Just a few months ago, Sabah newspapers reported an emergence of a mud volcano near the road in Menumbok. People were a bit concern and thought it’s an omen for earthquake. Luckily nothing happened. However, the mud volcano that I’ll show you here is even bigger and more active.
This mud volcano is probably the most accessible one, as it’s just next to the road
Checking out the mud volcano
This mud volcano is about 15.5 KM after the gate of Maliau Basin to the direction of Tawau City (GPS: 4.5478012, 117.0619419, see Location Map or Street View).
The location of the mud volcano
Since we couldn’t see this mud volcano from our car, it took us some times to spot it.
The mud volcano is in a drain a few Meters down
This mud volcano is about 6 Meters in diameter, with a mild surface upwelling of mud, water and natural gas bubbles.
Silky mud burping and bubbling in mud volcano pool
Even though it is at the roadside, where hundreds of cars passing by every day, very few know about it because it is at the bottom of a drain.
This mud volcano isn’t inside a private property, so anyone can collect mud from it.
Volcanic mud contains hundreds of times more sodium, calcium and trace elements than normal soil.
There are even some mud volcano hills formed up to 2 miles in diameter and a few hundred feet high, and commonly reported in the Dent Peninsula area. Normally, mud volcano erupts quietly, but it can be violet sometimes. Like the eruption of a mud volcano on Pulau Tiga Island in 1941, the sound could be heard as far as 160 KM.
This mud volcano is very active
We only stopped by this mud volcano for a few minutes, to collect its fresh mud, which is rich in minerals and great for skin care. We can apply this grey mud on our face as a facial mask.
Hey! I want this!
In other countries, someone makes soap with such mud and able to sell for a good profit. And this mud volcano seems to have endless free supply of mud.
Good for Skin. Every woman wishes to have a Mud Volcano in their house
This super active mud volcano looks like erupting, but I think it’s only releasing gas like a “farting pool”. Mud volcano is formed when over-pressured natural gas escapes along cracks in the earth’s surface, carrying mud, water and rocks with it.
One for the album. This mud volcano would be gone in future.
We didn’t know about this mud volcano. It’s someone from Junction 41 told us about this place.
Junction 41
Junction 41 is a small station next to Kalabakan-Tawau road. There are many logging truck drivers stop here for a break.
Junction 41 in Kalabakan
After long hours of driving in remote and interior area, any sign of civilization is welcome by motorists, though Junction 41 is nothing more than a few building.
Mini market of Junction 41 is open on 14th and 15th day of every month
On 14th and 15th day of every month, the locals hold small open-air market that sells various items such as electronic goods, food, fruit & veges, cloth and snacks.
Many logging truck drivers stop at Junction 41 for a break
Fancy toilet sign at Junction 41
Hello! Long time no see. An old fashion toilet at Junction 41
Junction 41 has a Chinese restaurant built by Uncle Chew, a Malaysian from Johor Bahru. He was working as a contractor here many years ago, then he fell in love with this place and settle down here.
Chinese Restaurant at Junction 41 (Serve No Pork)
Uncle Chew is very interesting man who even tries to talk to wild elephants, and he believes they can understand him too. That’s him who told us there is a mud volcano about 250 Meters away from Junction 41.
Cat at Junction 41. Don’t ask me why I post this.
I only stopped by his restaurant shortly to have fried noodle as lunch. Next time if you visit his shop, do talk to him, and he definitely has a lot of stories to share.
Real volcano is intimidating, but mud volcano is intriguing. Mud volcano is formed when natural gas builds up enough pressure in the earth’s crust to push mud, water and gases to the surface. It is found in many locations on earth and even on planet Mars.
The location of mud volcano in Kuala Penyu
Sometimes mud volcano can emerge at unexpected places. One of them is located on a knoll 5 Kilometers away from Kuala Penyu town (see Location Map), and believed to be connected to the same mud volcanic network of Pulau Tiga Island 18 Km away, an island created by mud volcano.
