Derawan Island, Indonesian Borneo
Anna's entry:
Pulau means "island" in Indonesian language. We chose Pulau Derawan (Indonesian Borneo) for several reasons - it is off the beaten track, and it is supposed to be home to manta rays and giant sea turtles, which are becoming increasingly extinct due the climate change, dying coral, and human greed - remember those turtle souvenirs such as jewelry boxes and bracelets? Anyway, to get to the island used to be easier in the past - currently, however, there is no direct boat, so we had to make quite a few connections in between. To be exact, we had to make four connections: Tarakn-Tanjung Selor by boat-Tanjung Selor to Berau by kijang (car)-Berau to Tanjung Batu by another kijang-Tanjung Batu to Pulau Derawan by speed boat. The latter leg of the journey could be also done by a local fishing boat (free), unless you are a foreigner then it is around 20USD established by the Derawan cartel. Yes - when we attempted to board a local (free boat), our access was physically blocked by the speed boat positioned itself between us and the local boat. It was very clear the Derawan cartel (or should we call it bluntly Derawan transportation mafia?) did not want any profit losses by allowing us to join the locals on their boat. Anyway, eventually we ended up on the island. We found a place to stay built on stilts right over the water (the ocean that is), and the very next morning we saw a few giant turtles casually swimming right under our window. Actually, attached to our building there was a long wooden pier extending onto the water, and we frequently could observe the turtles swimming around. I decided to jump in a water and snorkel around our place. A local guy jumped with me, and kept pointing out the direction the turtles were swimming. Those were giant graceful sea turtles, some we at least one meter in diameter. I came very close to one of them - a poor thing had only three legs - it was obvious that the fourth one was cut off by a propeller of a speed boat. I gave the turtle extra space to swim away from me, I could tell that she had seen plenty of harassment from humans in her life time. Later on we shared the story with a nice Dutch couple that we met on the island; and when asked a local guy to make an effort and slow speed boats down when entering the harbor (to give turtles a chance to swim away from a very fast approaching vehicle), got the following answer - there are many turtles, why bother? Unfortunately, the Indonesian mentality extends far beyond the turtles - majority of coral reefs have been bombed (for easier fishing) and poisoned by cyanide (another way of fishing). Another matter of fact of living here is to treat the ocean as one big dump - that applies to trash (such as plastic bags and wrappers), and any other non-wanted household disposal. You have something to throw away - use the ocean.
I must admit that out of numerous countries we have traveled through, Indonesia comes pretty close to the top for ocean abuse. That came quite as a surprise, as Indonesia used to be known for excellent diving and snorkeling, but that seems to have become a thing of the past.
However, to be very objective, I must admit that we were able to find several unforgettable experiences. We chartered a boat (unfortunately had to pay a hefty amount for local standards) a couple of times to explore mostly uninhabited islands. One of the islands, called Maratua, had a better reef and we were able to see a lot more giants sea turtles. Another island, called Karaban (also known as Kakuban), has a lake right in the center (that used to be a part of the ocean). The intriguing lake is a home to thousands, maybe even millions, of jelly fish - they lost their sting, and now are completely harmless. This could be the only place in the world with a phenomena like that. It was an absolutely surreal experience swimming with them -you could hold the jelly fish in your hands, they come and gently touch your body, some continue swimming with you or around you. It looked like a hypnotic slow waltz under the water. This was probably the most relaxing soothing experience we've had under the water. As our Dutch friend pointed out, the only thing missing was a classical music under the water.
And the third island we explored was Sangalaki - the best spot to see magnificent manta rays. The four of us (a Dutch couple, Rob and myself) chartered an old fishing boat to get there. Unfortunately, that morning the wind picked up which created bigger waves, currents, and more challenging snorkeling at a relatively deep waters. As a matter of fact when we jumped off the boat in search of manta rays, we also began seeing lightning on the horizon followed by loud thunder. It all added to the experience. Fortunately, we were able to see about a dozen of giant mantas, a couple of them came very close to us, and we were able to see in detail their magnificent graceful bodies. Seeing even a single manta is always a big hit with divers, and there we were seeing dozens of mantas while snorkeling without any time constraints. That's one of the reasons, we have been giving diving a pass, and concentrating our efforts on snorkeling. Anyway, even though the snorkeling was challenging that day, seeing mantas was definitely worth it. The only two challenges we encountered were these - I had a hard time getting back on the boat (rocky waves, no ladder, and just couldn't pull myself back up from the water), and our Dutch friend got very sea sick, again due to the very rocky conditions.
