Cleaning of Mamutik Island: Miss Scuba International pageant joins Project Aware Foundation

KOTA KINABALU: Almost 200 ‘cleaners’ comprising divers and individuals from various professions wanted to make a difference to the environment yesterday.

They exchanged their office to diving gears and got themselves dirty to clean up the Mamutik Island.

The 193 voluntary cleaners joined the programme organized by Project Aware Foundation, Borneo Divers, Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA).

Out of the group, 73 are divers who picked up marine debris within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park waters including Manukan, Mamutik, Sulug and Sapi islands with international participants including Raleigh International and participants of the Miss Scuba International pageant.

The programme is part of Project Aware Foundation’s continuous effort to conserve marine life after the foundation changed their focus more towards marine debris and saving sharks in recent years.

According to Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Bolkiah Ismail, after Project Aware Foundation was introduced in Sabah in 2001, the foundation never failed to hold similar programmes for Sabah’s waters.

“This programme is in line with the aspirations of our ministry to ensure that our environment is always protected. We have several agencies such as SEPA, Raleigh International as well as Sabah Parks to participate to show the public that everyone has responsibilities to conserve the environment.

“We also have divers here collecting the garbage in the waters in this annual project which is supported by the Ministry through Sabah Parks and Sabah Tourism Board. This programme will continue to be supported by us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the No Rubbish Campaign, which is being handled by City Hall and the Ministry, is one of the efforts the government has taken to address this matter.

“The rubbish we see being collected through these programmes all came from us. So we must tackle this problem from its source. Not only do we get to keep the city clean, but ultimately also conserve marine life,” he said.

Continue reading at: Cleaning of Mamutik Island: Miss Scuba International pageant joins Project Aware Foundation

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Usukan Cove, Kota Belud, Sabah

By Tadpole

“A bay full of corals” is my first impression of Usukan Cove. The diversity and density of corals in Usukan Cove is better than Sapi and Manukan. In fact, it looks like Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park in pristine condition 30 years ago.

Usukan Cove is only a few minutes away from Kg. Kuala Abai of Kota Belud. On the way to Usukan, you will pass by a white steel bridge called “Japanese Bridge”, which was built by the Japanese to transport the copper mined from Mamut in the past.

Built next to the sandy beach of Usukan Cove is Usukan Cove Lodge, which offers clean and cosy accommodation, from bunk-bed room to sea view twin-bed room. The lodge is able to host maximum of 50 people, so it is a suitable school retreat location.

Many European tourists love this quiet place too, as they want more privacy. A variety of nature-based activities are available for visitors to enjoy the sea, river and forest around.

SNORKELLING

Snorkelling is the best choice of activity due to the rich corals in Usukan. The density and size of the coral reef is remarkable. A boat sent me to Usukan Reef and Icy Point for the snorkelling. The Usukan Reef mainly consists of hard corals. Many species grow in big clusters. I saw large areas of big plate corals and stag-horn corals.

In Icy Point, I saw hard corals, as well as a mix of soft corals and sea grass. The sea water in Icy Point is a bit strange. In one spot the sea water is warm, but moving a few feet away I would feel cool, probably that’s why they call it Icy Point. The corals come in different forms and shapes, like big boulders, brain, fingers, pyramid, sponge and lower. Though the shore is quite far away, the water was shallow and most of the times, the corals were only a few feet under me.

For divers, you have a choice of four dive sites in Usukan, and three wreck-diving sites for advanced divers. The feature in Usukan is a type of coral that looks like Christmas Tree.

DEEP SEA FISHING

I also tried “deep sea fishing” in the sea 20 minutes off the mainland by boat. Actually it was only 14 Meters in depth. It was so nice that the workers prepared everything for me, from the fishing rod to hook and bait, making my life so easy.

In 3 minutes, we got our first fish! At first I thought we were only lucky. But from there on, we got fish in every 3 minutes. I got 3 fishes, two blacktip groupers and a Jackfish. One of us even got a puffer fish and another got blue-dotted stingray. The capture of blue-dotted stingray caused a brief moment of fear onboard because the sting on its tail is venomous. After an hour of fishing, we returned to Usukan Cove Lodge with our fruitful caught and they cooked the fishes for us as dinner.

RIVER CRUISE

We started our river cruise at Kawa-Kawa River in late afternoon, to look for the Proboscis Monkey. On one side of this 15-Meter-wide river is human settlement and another side is mainly mangrove and nipah forest. Since the proboscis monkeys are so used to people, they are relatively less elusive and we can get really close to them.

To stay away from predators at night, Proboscis Monkey has the habit of spending the night on the trees next to the river. About 4 to 5 herds of Proboscis Monkey live along Kawa-Kawa River. Luckily we found 3 groups of them despite the poor weather.

Besides long-nosed monkeys, we also saw crab-eating macaque (long-tailed macaque), monitor lizard and many birds such as oriental darter, white-bellied sea eagle, little heron, blue-throated bee eater, white-collar kingfisher, frigate, doves, egrets and bulbul. After we exited the estuary of Kawa-Kawa River and on the way to Abai River, we were rewarded by the magic moment of the sunset.

Then we proceeded to the mangrove forest of Abai River to look for firefly. We saw the “Christmas Trees”, which are in fact the twinkling light of hundreds of fireflies gathered on the trees! That was such a wonderful closing for my tour in Usukan Cove.

Source: New Sabah Times 'In' Sites

NOTE: Photo Copyright to New Sabah Times
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Marine attractions of Manukan Island

The entrance welcomes visitors to Manukan Island

Manukan Island, always popular with tourists

Wooden chalets on the island

Starfish found in the island

A tourist playing with the fishes

A yacht docking at Jesselton

Bombs and shells on display at WWII memorial at Manukan Island

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to AK and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By AK

Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton, is the city capital of Sabah. A popular tourist's getaway and a major gateway into Sabah and Asia, it boasts an admirable collection of beautiful islands.

Charming and alluring Manukan Island or Pulau Manukan is one of the more famous ones. A 20-minute boat ride from Jesselton Point, it is the more popular islands in Sabah due to the attraction of its white sandy beaches and rich hued waters teeming with marine life. The abundance of corals and availability of water sports makes this a premiere destination for island hopping in Sabah.

Manukan Island is part of the chain of islands that makes up Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Sabah, Malaysia. The boat ride would costs around RM20 - 35 and can accommodate 10 people, so if you're in a group that's less than the quorum, be prepared to wait a while until 10 people sign up.

The boat that takes you to the island is a modern speed boat and it easily navigates through the clear waters towards the island of your choice. The boat have a mixture of travellers from all over the world and the early morning skies are perfect when headed towards Pulau Manukan.

Snorkels can be rented from the boat operator at around RM15. The boats that are allowed to dock at Pulau Manukan have to be registered with Sabah Parks and are required to meet safety requirements, eg, life jackets must be worn during the journey.

The waterfront of Kota Kinabalu zips by as the boat departs and there is a constant wind from the speed of the boat blowing at you. The boat occasionally runs into waves so splashes of water into the boat are pretty common.

The lush green island soon comes into view as the boat slows down to dock at the Pulau Manukan Island. The natural beauty of the island is apparent - calm, green waters with a diverse amount of fishes swimming around and white, sandy beaches at the fringe with deep green lush trees lining the island.

The rich marine life on Manukan Island is apparent as we disembarked from the boat - the high tide submerges the lower part of the jetty and people can be seen feeding the fishes with pieces of bread.

The island is a protected zone so no fishing or harming of the marine life is permitted. This allows the fish to breed in abundance and they're quite friendly and unafraid of human contact.

Pulau Manukan has chalets for overnight stays but most people come here just to relax and enjoy the natural offerings of the island on a day trip. The red buoys bobbing around the perimeter extending 100 metres out from the beach are designated swimming areas.

There is a lot of boat traffic outside that demarcation and the speed boats carrying island visitors frequently passes very close to the line so it is a good idea to keep inside the perimeter. The Manukan Island pier is a wooden catwalk hovering over the vibrant green waters and the natural tranquility of the island is palpable as you walk towards the beach.

There is a "Welcome to Pulau Manukan" sign at the end of the pier and a RM3 conservation fee is to be paid at the booth before entry to the beach is permitted.

The chalets nest in lush greenery greet you as you first step on the beach. The polished wooden chalets look perfectly in place on the island, due to the matching theme and decor of the architecture.

There are lifeguard posts located at the beach should the need arise and in case of emergency. If you try snorkelling, one can see many different multi-coloured fishes, taking bites out of pieces of bread, occasionally nipping at your fingers. Sea cucumbers of all sizes lining the seabed and starfishes and corals of mind-boggling variety and complexity intensify the whole experience. The scenic islands surrounding Manukan Island are easily visible from the shore and saying that the island is beautiful is simply a big understatement.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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Kota Kinabalu Islands - Take a walk on the wild side

Just a 15-minute boat ride from Kota Kinabalu, capital of the state of Sabah in Eastern Malaysia, aka Malaysian Borneo, exists a tropical paradise. Mouth-watering barbecues, beautifully clean seas and wide, open spaces are just a few of the perks of an afternoon's island-hopping.

The five islands off Kota Kinabalu, and the surrounding waters and coral reefs form the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. Established in 1974, and named after Malaysia's first prime minister, the park is the visual embodiment of bliss with rich sedimentary rocks, virgin tropical forests and the most spectacular views of Kota Kinabalu's skyline.

The islands have many cliffs and caves, and are honeycombed with deep crevasses along their shores. For reality television buffs, this has been the breathtaking setting of many broadcast adventures including the Amazing Race Asia 4 and Survivor Borneo, which was filmed on the nearby Tiga Island.

The islands are a popular destination all year round, for both locals and foreign visitors who are attracted by the area's crystal clear waters, with fish and coral reefs often visible not far from the shore. This has made the islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu a mecca for snorkellers and divers, and hiking and parasailing are other popular activities.

Visitors can get to the islands from Kota Kinabalu's ferry terminal at Jesselton Point, named after a former trading settlement dating back to 1882. Ferries stop at each of the five islands regularly throughout the day. Passengers prone to seasickness should beware - lambat (slow) may be an important word to remember to tell your boat's driver at the start of your trip, otherwise he's likely to take you on an amusement park ride. Also, bring a plastic bag for your belongings; a large amount of water is likely to splash inside the boat. Pulau Gaya, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Sapi and Pulau Sulug are an interesting mix of uninhabited forests and heavily-developed areas.

Pulau Sapi, or Cow Island, is a perfect example. During the day, the island is busy with sunbathing tourists, but after the last ferry leaves at around 4pm it becomes very quiet.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Kota Kinabalu Islands - Take a walk on the wild side
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Ironically, Sabah tourism threatens islands

Sabah’s islands are popular with tourists because of their pristine waters, according to Masidi Manjun, minister of tourism, culture and environment. More than half a million tourists make a beeline for the islands of Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi, Sulug and Gaya which make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

They are attracted to the stunningly colourful corals, fish and other marine animals. But pollution from rising plastic trash, lavish feeding of fish with commercial fish food and tourists’ penchant for eating shark fins are killing corals and other marine life.

The problem is grave enough for Masidi to ban tourists from feeding coral fish with food pellets and discourage them from bringing plastic bottles of drinking water to the islands and eating shark fins cooked in soup, an Asian delicacy.

“We don’t know whether the fish feed is safe for the environment,” he says. “The fish can feed themselves.” But tour companies say tourists are thrilled by the experience of seeing the fish eating voraciously in the clear water as they feed them from their boats.

Three-quarters of Malaysia’s corals are found in Sabah. And they are dying from a process known as “coral bleaching” during which they lose colour and die. There are many reasons for this. But warming of sea because of increased chemical pollutants is one, according to marine biologists.

Twelve popular dive sites of the peninsular Malaysia, notably those of Tioman and Redang, have been closed from July until the end of this month to allow corals to recuperate. About 60% of them are found to be dying. The situation isn’t so bad in Sabah, according to Theresa Tham who heads a marine environmental awareness campaign.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Ironically, Sabah tourism threatens islands
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