Burping mud volcano in the pond. About 86% of the gas released from mud volcano is combustible methane.
Though producing no lava, mud volcano looks like a miniature version of true igneous volcano, a little wonder of nature. Last month the operator of Borneo Kuala Penyu Homestay in Kuala Penyu brought me and other guests to an active mud volcano in Bakung. After 5 minutes of driving on tar road near Kuala Penyu, we turned to a junction with narrow countryside road that led us to a plantation half a Km away.
The following video shows you what we did with mud volcano:
We got off our cars and walked 30 Metres to a pond which is surrounded by trees and shrubs. I looked around but saw no volcano. Dr. Monih, our host pointed to the pond and said , “See the bubbling in the pond? It’s from the mud volcano.” Apparently the mud volcano is under the water.
The pond where mud volcano hidden
According to the land owner, this mud volcano has existed since 1960s, and the pond seldom goes dry even during drought. This oval-shaped pond is about 35 x 10 Metres in size and doesn’t seem to connect to any water source such as river. Probably the water is coming from the mud volcano.
This mud volcano was discovered in 1960s
Then Dr. Monih asked a worker to scoop some mud from the pond. “Rub this mud on your face, and you will become beautiful,” he said.
Apply this on your face. It’s Free LOL
He wasn’t kidding (though he laughed). This mud is rich in natural minerals that are good for skin and promote good complexion. People also believe it can soothe irritated skin and even cure psoriasis. A bath in mud volcano would heal some ailments such as rheumatism.
Applying volcano mud on the face
Even guys are crazy about mud SPA
From what I read in a few research papers, mud from mud volcano consists of high concentration of Iron, Magnesium, Sodium, Calcium, and Potassium. Wildlife loves to visit mud volcano for “salt lick”, to get essential mineral nutrients for their bodies, just like human taking vitamin pills as supplment.
This pond never goes dry even during drought
Mud volcano acts as “window” to see what are deep underground because it can transport gas, liquid, and solid particles from depths of several kilometres up to the surface. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the mud might consist of rare earth materials useful for a mud therapy.
Collecting volcano mud
The fresh mud is fine-grained clay in dark gray color. Perhaps the mud is from the pond, so it smells like decomposed organic substances of peat. I just applied some mud on my hands for fun. The mud is neither cool nor warm.
Volcano mud is rich in minerals
Some guests decide to take some mud back home. Sometimes mud volcano would give people more than mud. It is often associated with petroleum deposits. Therefore, if a mud volcano pop-up in your backyard, do celebrate.
Take away as much mud as you want
To see this mud volcano in private land, you can call Dr. Monih Epin (Tel: +60 19-8106786) or Ms Monica Gualin (Tel: +60 13-8517633), the operator of Borneo Kuala Penyu Homestay to arrange a visit (fee may apply).
Papaya trees
We saw a few yellow papaya not far away from the mud volcano. At first I thought the fruit turned yellow because of malnutrition. Then they told me that it’s only found in Sawangan of Kuala Penyu (probably a mutant caused by soil of mud volcano?).
Yellow papaya in Kuala Penyu
Green Vs Yellow papaya
However, I didn’t give it a try *regret*. According to Dr. Monih, it is really sweet.
Located in east coast of Sabah, Tabin Wildlife Reserve is one of the best kept lowland rainforest of Borneo. I don’t want to hide the fact that most lowland of Sabah is now blanketed by oil palm. Tabin is surrounded by sea of oil palm, making it an oasis of the ecology desert (oil palm). In fact, this 112,000-hectare protected forest reserve harbors some of the rarest and endangered Bornean animals such as Pygmy Elephant, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Orangutan.
Last month I visited Tabin for 3 days. Though large part of Tabin is secondary rainforest being logged in the past, the forest regenerates really well over the decades. Tabin also has 9,000 hectares undisturbed primary forest known as the Core Area. Do you know that there are nearly 1,000 tree species in 50-hectare area of Borneo rainforest (Temperate Forest is up to 100 species only)?
