We were up early this morning to do a half-day boat tour. From the north of town, we took a boat to the estuary of the Salak River on the Santubong peninsula. Our two captains are literally older retired guys who used to log the area. They bought themselves a boat and now take tourists out. They were quite entertaining!
We were hoping to find the elusive Irrawaddi dolphin among the mangrove forests of Kuching Wetlands National Park. The dolphins, also called snubnosed, have a blunt snout and a very small rounded dorsal fin. They look similar to a beluga whale. They don’t jump out of the water like other species of dolphin.
The dolphins work with the fishermen and their nets. Dolphins drive fish toward the net and then have easy hunting. The fisherman don’t harass the dolphins. When the nets are pulled in the fisherman discard non market fish right then and there. Of course the smart dolphins are right there to help!
We wandered up a tributary looking for crocodiles.
climbed up the muddy bank to make a nest.
Then it was off to the Sarawak Cultural Center (Kampung Budaya Sarawak). The village is built at the foot of the legendary Mount Santubong.
We toured through replicas of seven ethnic houses.
taste kind of like a fortune cookie
We were treated to a cultural show in a traditional longhouse.
Dave was called up on stage to practice his blow gun skills.
We had a nice albeit a very western steak and pasta dinner and then relaxed back in our gorgeous room.
Tomorrow we head south to another area with Orangutans.
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