scary to me.
Finally it’s our turn to board the ferry. In the 4-minute video below, you can see the ferry is powered by an engine to move along a metal chain to other side. The cars are also tightly parked, only inches to one another.
Above: if you can’t wait, you can pay a small fee to get a “water taxi” to send you to other side.
Update (year 2012)
This ferry had stopped operation since the opening of the new bridge to cross the river. However, some villagers are still using water taxi to cross the river.
Menumbok: Ferry to Labuan
Note: The photos below were taken 5 years ago, they might be outdated.
About 40KM at southwest of Kuala Penyu is the Menumbok ferry terminal.
Above: Labuan is only 8KM away from Menumbok. You can even see Labuan from Mempakul Beach of Menumbok.
Above: the ferry travels between Labuan and Menumbok is far more bigger and it is not free. To transfer you and your car to Labuan, the cost is RM80 one way if I am not mistaken.
Someone even proposed to build a bridge to connect Labuan and Sabah. Personally I don’t see such need. I guess such bridge will only benefit the contraband smugglers the most, lol.
Photos taken in Kuala Penyu and Menumbok, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Anyone wants to eat bird nest from Kuala Penyu? I can give you some for free. The bird nest is one of the wonder of Kuala Penyu town. If you go to their old wooden shop houses, you will find that you walk under the bird nests.
The bird nests are so big. I believe this is the result of those birds and their offspring always come back to the same place to build their home. These must be the accumulated work of many decades.
The birds create lot of noise and sh*t (I wonder if anyone got “bombed” on the head), so it is hard not to notice them. However, the locals do not chase them away. Instead, they build some structures to support the nest, as if they welcome their presence. I should have asked them why. Most likely, I guess, they think the birds bring good luck to them.
Seem like the birds also could tell who is the “outsider.” When I took their pictures, all of them became alert, fly around, and made noise. I felt a bit embarrassed because the noise, which caused by me, disturbed the silent morning of the whole town.
They are very fortunate to find a safe place under the roof. From what I read from the newspaper, for certain shops like this in Peninsular Malaysia, the Vietnam and foreigner labours catch the baby birds in the nest and EAT them, making the locals feel very uneasy (Because they also find that the dogs and cats disappear).
Photos taken in Kuala Penyu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Sawangan Beach (Pantai Sawangan) of Kuala Penyu let me see something that is not found in popular beaches. This is because the habitant of those wildlife was not disturbed by the human.
For example, I remember in the past, sea life such as sea stars and big seashells were easily found everywhere on the beach of Manukan Island, anyone can tell me if it is still possible today? Nowadays I only see sand on the beach. That is. Less wildlife but more garbage. Frankly, the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park are less fun to travel now, compared to many years ago, (well… if you still can recall how their old faces).
I am glad that Sawangan Beach still remains a clean place. The unique feature about this beach is – there are a few long stretches of “rock + stone carpet”, extending 1 KM from the shore to the sea. During low tide, the area between the shore and the rock traps a large volume of sea water. The mix of sandy, rocky, seaweed, flooded and dry area… allows ANY kind of sea creature to find a suitable spot here as its home. You would see otter, crabs and sea birds busy searching for food there.
The water is shallow so I could walk on it. Sea cucumber, anemone, seaweed, fishes, coral, shells… are everywhere. If you give me a big basket, I can collect a full basket of sea cucumbers within hour.
One day I was wandering at Sawangan Beach and found two village women busy looking for something. I followed them and saw what they did. They used a long stick to poke the hole in the sand. I asked them what they caught. They showed me the THING and said the catch that time was not good due to the hot day, that THING didn’t want to eat.
They used a stick, with sago as a bait at the end. When they saw a “suspicious” hole, they would insert the stick into the hole. Then slowly they pulled the stick out. If the THING attracted by the bait, it would follow the bait and got out of the hole. The woman was also holding another iron Y-stick waited outside the hole. When half of its body came out, the woman would use the Y-stick to press the THING to the sand, so it could not escape and retreat to the hole. Then she used her hand to pull the THING out of the hole.
Before you click the picture below for answer, make a guess first.
So… did you get it right? You should check out the video clip below to see how they catch the THING:
