Labuan marine parks popular turtle landing, eco-tourism sites

LABUAN: Concerted efforts to boost the turtle population are bearing fruit after 1,309 hatchlings were released into the wild from the three landing sites in Labuan from January to October this year.

The number accounted for 76.59 per cent of the total 1, 705 turtle eggs hatched at the popular marine parks of  Rusukan Besar Island, Rusukan Kecil Island and Kuraman.

These marine parks are strategic landing places for three turtle species, namely hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata), olive-ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and green turtle (Chelonia Mydas), with 12 nests found on the beaches throughout the period.

Department of Malaysia Marine Park Labuan director Anuar Deraman said a total of 9, 543 hatchlings were released into the wild from the landing sites in Labuan from 2011 to 2015.

“Our efforts to conserve turtles by hatching their eggs and releasing the hatchlings into the sea since five years ago are succeeding,” he told Bernama yesterday.

“The strategic landing sites, with no beach erosion are the factor behind the increased number of turtles landing,” he said.

Continue reading at: Labuan marine parks popular turtle landing, eco-tourism sites

.
.

Shipwrecks provide tourism potential for Labuan

LABUAN: The ships that sank during World War II off the waters of Labuan hold tremendous potential for underwater tourism.

This fact was attested by 18 divers from 10 nations during their just concluded 4-day familiarisation trip to the island.

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors [PADI] certified divers noted that the ship wrecks now colonised by marine life and located not far from the island, are ready to serve as popular dive sites.

One of shipwrecks is the Australian Wreck, located some 13 nautical miles away, near the Rusukan Besar island southwest of Labuan.

Though it is not an Australian vessel, but was named so by the locals as it was sunk by an Australian aircraft in 1945 during World War II. It is actually a Dutch merchant ship captured by the Japanese then fitted with weapons. Nature and the passage of time has transformed what was once a lifeless wreck to an underwater natural wonder, rich in coral and other marine life.

A particular feature of the wreck is the presence of resident palm-sized frogfish or anglerfish. Large groupers can be seen swimming about looking for an easy feed among the profusion of marine life and divers are forewarned where to place their hands as many stonefish and lion fish lie camouflaged around the wreck.

Just 1.5 kilometres away, lies the American Wreck, the USS Solute (a minesweeper). During the Battle of Labuan, while the Allied forces were preparing for the invasion of the Brunei Bay, the minesweeper struck a mine midship. She buckled when she started to sink, with the bow portion folding back over on top of the stern section.

The wreck lies 33 metres below on the sandy bottom with tangled masses of metal and cable. Depth chargers, ammunition shells, shoe, culinary and wire bottles can still be found scattered around the wreckage.

To get into the two mentioned wrecks, divers must be certified in wreck diving or have previously logged experience in wreck diving.

Situated about 11 nautical miles from Labuan, east of Kuraman Island, lies the 105-metre modern freighter MV Tung Hwuang that sank in 1980.

Continue reading at: Shipwrecks provide tourism potential for Labuan

.
.

Labuan’s concerted efforts in turtle conservation bear fruit

LABUAN: Concerted efforts to boost the turtle population by the relevant authorities here are bearing fruit.

To this end, 9,543 hatchlings (98.01 per cent) from 10,450 eggs had been released into the wild through four landing sites in Labuan between 2011 and 2015.

One of the three marine parks of Rusukan Besar Island became the most strategic landing place for two species, hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata) and green turtle (Chelonia Mydas) with 4,857 eggs during the period.

Malaysia Marine Park, Labuan director Anuar Deraman said the department recorded 3,506 eggs on Rusukan Kecil Island, followed by Kuraman Island with 2,206 eggs and Kiansam (ungazetted marine park), 231 eggs.

“Overall, the life percentage of the hatched eggs increased every year since 2011. Our efforts to conserve turtles by hatching their eggs and releasing the hatchlings into the sea since five years ago are succeeding,” he told Bernama on Friday.

Anuar said at least 20 nests were recorded every year with an average of three parent turtle landings on the four beaches.

The strategic landing sites, with no beach erosion are the factors behind the increased number of turtle landings,” he said.

Continue reading at: Labuan’s concerted efforts in turtle conservation bear fruit

.
.

Tourism set to be Labuan’s economic engine

LABUAN: Labuan is on track towards making tourism an  active generator of its economic development.