There was another very special thing we encountered on Sanglaki island. This is the place for giant see turtles come to lay their eggs. Besides, the island caretaker, we were the only people on the island at that time. It happened so, that during our island exploration, about a dozen eggs began hatching. Some eggs were buried too deep, and we gave some digging-out assistance to baby turtles. The last one had a really hard time climbing out of the sandy hole, so Rob gave it a lift in his hand. Baby turtle easily fit in in the Rob's palm of the hand. Dozens of baby turtle's siblings already were running towards the ocean. Rob put the newly born on top of the sand, but it refused to follow its siblings. Instead it was staying next to Rob - the three of us and an island caretaker began teasing Rob about him being the turtle's new mommy. Eventually, after a gentle push, and having rested, the baby turtles began climbing towards the ocean, and disappeared in in its waves. Will it survive? Will we ever have an opportunity to encounter it as a grown-up ocean giant?
I also have to describe the fishing boat we hired to get to the islands. It was an old outrigger, long over due for upgrades, with stinky exhaust, and questionable stability. As a matter of fact, we were very fortunate not to encounter the storm that day - the storm occurred a day later - we think we could have faced a hard time getting back to the shore if the storm persisted... Also, our boat captain, Hassan, played a trick on us. It was getting late, and Hassan wanted to head out back. The four of us, on the other hand, wanted to stay a little longer and snorkel in one of the calm bays we anchored at. So, while snorkeling around the uninhabited island, we saw Hassan starting the boat engine. We thought he would get closer and pick us up, but instead we saw him taking off. We shouted to get his attention, but instead he kept getting further and further from us. We began wondering if he'd intentionally left us on that uninhabited island, and if we were in trouble. However, a few minutes later he turned his boat around, and came back laughing. We were relieved, and his hint "time to go" was very well taken; without further reminders we quickly climbed the boat and headed out back to Derawan. It was definitely a good plan, as it took us at least two hours to get back, and by the time we approached our settlement, the sunset has started. I also should mention that the later part of journey, Hassan was driving his boat with his feet - yes, his feet. So, besides all the wild life encounter, we learnt a couple of new ways of boat navigation.
While on the Derawan Island, we met a local girl April. We became friends and were invited to her home for traditional Muslim celebration - end of Ramadan. Altogether between 20 and 40 people were gathered on the floor, and we had an opportunity to meet most of the family. Later on we were also invited to the traditional wedding ceremony, with traditional music, dancing, and drums played by the women. Over all, the Derawan life seems very easy and laid back. Nobody locks their doors, there was always some kind of activity going on, kids are constantly smiling and giving you high-five. The disappointment to us, however, was to see young kids on scooters and motorcycles. Why do you need a motorcycle on such a small island, can't you just bicycle? The planet is already in trouble, and if such a small island is used by 8-year olds driving motorcycles, we have no hope for improved climate change...
Also, while on the island, we met a group of educated Indonesians whose hobby was photography. Rob quickly gained an excellent reputation among them, and ended up teaching them digital photography. We were invited to the BBQ on the deck under the starry sky, and made a very good friend - Erlin - who we would connect later on in her home town Samarinda.
Eventually, it was time for us to leave. Again, our attempts to join a local (free) boat to get to the "mainland" (Kalimantan Island that is) were futile. The island boat cartel won again by leaving us only option - to hire speed boat. The Dutch couple and us decided to split the expense. However, after leaving the island, the boat motor failed, and we had to change boats without returning to the dock. Approaching the other side, the speed boat "cowboy" attempted to charge more money, but had no chance. The four us were already pieced at the whole cartel transportation monopoly, and unlike other gullible tourists had our principles in tact.
With an exception of the transportation cartel issues, we had a good time on Derawan, and our memories will forever hold giant sea turtles, manta rays, baby turtles, stingless jelly fish, numerous lion fish, colorful sting rays, and numerous exotic fish species....
posted by Rob and Anna @ 10:53 PM
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