Tanjung Datu National Park- A rare female turtle lays eggs, the release of hatched turtles, and CIVET!!!!
If you come to Tanjung Datu National Park for a guaranteed sighting of animals and a safari, then you have come to the wrong place….
Tanjung Datu is a narrow strip of forested hills and isolated untouched beaches. It is one of the smallest national parks in Sarawak but also the most beautiful. It takes about an hour by boat to get there and because of its remoteness, means that the beaches are beautiful and unbothered and the rain forest is not disturbed.
Even for a person who hates beaches (as in me), I found myself spending time there taking photos and enjoying the water…..If you do not believe me, please see the pictures below….
Of Course you will see some monkeys, but they are not aggressive and very shy
During night walks in the park, you can see lizards, chameleons, spiders, sometimes frogs, or little birds hiding under leaves….
The real surprise came at the end of the night walk, when up in the palm tree we shined the light and you can see a civet!!!! This cat is almost as rare as spotting a leopard and ranks up as one of my top finds as far as animals!!!! Although the pictures are not good because it was pitch black and I was trying to hold a light while snapping pictures, this will remain as one of my favorite moments. I just wish I had more time to photo him before he ran away…
Perhaps what the Park is known for and also other islands in this area is the different types of sea turtles that come on the beach to lay their eggs. While this is not the laying season as it was 2-3 months passed, we were lucky enough to have one out of nowhere come up to the beach and lay some eggs in the sand. The Park rangers took measurements on her and tagged her and removed the eggs to the hatchery to guard them from animals to try to sustain the population……
As this is hatching season for the little baby turtles, and they only hatch at night, we were lucky enough to see them TWO nights in a row. As the mom comes and lays eggs and leaves them, never to return, these babies are born knowing what to do. They from birth follow the light (usually moonlight) into the water and float away. Unfortunately, not all of the babies will make it as they are often predators for fish or birds, but the ones that do will grow up to go to their own beach one day…THE TURTLE RELEASE WILL RANK UP THERE AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM ALL OF MY TRAVELS. I am a lucky person to see this!!!!
