Pulau selirong
A 45 minutes boat-ride from Muara lies Pulau Selirong (Selirong Island), which is
a 2,566 hectares mangrove-covered island. There is a 2 kilometres of wooden walkways
offering close-up views of the mangroves and wildlife. There is also an observation
tower and the island has toilet facilities and rest huts.
For years, this jewel of nature has served as a nature preserve park dedicated to
protect its rich forest heritage and the unique flora and fauna that thrive on the
island. Quite strangely, Brunei's wealth of oil and natural gas has saved the country
from depending on cultivating in the forest areas and thus it can now boast of virtually
untouched forests. That is certainly evident when the lush mangroves that reach
up to 40 meters into the sky greet the eyes. In fact, when compared to the ordinary
mangroves growing in other places, they are nearly twice as tall and thick.
Of course, when traveling to Pulau Selirong, one can't miss out on the opportunity
to explore the wonderful wildlife roaming around the towering mangroves. All one
needs to bring is some gear, food, and more important, lots of patience. Probably
the most common sight is the so-called "colugo," or the flying lemurs that are usually
hanging upside-down on tree branches. It is ironic, however, that, despite their
name, they can't actually fly (they instead glide using the extra skin between their
limbs), and are not even real lemurs for that matter.
One can also catch a glimpse of the flights of exotic birds, mammals, and snakes.
The forest comes alive with a cacophony of various sounds, ranging from the calls
of the cicadas to the cries of the jumping prawns. Despite these, the highlight
to any visit to the island is the rare Orang Belanda, better known as the proboscis
monkey. Seen almost exclusively in the vicinity of Borneo, it can be easily distinguished
because of its large protruding nose from whence it got its name.