Macaques
Guess what was the first animal I saw in Tabin. Can you recognise the “aliens” below?
Pic: “Aliens” in Tabin
LOL they are actually the butt of pig-tailed macaques, a common but cheeky monkey. At the left is a male with its testicles, the sexy red butt at the right belongs to a female ready to mate.
In late afternoon, you would see dozens of macaques gathering on the ground feeding, socializing and grooming one another. Tabin Resort doesn’t feed them so they keep a distance from human. But you better lock the door and leave nothing outside your room, because these monkey know how to open door and ransack your stuffs.
I was surprised to see a long-tailed macaque among a herd of pig-tailed macaques as if it’s one of the members. Wonder if both species speak the same language.
Pic: Bornean Gibbon foraging on a fruit tree. You can always hear their “whoop-whoop” loud and long call early in the morning at Tabin.
There are 9 primate species in Tabin, but gorilla isn’t on the list (though the movie says King Kong is from Borneo). The most famous primate here is Orangutan. Tabin is one of the releasing spots for rehabilitated orphan orangutan from Sepilok. To ensure they can survive in the wild, rangers will track and evaluate the new comers for 2 weeks.
Tabin Wildlife Resort
Tabin Wildlife Resort is the only accommodation and tour operator in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. To visit Tabin, you can book a full board tour package with them (Accommodation, meals, transport, activities and guide services are included). They also offer special tours such as bird-watching and frog camp. Please note walk-in tourist might not be entertained.
Pic: River Lodge of Tabin Resort
After an hour of bumpy ride on 44-Kilometres of unsealed road from Lahad Datu town, I checked-in to River Lodge of Tabin Resort around noon. River Lodge is just next to Lipad River and you would see foraging animals at the river bank sometimes.
The chalet looks small from outside, but the room is really spacious and completed with attached bathroom/toilet, private balcony, air conditioner, ceiling fan and hot water shower. The accommodation is comfortable and electricity supply is available 24×7. I’m happy.
Pic: Hill Lodge of Tabin Resort
For honeymooners, Hill Lodge offers more luxurious and private space, so nobody can hear what you both busy doing in your room. I think it’s great for family too.
Pic: Sunbird Cafe of Tabin Resort
Sunbird Cafe is where I have my buffet meals (and free flow of coffee) and it is the gathering point for all activities. The cafe has Wifi so you can check your Facebook, but the line would be slow if too many guests are sharing the connection.
Dusk Drive & Night Safari
Compared to my jungle trips in other places of Sabah, the activities at Tabin are really leisure, nothing made me gasping for air there. But I sweated a lot, as rainforest is warm and humid, when the dense trees trap the heat and moisture under their canopy during daytime.
We started our Dusk Drive at 5pm. Unlike Africa, where you can see hundred of animals on open grassland. In Borneo, you need to look quite hard for the animals hiding among the dense wood. Luckily, the guide does the job for us. A napping monitor lizard high on a tree set off the excitement.
As the habitat of about 260 lowland bird species (FYI, oil palm estate only hosts 9 to 12 species), Tabin is a favorite destination of bird-watchers. Out of 8 hornbill species in Tabin, I saw 4 of them (Oriental Pied Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Wrinkled Hornbill and Bushy-crested Hornbill) during my stay. If you are a hardcore birder, they will bring you to Core Area (virgin forest) to look for Blue-headed Pitta and Blue-Banded Pitta, which are endemic to Borneo.
Pic: Crested-serpent eagle is the most common eagle here. We also spotted Wallace’s Hawk-eagle and Changeable Hawk-eagle.
Pic: Bornean Falconet
The highlight is Bornean Falconet (a.k.a. White-fronted Falconet), which is endemic to Sabah and the smallest raptor in the world (about the size of a palm). There was a group of three perching on a tree very far away from us. Fortunately, our guide let us to have a better look with his high-power telescope. I tried to photograph them through the scope but the photo was blur, well. 🙁
Then we heard a loud roar from the elephants deep in the forest beside us. “It was a mother calling its calf”, our guide said. Though there are 200 to 300 elephants in Tabin, sighting of them is not guaranteed. We waited there for over 15 minutes but no sign of them coming near. When I almost gave up, two Bornean pygmy elephants emerged from the wood behind our truck! After wandering on the gravel road for a while, both of them headed to a neighboring plantation for juicy young shots of oil palm. Somehow this smart mammal figures out the time when electrical fence is being turned off lol.
The daylight was out soon and lot of fireflies flickering on the trees, but we didn’t stop the fun drive. On the way back to resort, our guide turned on the spotlight and here we went for a night safari. Besides a pair of sleeping Rhinoceros Hornbill on the tree, we saw other nocturnal animals such as Common Palm Civet and Leopard Cats. We were also watching a red giant flying squirrel took off from a branch, it could glide 100 Metres from tree to tree, we were told.
Pic: a Buffy Fish Owl. A Brown Wood Owl was nearby too.
Night Walk
Dusk drive is cool but it would be more thrilling to walk around and search for other forest dwellers in the dark. After dinner, everyone grabbed a flashlight and explored deep in the jungle. We pointed our light to the shrubs, tree top, forest ground, tree bark, etc. and came across something interesting.
Pic: Crematogaster inflata, these ants look like carrying a “gold” knapsack, which is the enlarged metapleural gland that can secrete whitish defensive fluid and their bites are very itchy. Thank you Arthur Chung for the ID.
A single tree of Borneo can house 1,000 insect species. There are at least 50,000 insect species in Tabin, which is enough for you to explore for a lifetime.
Pic: mushroom growing on an elephant dung. Everything in rainforest is recycled and exist for a reason.
Pic: a small snake waiting quietly for its prey.
Pic: a giant river toad covered with irregular bumps. The big glands behind its eyes secrete poisonous fluid so don’t touch it!
Lipad Mud Volcano
The next morning we went to the Lipad Mud Volcano, something that makes Tabin special. The jungle trail to the mud volcano is 700 Metres and requires only 20 minutes trekking. We saw some fresh and old elephant dungs along the way, an evidence that elephants frequent this area. Anyway, I only found a tiny mouse deer and a few forest leeches.
Pic: a coral fungus
Pic: the Lipad Mud Volcano is as big as a football field and it is still growing. This might be the largest mud volcano of Borneo. Can you spot the tiny people in the photo?
Pic: elephant tracks at mud volcano
Animals love mud volcano as it is rich in sodium and calcium, the vital minerals that are not readily available in their normal diet. That’s why this is a good spot for wildlife sighting, as animals come here regularly for “salt lick” in late afternoon.
We love mud volcano too, not for salt lick but for skin care. Some says the mud is really good for skin so we collect some for facial SPA later.
Some prefers to enjoy the muddy face mask on the spot.
However, the outer ring of mud volcano is dry mud mixed with coarse sand. To collect the finest and silky wet mud, you have to go to the sources located in the centre, where you can see fresh mud burping and bubbling up from the ground. The mud in centre is deep and soft, so your shoes would be trapped in it. Some even lost their pant here (yes, that happened before).
Pic: the 5-storey observation tower next to the mud volcano. You can overnight there for more animal sighting.
Pic: making handprint certificate with volcano mud.
Lipad Waterfall
After getting ourselves dirty in mud volcano, we got on our truck and moved to Lipad Waterfall. The nature trail to the waterfall is only 400 Metres but we needed to cross a river as deep as our waist level.
Because of the heavy rain the night before, the water looked a bit murky, but it was clean and cooling. We washed away our mud at the river and took a dip in the waterfall pool.
Pic: Lipad Waterfall, pristine and unpolluted.
Other Activities
There are more things to do in Tabin. Just to list a few here.
You may check out the exhibition in Trogon Hall gallery, where they display some photographs and information of Borneo bio-diversity.
Pic: elephant skull in the Gallery
After a long day of trekking, it’s time to relax your tired feet by trying out the Rainforest Foot Soak at Eagle’s Nest. Various traditional tropical herb and plants (e.g. Kaffir lime leaf, Aloe Vera, Lemongrass, Betel Leaf, Pandanus Leaf, Galangal, Tumeric) are put in the hot water, and you can rub your feet against the smooth pebbles at bottom.
So that’s my Tabin trip. You can see that our rainforest is an eco-treasure worths protecting and preserving. The good news is – Sabah government and NGOs are working together to connect all the isolated forest of Sabah, so wildlife can migrate freely among them for food and mates. In future, Tabin forest reserve will be part of the Heart of Borneo.
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.
Besides hot spring and oil, Sabah also has pond that releases mud. One of the mud pools is located inside the Binaung Oil Palm plantation of Sime Darby in Kunak. After a long drive on the gravel road, we arrived the location of this 15-Meter diameter mud pool. They say its size is gradually growing.
See the observation platform at the right? They say it was used to be in the middle of the pool, but it was pushed to the edge by the mud. The mud pool is quite active and we could hear the loud burping sound when the “mud bubbles” (as big as soccer ball) rises to the surface. The “buuluun.. guluun..” sound is like people fart in the water and multiple that volume by 50 times. Hope you get it.
This mud volcano is not as big as the Lapid mud volcano in Tabin, but it has an interesting feature. Though this mud pool is about 180 Meters above sea level, it seems to have “linkage” to the sea. You know there are many Indonesia workers work for oil palm plantation, and some of them travel by sea back to Sulawesi. They found out if the mud pool is calm, the sea is calm, if the mud pool is very active with big bubbles, then the sea is rough. Before the workers sail home, they would come here to check the “bubbling” for marine forecast, and delay their trip if necessary.
Most bubbling happens near the middle of the pool. The activity brings out the earth materials which is rich of minerals. They say the mud is good for the skin. Some tourists take the mud home to use it as facial mask.
This mud pool can be promoted as an attraction of Kunak. It’ll attract even more tourists, if they could organize mud wrestling of sexy bikini girls. The locals may join the mud fight, why not as the mud is good for the skin.
This mud pool can offer mental therapy to the patient of depression too. The loud burping sound and bursting moment of the big mud bubbles are quite an entertaining show. I won’t feel bored sitting here and watch and listen to the bubbling all day long. It’s kind of… “cleanse” my mind. Below are some photos of mud bubbles…
Above: the “1Malaysia” bubble by Najib.
Above: the “1Malaysia” bubbles burst and vanish like fart, when Deputy PM said MALAY FIRST, not Malaysians.
Wow, this one looks like susu (milk). But how come one D-cup and one G-cup?
Hope you are not bored. May be I should play some sound effects. *bulunn… gurunn.. boooon…*
*guluunn… borrrvuun…*
*BUUuuRuu…*
Okay, no more. Thanks for watching. Are you feeling better now?
The power of mud. This lady is actually 80 years old.
The wild animals have a habit called “salt lick”. Salt is an important diet for their bodies, but salt is very scarce in the forest. If they find a spot that has salty material, they will go there regularly to eat the minerals. Mud pool is such place. There were at least three cases of elephant trapped in this mud pool and needed help from human to pull them out. This may be the same elephant who is crazy for salt lick or facial mask?
Anyway, be careful if you come near to the mud pool for a salt lick. The outer edge of the mud pool is dry and looks like hard surface. But it is still soft and wet under the dry surface. If you step into the mud, due to vacuum effect, the sucking power is very strong and you may have problem to pull your leg out of the mud. They may not find you until you turned into fossil million years later.
I think many of you had heard about a “ghost” island (known as Pulau Batu Hairan in Malay language) emerged on 15 Apr 1988. This island just rise up from the sea floor, remain above the sea for a short period, then it would sink and disappeared. It is next to the east side of Banggi Island, roughly at latitude 7 degrees and 16 minutes north, and longitude 117 degrees 20 minutes east, about 70 km northeast of Kudat town. The pictures below were taken in May of 1988 (I don’t know the author and source). As you can see, the island is full of corals, very beautiful. Don’t know whether it will come up again. Really want to go there to have a look.
