Kinabatangan River N05 48 543 E118 20 257

Gryphon II
Chris and Lorraine Marchant
Sat 10 Aug 2013 07:18
 

clip_image002

After Sandakan we had time to explore one of the local rivers that is navigable up to 50 km inland before overhead wires prevent further exploration. This was a week of total peace tranquillity.
 

clip_image004

The river is an oasis for wildlife and from the water there appears to be untouched rainforest. Sadly the palm oil plantations are only a few hundred metres from the river in some places . The contrast between the jungle and the sterile plantations could not be more stark. On a positive note there is a burgeoning ecotourism industry of small scale low impact developments.

clip_image006

m_SAM_4003

Like us most of the tourists come to try to get a glimpse of the pygmy elephants which still survive in small numbers along the bank. They were too far upstream for us to see this time and nor did we see any Orangutan that are numerous enough for everyone else to glimpse except us it seems. However, we did see lots of the amusing proboscis monkeys, some large monitor lizards, 2 crocodiles (one dead, one alive), sea eagles, kingfishers, storks, egrets, hornbills of various sorts, and masses of macaque monkeys long tailed and pig tailed which are more handsome. Best of all as we left the river we saw a pod of the increasingly rare Irrawaddy dolphin.

clip_image010

Pig tailed macaque with good hairdo.

clip_image012

Swimming monitor

m_IMG_0541

And another.

clip_image014

     Dead (and very smelly) croc
 
clip_image016

Long tailed macaques getting ready for bed.

clip_image018

Mum and child pigtail macaque eating palm oil fruit plucked from the river.

clip_image020

clip_image022

A favourite food of proboscis monkeys .....

clip_image024

and the water hyacinth that fringes some of the river banks.