Member of Parliament for Labuan, Datuk Rozman Isli, said to increase the economic benefits of tourism, it was essential for it to adopt and implement a tourism strategy focusing on sustainable development.

“The government has approved an allocation of RM18 million to improve the tourism facilities in all the marine parks such as on Rusukan Island.

“The tourism facilities will be further improved to give better impression to both domestic and foreign tourists to ensure they will return in the future.

“Otherwise, we might face difficulties and need to do ‘repair’ works,” he said at the closing of the Natural Tourist Guide Course (Level 2) Labuan yesterday.

He said the annual tourism programme, Remembrance Day, a memorial day to commemorate the sacrifices of the First World War armed forces, would be celebrated historically and joyfully with participants from participating countries such as the United States and local hoteliers and eateries.

“We need to accelerate our domestic economy after the slump in global oil prices that led to the slowdown in the oil and gas sector.

“Local traders are badly hit with more than 10,000 oil and gas workers with their families having left the island, and there are hotels ceasing operations.

“We need a sustainable development to stimulate our economy and create employment opportunities for the locals,” he said.

Rozman who is also the Labuan Corporation chairman said a number of investors had submitted proposals to the corporation and top government leaders for future investment especially relating to a marine park on Kuraman Island and other prime areas including sea reclamation areas near the downtown area.

Continue reading at: Tourism set to be Labuan’s economic engine

.
.

Labuan marine park dept continues its turtle conservation efforts

LABUAN: A total of 5,628 sea baby turtles were released into the wild, off Labuan waters since 2011, said Department of Malaysia Marine Park Labuan director Anuar Deraman.

The number was of the 7,381 eggs collected mostly in Kuraman Island, one of the three marine parks in Labuan.

“The success in the turtle conservation and protection was after the gazetting of three marine parks, Kuraman, Rusukan Besar and Rusukan Kecil and in collaboration with Petronas Cari Gali Sabah,” he said here yesterday.

He said the marine parks had become the nesting sites for two endangered species of turtles, namely hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata) and green turtle (Chelonia Mydas).

To help avoid further extinction of the species, he said the department had developed a turtle hatchling site in Rusukan Besar Island.

Anuar said Kuraman Island had recorded the most number of turtle landing so far this year with ten nests found on the island, while Rusukan Kecil and Rusukan Besar had five and two nests respectively.

Continue reading at: Labuan marine park dept continues its turtle conservation efforts

.
.

Labuan Malaysia

The island of Labuan is situated off the northwest coast of Borneo and north of the Brunei Bay which also faces the South China Sea. As mentioned besides the main island of Labuan there are also six smaller islands which includes Pulau Burung, Pulau Papan, Pulau Rusukan Kecil, Pulau Daat, Pulau Kuraman and Pulau Rusukan Besar. The cluster of islands is located at 05 latitude North and 115 longitude East and about 10km southeast off the coast of the East Malaysian state of Sabah.

You can reach Labuan from Menumbok which is a small fishing town in Sabah that is only 8km or a twenty minute boat ride. There are also high speed air-conditioned ferries that operate the routes to Labuan from various departure points that include the state of Sarawak, Sabah and the neighboring country of Brunei. The journey from the capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu will take at least 3 hours while traveling from Brunei will last about an hour. The journey is roughly equidistant of traveling to Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Manila. If you plan to fly to Labuan there are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and also from Brunei.

The island itself is mainly flat and undulating while the highest point on the island is measured at only 85 meters. While more than 70 percent of the island is still underdeveloped and consists mostly of vegetation, the area that is utilized are geared more towards property and industrial use as such there is less agricultural activity in the area. The island’s prime land, waterfront and suburbs are then used for development in terms of tourism and residential use. The shipbuilding, manufacturing and oil and gas industries are located on a sizeable area on the south western side of the island.

Like the other areas in East Malaysia, Labuan also has a tropical climate with two annual monsoon seasons. One is the South West monsoon that occurs from the month of April to June while the other one is the North East monsoon that happens from the month of September to December. Apart from that Labuan is also free from natural disasters such as typhoons and hurricanes while enjoying good climate all year round. With its tropical climate you can expect the temperature of Labuan to average between 28 to 32 degrees Celsius.

