Swimming with jellyfish and manta rays
June 6, 2009 by Luka
Close to Derawan there are two small but incredible islands, Kakaban and Sangalaki. If you are staying at Derawan a visit to these two islands is a must. It is possible to make a day trip to both of them. There are to ways to get there. Either you hire a fishing boat or a speed boat. Although fishing boat would probably be more pleasant and relaxed we decided to hire a speed boat, because the weather was pretty unstable. We shared the costs with a local guy Alfin and a Swiss mother with her son. Boatman named Eric didn’t speak much English, but he was a pleasant guy and he took us to the islands with his weathered speed boat.
Kakaban island is really special. In the middle of it there is a salt water lake where live different species of Jellyfish.
On thing all the species have in common is that they lost their sting. It is totally safe to swim among them and you can also touch them (carefully, they are fragile creatures). Amazing experience! This is the first time I wished for waterproof body for my camera. Well, firstly I need to learn diving…
Mangrove forest surrounds the lake and it is quite interesting to see their roots from under the water.
Vegetation of Kakaban island is lush indeed. The forest gives a pleasant shade and there are numerous plants I’ve never seen before.
Kakaban island from the pier.
When we were leaving it was a low tide. We needed to walk to the boats.
The highlight of the trip is the waters of Sangalaki island. There is a strong current and this is the place where Manta rays feed regularly. While snorkeling we spotted more than thirty(!) Mantas. Incredible creatures! The best thing you can do is just stay at one place and wait for them to show up. They will come. When saw the first one I was shocked – it was huge and it was swimming directly towards me! But at the last moment it just circled around me elegantly and glided further. If you stay still you can notice they are quite inquisitive creatures. They were checking me up the same way I did them. One of them even let me touch it!
Besides Kakaban island and the mantas we went to the Coral reef for snorkeling and we spotted two Dolphin families. When we returned to Derawan I was dead tired and we both got sunburns. Take my advice – wear T-shirt while snorkeling – sunscreen doesn’t help against strong sun and you will stay in the water longer than you planned. And take some food with you and plenty of water!
We spent five days on Derawan island, but we could easily stay longer. But Borneo was inviting to move on – we were heading north to Tarakan island and then on to Malaysian side of the island. Stay tuned and check out previous posts on Borneo!
And here is some literature we read during our trip:
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Very nice pictures
Swimming with mantas has got to be one of the most exhilarating things! I’m jealous.
Even stingless jelly fish pale in comparison although it’s quite an experience, too. Buy yourself a waterproof compact for your next trip, you won’t regret it. Lugging around an underwater housing for a DSLR on a backpacking trip can be a bit cumbersome. 
Hai,
Excellent pictures from an excellent executions indeed. Can’t blink a single second from all your photos. I want to have a 4 day trip to Derawan next month with fellow amateurs photographers. Would you mind give me some advises in terms of camera/gagdet preparation. Lens, aqua-pac or another basic needs? Thanks a lot Luka, and thanks again for promoting my country via your pictures !!
Dyah, its not much different than travelling elsewhere. Be sure to bring your tripod and if you have an underwater casing it will be of use too. Keep your gear dry, because saltwater can do a lot of damage – I’ve experienced it myself (not at Derawan though).
Good luck!
good posting, good photos, can not wait to vacation there ….
Great pics of Derawan island and its friends…
Kakaban is nice island with amazing lake inside.
I have been to Sangalaki too and I have seen Manta too
Borneo is very nice island to visit and many natural things we can see.
It was a great holiday, I miss those islands and I will come back again there, my country