The island was initially small in size, but after a few days gradually grew to approximately the size of a football field. After two weeks, the island was estimated to be about 60-70 metres in diameter. The island is roughly rounded in shape and is about 2-3 metres in height (taking into account the fall and rise of the tide).
According to Dr. Felix Tongkul, a famous geologist, the birth of the new island, so-called Pulau Batu Hairan due to mud volcanism is closely related to the geology of the northern part of Sabah. The island was caused by a mud volcano or mud extrusion, evidence of which is abundant on the island and is a common occurrence on mainland Sabah, especially in the Dent Peninsula.
The book “Sabah Museum And Archives Journal” (1990, Vol 1, No.3), published by Sabah State Museum, also has a 6-page article titled “Pulau Batu Hairan – The Birth of a New Island” that explains the formation of this ghost island in detail with diagrams.
I took the photos of this article and post it below. You can click each of the picture to view it in bigger size:
According to the nearby villagers, this island first appeared as early as 1941 (year of pacific WWII, a bad omen?). If you are lazy to read the long article, FYI, the conclusion by geologists is – this mysterious island was pushed to the surface by mud volcano activity (abrupt explosion of trapped undersea gas).
“I’LL BE BACK!”
This was what I thought when I left Tabin Wildlife Reserve last week. Don’t get me wrong. I am not going back there to kill animal and shoot wildlife. I want to kill more time and shoot more photos. If you love nature, Tabin will be like a treasure hunt to you. There is always a new pleasure surprise waiting for you in next minute, and you will want more.
Besides Danum Valley, Tabin Wildlife Reserve is another best wildlife watching spot. It is just 44 KM away from Lahad Datu. The transport will take 1 hour 30 minutes. 10 minutes on the usual road, then 1 hour 20 minutes on gravel road. You will see ocean of oil palm plantation on the way. No, there is no bus going there. Taxi will ask for RM250, gila… You already can book the Tabin tour, which costs less than RM200 (USD50) and 2-way transport is included.
Our first activity is to go to the Lapid Mud Volcano. It is as big as a football field. According to the guide, the mud volcano is still active in producing mud, and it becomes higher and higher due to the accumulated mud. They say the mud contains a lot of minerals and it is good for your skin if you apply it. Even the elephants and wild boar know its value and come to eat the mud.
After 30 minutes of jungle trekking (700 Meters trail), we saw the mud volcano. I was so excited and walked quickly to the centre of the mud volcano. Then “pop!”, one of my feet was trapped in the mud. Man… the suction was so strong that it took a lot of strength to pull out my foot. Actually it is very dangerous to run to the centre. The mud on the thin surface is dry and looks hard, but underneath is a pool of deep soft mud. I heard that there was a girl got half of her body sank into the mud. She was so scared and cried for help. Two guys finally got her out of the mud, but her pant was left in the mud. So be careful.. BTW, you really need a spare shoe for the jungle trekking, as the trail is very wet and muddy.
Of course, Tabin is never lack of wild animals. I have taken some photos during the jungle trekking, and share them in photo gallery here. The resort itself is already in the forest so you can see and hear the wildlife too. Unfortunately, many of them flee before I take out the camera. All 8 species of hornbills can be spot here. Too bad I didn’t see any Pygmy elephants.
The staffs advised us to leave everything in our room and lock the door. This is because the monkeys (Long-Tail Macaque) are very naughty and know how to open door and steal our things. If you leave your shoe outside, the next day you would see a monkey wearing your Nike. The chalet is very well-equipped. Got air-con, hot water, lighting, bathroom and big room…
We also had a night safari at 9 PM. We found deer, slow loris, fire fly… It should be more animal if it was not raining that night. This is not a zoo so you will need a bit of luck. Anyway, this was the first time I explored forest in the dark. Still an interesting experience. I should have stayed long enough.