Activities

As an island you can expect to find that most of the activities that are found here are water related, so if you are the type of people that fall into this particular category then Pulau Labuan is definitely the place for you.

International Offshore Financial Centre – The island of Labuan is Asia’s newest international offshore financial centre. There are 65 foreign banks that are located in the island that offer sophisticated offshore banking services and numbered accounts facilities to the world’s rich and famous.

World War II Sites – Pulau Labuan is a significant historical destination especially from the time of World War II and there are three major World War II sites located here that attracts both foreign and local visitors which includes the Japanese Surrender Park, the Labuan War Cemetery and the Allied Landing Point. During the month of November, a ‘Remembrance Day’ is held at the Labuan War Cemetery which is to honour the 3,900 recorder graves of the Fallen Heroes of World War II. This particular event is attended by the Malaysian and foreign war veterans as well as their family members of the Allied troops that were killed in action during the war from the year 1942 to 1945.

Wreck Diving – Pulau Labuan has probably the best wreck diving sites in Asia and there are four wreck dives located around the island which are known locally as The Cement Wreck, The American Wreck, The Blue Water Wreck and The Australian Wreck.

Duty-Free Shopping – This may be one of the main draws of Labuan and equipped with modern shopping centers that carry a wide variety of both locally produced products as well as imported goods. The most popular items that are sold here include tobacco, appliances, spirits and textiles. At the end of the year, the entire island hosts a month long shopping carnival with attractive discounts; there are even cultural shows that add the excitement.

World Class Sport Fishing Destination – As you may or may not already know the island of Labuan is surrounded by a cluster of six smaller islands namely Pulau Burung, Pulau Papan, Pulau Rusukan Kecil, Pulau Daat, Pulau Kuraman and Pulau Rusukan Besar. The clear blue water around these idyllic islands is home to one of the world’s richest coral and fishing grounds that will definitely offer you unlimited deep sea tackling as well as coastal table fish catches.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Labuan Malaysia
.
.

Aquatic adventure off Kuraman Island, Brunei

Snorkeling out in the open sea

Holding one of the Caenogastropoda, Cypraea leucodon,

a type of marine snail that can be found around the coral

Coral with fluorescent white colour

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Abdul Aziz Pandin and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd

By Abdul Aziz Pandin

I am always amazed at the vivid colours of nature, especially the ones underwater.

Coral is one of them and their colours are usually stimulating and intriguing. Other beautiful, unique aquatic animals residing there never cease to impress me.

One of the many places where we can eyewitness such phenomenon is the Kuraman Island Resort.

We gathered at the Empire Hotel and proceeded to Scuba-Tech where we registered and filled liability release forms. Then the management provided us with snorkeling equipment and a short briefing since all of us were first-timers. Then we were ushered onto the boats which took us to Kuraman Island.

It was 9am and the sun, already brilliant white, was climbing rapidly into the sky. The journey to our destination took about 45 minutes.

Trust me, the high-speed boat ride was my least favourite part of the day. It felt like I was about to jump out of my skin!

Finally, we arrived at the Kuraman Island when suddenly a pleasant, tame dog, named, Joy, ran towards us... with a welcoming gesture! We could tell from its face. Everyone got off the boat with excitement and started to unpack our gear.

The weather was perfectly fine though the day promised a seething cauldron within the hour. The sky was blue and clear. The water was crystal clear and we could even see the seaweed and a few colourful fishes. Water resistant sunblock lotion is a must or you will be toasted by the blazing sun.

This was the perfect moment to take pictures and strike poses amid the blue sky, white tropical sandy beaches and bluish green sea. The scenery was unbelievably spectacular and magnificent. Its tranquility makes it a perfect place to unwind, away from hustle and bustle of the city.

As the excitement built up, the Scuba-Tech staff brought us to another island adjacent to Kuraman Island where we did our snorkelling. Safety precautions were briefed before any snorkeling activity started. So we eagerly set up ourselves, fully geared with snorkelling equipment and took the chance to drop ourselves into the water.

Clinging securely around my neck was an Olympus waterproof camera which can be used as deep as three metres without any worries of a camera malfunction. It enabled me to capture the beauty under water.

As we snorkelled, we could see the coral reefs but we were not really blown away as the visibility of the water, as I put it into scale, was only 80 per cent. The water was a bit greenish with some suspension but we still could see the coral and the fishes. But if you dive deeper and take a closer look, you can actually see that some of the corals in highly saturated colours seem almost pure in their spectral intensity.

