Duncan Murrell - A Whale of a Time

Borneo is a name that conjures up the mystique of tropical exploration from a bygone era of intrepid discovery. It has lured scientists for over 150 years, and has played a key role in the discovery of evolution. Alfred Wallace’s theories of natural selection were inspired by his travels on the island in the 19th century. Since then there are still new species being discovered, on average 3 a month, and according to the latest research that will continue for decades to come – if any of the forests remain. Borneo is estimated to have 222 mammals, including 44 endemic, 420 birds - 37 endemic, 100 amphibians and 394 fish - 19 endemic. Borneo has at least 15,000 plants, of which 6,000 are endemic. 1000 species of insects can be found in one Diptocarp tree. Just in the mountainous 220,000 km2 region in the heart of Borneo there are 10 primate species, over 350 bird species, and 150 reptile and amphibian species. The relatively unexplored montane forests in the heart of Borneo have the largest potential for new discoveries due to their isolation and high biodiversity. I always wanted to go there, and now that I’m based in Palawan it was just a short distance for me to travel, but I was dismayed by the extent of deforestation and the mind-boggling extent of the oil palm plantations. It was as depressing as my trip to Madagascar but in Borneo one could be left in no doubt about the main cause of deforestation. The road trip in Sabah from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu, and subsequently to the Kinabatangan River took me past vast, uninterrupted swathes of oil palms that extended from the roadside to the horizon in all directions. Borneo is the fourth largest island in the world, and is divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and the small, independent nation of Brunei. The Indonesian part of Borneo, known as Kalimantan covers around 73% of the island while Malaysian Borneo occupies the rest along the northern edge. I visited the two states of Malaysian Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak.

The Kinabatangan River is the second longest river in Malaysia, with a length of 560 km from its headwaters in the Crocker Range in the SW of Sabah, to its outlet at the Sulu Sea. It sustains one of the world’s richest ecosystems, particularly in the less disturbed lower basin. The surrounding areas along the river consist of five distinct habitats – diptocarp or dry forests, waterlogged and limestone forests, and freshwater and saline swamps. The lower basin is the largest forest covered floodplain in Malaysia and has the largest concentration of wildlife in the SE Asia region. Each year the monsoon rain causes the river to swell and create a vast floodplain teeming with wildlife. As well as being home to orang-utans and the endemic proboscis monkey, the surrounding forest is one of only two known places in the world where 10 species of primates are found. All the eight species of hornbill found in Borneo are found along the river. The Kinabatangan River is one of the most popular eco-tourism destinations in Borneo because there is such a high probability of observing a variety of primates, elephants, many species of birds, lizards, snakes and crocodiles. But from what I could see that is evidently due to the fact that so much of the surrounding forest has been replaced with oil palm plantations and most of the displaced wildlife has been squeezed into a narrow corridor along the river. In some places the plantations are visible from the river. The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary is only 26,103 ha in size and within this tiny area there is a great variety of flora and fauna, some endemic to Borneo and some endemic to the area itself. The biodiversity of this area is phenomenal with 1000 recorded plant species, 50 mammal species, 250 bird species and 90 fish species crammed into this narrow corridor. Repeated efforts to have the area declared a national park have been opposed by oil palm plantation owners seeking to expand their cultivated land.

My final destination in Borneo was Kinabalu National Park but unfortunately my visit was blighted by a very debilitating virus that I contracted just before going there. I extended my stay so that I could have a few night walks into the forest, which still proved to be very rewarding. Mt Kinabalo at 4,095 metres is the highest peak in Borneo’s Crocker Range and the highest in the Malay Archipelago. The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with between 5,000 and 6,000 species of plants, 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammal species. One of the world’s richest varieties of orchids, 800 species, can be found on the high rockier slopes. There are also over 600 species of ferns, more than the whole of Africa’s 500 species. It also has the richest collection of pitcher plants (Nepenthes) in the world, five of the 13 found nowhere else, including the largest species, Nepenthes rajah. The parasitic Rafflesia plant, which has the largest single flower in the world, is also found in Kinabalu. The plant diversity is greatest in the lowland regions, consisting of lowland dipterocarp forests but most of Kinabalu’s endemic species are found in the mountain forests, particularly on soils which are low in phosphates and high in metals poisonous to plants, giving rise to the evolution of distinctive plant species found nowhere else. Because of it’s unique biodiversity it has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage Status. Unfortunately Sabah Parks has privatised activities within the park and the cost of accommodation and trekking is excessively high for what is provided. Ascending the mountain is still a very popular activity, but like so many increasingly popular activities and destinations it has suffered from excessive numbers and the dilution of a genuine wilderness experience, but sadly that is becoming increasingly harder to find. I would like to return there if it’s possible to get off the beaten track.