Animal Encounters

Turtle Island proved to be an idyllic paradise with white sandy beaches, waves gently lapping the shore and palm trees majestically hanging over the beach to provid some much needed shade.  A one hour speed boat ride brought us to the island and as soon as we got off, Joanna (the group leader) made the delightful observation that my legs were the same colour as the sand!  I really appreciated her pointing that out!!

Turtle Island.

The island is one of a group of three that is protected and managed by the Sabah Parks organisation.  It's really well set up with beautiful accommodation and an excellent program of viewing the turtles.  Only a certain number of people are allowed on the island each day so it's not over crowded.  The day we were there, there was only 50, so a good number.

After we arrived was had a wander around the island, I read my book on the beach and some people opted for a swim.  I ventured into the water in the afternoon, although had decided against snorkelling as they would only allow you to swim in a ropped off section of the bay and it was quite shallow.  The water was really warm and you could spot some little fish swimming around. 

The nursery where they bury all the eggs
that are collected in the night.

On the beach at Turtle Island

The main highlight of the visit happened after dinner.  We had viewed the extremely interesting video and wandered around the exhibition and were playing cards when we heard a very urgent call from the park ranger........'turtle time, turtle time!'.  Everyone quickly put their shoes on and followed along, quietly and quickly, with only torch light leading the way.

When we got to the beach there was a mother turtle sitting in a hole that she had dug laying her eggs.  We were allowed to take photos, without using the flash and managed to see everything.  She layed 88 eggs all in one go!!  They look like smooth golf balls and the shell is different to a chicken egg in that it is softer and plyable.  The eggs were collected by a ranger ready for transporting to the hatchery.  We went there next.  They have a huge amount of turtle nests in the hatchery and protect them with green mesh cylinders so that preditors don't eat the eggs.  They put all 88 eggs in one hole, covered it up and labelled it with the date and number of eggs.

The mother turtle who had just laid her eggs.

The eggs that were collected.

The final part of the experience was to witness the release of the baby turtles into the sea.  Earlier in the day in one of the mesh cylinders, turtles had appeared from the sand and tried their best to clamber out.  They had all of them in a red shopping basket and tipped it over.  It was like a frenzy of flapping flippers and a race to see who could get to the sea the quickest.  When they reached the edge, they got sent back on the waves, but manage to continue their quest and all but one of the turtles were victorious in their journey to the ocean.  One went completely the wrong way and ended up by the steps up to the dining hall!!  He was rescued by a ranger and put back by the waves to scramble in.

The babies ready to be released.

The mad dash to the sea.

I think that is was truly a privilege to witness such a special event in nature.  The turtles eggs that we saw being laid won't hatch for about 60 days.  On the night that I was there, they released over 1000 baby turtles.  Sadly only a handful will survive which is why they have the program to try and increase the numbers.

After that amazing animal encounter, more was one the cards!!  We headed back to the main land and went straight to the Sepilok orang-utan centre to see the 'man of the forest' as they are known in Sabah.  I'd been keen to see them and wasn't disappointed.  They have feeding platforms in the forest and put out fruit and milk in the morning and afternoon.  They orang-utans came, in a very leisurely fashion, swinging through the trees and along the wires to reach the platfrom.  We were treated to a mother and he baby, as well as a juvenile and older male.  The most entertaining bit was watching them on the wires.  They have amazing flexibility in their joints and pose in the most beculiar positions! 

A cheeky orang-utan hanging out on the wire.

Mum and baby on the
feeding platform.

Once feeding time was over, we jumped in our taxi and headed to the proboscis monkey sanctuary, about 30 minutes away.  These are very odd looking monkeys with very long, flappy noses.  Joanna said that they were her favourite and she called them the 'sexy fat bellied monkeys with the spicy red chilly'!!  In some ways, they were more entertaining than the orang-utans as there were so many of them, not only on the ground at the feeding platforms, but in the trees surrounding them as well.  We watched for a while, seeing the young monkeys frolic about and the dominant males looking serious, surveying their group.

At the Proboscis Monkey sanctuary

The proboscis monkeys at the feeding platform.

We returned to the orang-utan centre for afternoon feeding, but only 2 came along.  They were extremely cute though as it was a young male and an old male together.  They looked like they were silently discussing the ways of the world!


I have to just share with you that it is really funny the things that you get excited about when you travel.  After everything that I have seen, all the mountains, people, places and animals, this week I got excited by my shower in the final hotel in Borneo!!  Yes, I hear you thinking I'm crazy, but I was excited by the shower.  Showers in Asia are usually all open and get everything in the bathroom wet, or are alternatively a bucket full of water that you use a plastic type sauce pan to pour the water over you.  There is no cubicle, curtain or anything to stop the water going everywhere.  However, in the B and B in Sepilok, the shower had a CUBICLE!!  I was so happy to have a dry toilet!

I have absolutely LOVED Borneo and cannot recommend enough that if you have the chance to visit GO!!  There is so much to see, the people are so lovely and friendly (I know that I have said that a lot, but it's true!) and the food is good.  Visit, visit, visit!! 

I'm now is Tasmania and catching up with a wonderful friend who I haven't seen for 4 years.  I'm staying with her this week, before heading off on a little tour of the island for 5 days next week.  It's lovely to be in one place for a while, have my own room to unpack a little and not have to worry about packing up every few days.  Bliss really, well for a while anyway!