Indeed, what fascinates me most about corals is that they are tiny animals, called polyps that are related to and look like sea anemones.

As for me, a coral reef is a tapestry of time and change as its simple structure has thrived since a very long time ago. These reef builders consists of a layer of living tissue overlying a hard skeleton made of aragonite, more commonly known as limestone. Each coral polyp sits in its own skeletal cup called a corallite.

Generation after generation, the coral skeleton builds up and out as the polyps make their daily deposits of limestone. The polyps divide as they grow and form coral colonies. As the colonies build up on top of each other, they gradually form a coral reef. Coral reefs may be many thousands of years old which form slowly over time and they can respond to changes in sea level, salinity of the water, temperature and other environmental conditions. The question is, will they make it against global warming?

In fact, a vast number of species inhabit coral reefs, making them second only to rainforests in species richness. This huge diversity is a result of careful sharing of a reef by all its inhabitants. More species of fish are found on reefs than anywhere else in the sea.

As I took a brief dive, the ambience was so silent. All you could hear was your heart beating and pulsing. It was the most calm and serene ambience I had ever experienced. Sometimes it can be a little bit intimidating when you are out in the open water but it was fun.

Lots of different types of corals can be seen underneath, both soft and hard corals as well as other aquatic animals and we do not even know their names! Other animals that we found were such as the starfish, clown fish and marine snail.

As our energy were drained spending about an hour swimming, snorkelling and diving, we called it a day and headed back to the Kuraman Island to have lunch which consisted of barbequed lamb, chicken, sausages, crabsticks, fried rice and drinks provided by the management.

After touring the island, we were ready to head back to Empire Hotel. Along the way, the Scubatech-Tech staff once again brought us to a different location for a second dive but only for about half an hour. As we arrived at Empire Hotel, we had our Banana Boat Ride since it was included in the package.

The whole trip was amazing and unforgettable, and we really enjoyed our super-fun Sunday vacation!

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend

Enchanting paradise of Kuraman Island, Labuan

Sandy beach of Kuraman Island

A visitor enjoying the sun and sand

View of the island

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Farrah Dayinie and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By Farrah Dayinie

The soft wind and sweet melody of waves hitting the sandy beach will always give a pleasant feeling to any who feels stressed and pressured by the demands of modern lifestyle.

That was the exact feeling I got when I was given the opportunity to visit the sandy beach of Kuraman Island, also known as the Mayat Island.

As I departed from Serasa Beach on a small boat at 12 noon, I could feel the heat of the burning sun. On the way towards the island, during the 45-minute journey, everyone on the boat were mingling and munching on snacks and taking in the view, my mind started to wonder and imagine how the island would be like.

Excitement started to build up as we saw the Kuraman Island for the first time from afar. As the boat got closer and closer to the island, we can see a row of three chalets that will be our accommodation as we planned to spend a night there. As we reached the sandy beach, I eagerly moved to the front portion of the boat to be the first to get down.

As we moved in, we noticed that we were not alone on the island. A group of foreign tourist was enjoying a small barbeque party right in front of a small hut.

The reason for the visit to the island was not for leisure, but to complete the shooting for a local drama, which will be broadcasted in Radio Television Brunei (RTB) soon.

Before filming, we settled down at our accommodation, freshened up ourselves and gathered for lunch.

After lunch, the group searched for suitable location for filming. Once the shooting completed, the group took the opportunity to get into various beach activities such as swimming, riding the 'banana boat' ride, collecting sea shells, walking on the beach and much more.

In the evening, we were invited for a barbeque dinner with lots of chicken, prawn and fish. After the fantastic dinner, we entertained ourselves with light music and prepared for the final shooting work the next day.

The next morning, we managed to see the sunrise and witnessed the fishermen moving out to sea, as well as enjoyed nature's wonders.

After breakfast, filming began again along the beach. When the director was satisfied with the whole shooting, we were instructed to prepare ourselves to return home. All the equipment and personal baggages were loaded into the boat.

On the way back, we managed to visit a village in Kuraman Island, which reflects the originalities of fishing villages.

Kuraman Island is a favourite destination for tourists who wish to enjoy the sun and sand.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Sunday