Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (Sabah, Bornean Malaysia)

In Borneo, orangutans often are the victims of human-wildlife conflicts.  Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, funded by the Sabah State Government and a number of charity organizations, is a facility designed to return orphaned, injured, or displaced orangutans back to the wild.  Since its opening in 1964, hundreds of orangutans rehabilitated there have been released into the Kapili-Sepilok Forest.  According to the Sabah Wildlife Department’s homepage, orangutans brought to SORC are first given a health examination and then put in quarantine for a period of time to prevent the spread of transmittable diseases.  The very young orangutans are kept in the “Nursery” where they are taught how to find food, climb trees, and build nests (which orangutans do every night).  As the orangutans progress, they are moved to the larger “Outdoor Nursery” where they are weaned off of provided food and human support.  Eventually, orangutans who graduate are released into the population of wild orangutans.

Feeding Platform

The SORC is open from 9 am to 12 pm, and from 2 pm to 4 pm daily.  (9 am to 11 am and 2 pm to 4 pm on Fridays.)  Visitors are encouraged to arrive at SORC by 9:30 am in order to witness the 10 am feeding, or by 2:30 pm in order to see the 3:00 pm feeding at the “feeding platform”.  When we arrived there at 10:15 on a Sunday, there was already a crowd of about 200 people.  We were told that most of these visitors were passengers from the same cruise ship, and that it wasn’t a typical crowd, but judging by the size of the viewing platform, I believe that large tour groups are not rare at SORC.

In the below photo, visitors are looking at the feeding platform which is on the right-middle edge of the photo.

At the time of our visit, there were two orangutans on the feeding platform.

 

I was told that the food provided at the feeding platform is only meant to supplement the diet of the released orangutans, and the daily menu is purposely kept monotonous in order to encourage the orangutans to become more independent and forage for more varieties of fruits and vegetation in the larger jungle.

Perhaps this orangutan was intimidated by the large group of visitors.  Maybe she was just anti-social.  She kept her back to the tourists as she ate.

Eventually, most of the visitors moved on to view the even younger orangutans at the “Nursery”.

With less people watching, the orangutan turned and faced our direction.

After all of the visitors had moved on, the viewing platform looked like this:

The Nursery

On the day of our visit, the younger orangutans were on view only until about 11:00 a.m.  We didn’t properly understand the directions from the staff, and by the time we arrived at the Nursery, the young orangutans had been returned to their indoor quarters and all of the tourists had also left.  Visitors to this building can sit in air-conditioned comfort while watching the young orangutans as they learn how to climb and swing on an apparatus quite similar to the “jungle gyms” found in elementary school yards.  I was told that the windows were actually two-way mirrors, and that while the visitors could see the young orangutans play outside, the orangutans could not see the visitors inside the building.

Educational Efforts - Opportunities for Animal Encounters

SORC had a number of displays with explanations about the facility and about the orangutans.  There were displays next to the indoor ticket counter.

At the gate leading into the forest, visitors were told to leave all bags and backpacks.

Staff explained that the orangutans and macaques in the forest were free to approach the human pathways, and on occasion, have been known to steal tourists’ belongings. While there are no organized opportunities for animal encounters, the wild animals may take it upon themselves to provide one.

Pathway leading to feeding platform.  Visitors must stay on the designated path.

The remnants of an orangutan nest.  Based on the dried condition of the leaves, I was told that this particular nest had been used weeks ago.

More explanatory signage located at the viewing platform.

Souvenirs and Food

In the SORC entrance building, there was a small souvenir shop.  There were T-shirts, postcards, keychains, refrigerator magnets, mug cups, and a variety of other branded and non-branded goods. 

Next to the SORC entrance building there was a small café with seating for about 30 to 40 people.

Interior of the café.  Prices were reasonable, and the food was tasty.  I ordered a chicken curry and rice dish for 11 Ringgit and a fresh lime juice which was 6 Ringgit.

Getting There

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is located about 45 minutes by bus from Sandakan Town.  I visited this facility while on an organized tour, and our private transportation took us to SORC straight from Sandakan Airport.  I would recommend consulting with your tour arranger or hotel concierge.  Admission differed for Malaysian citizens and non-citizens.  Admission for Non-Malaysian adults was 30 Ringgit, for non-Malaysian children, 15 Ringgit.  Additionally, there is a 10 Ringgit charge for each still camera or video camera you carry. 

(Note: All photos in this post were taken during a visit on February 12, 2017.  The comments in this post are based on observations made on that day.  Times and conditions may have since changed.  Please check it out for yourself!)

Waikiki Aquarium (Hawaii, United States of America)

The waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands are inhabited by a variety of unique, interesting, and beautiful marine creatures.  For visitors to Hawaii, one of the easiest ways to see many of these amazing creatures is to visit the Waikiki Aquarium which is located at the east end of famous Waikiki Beach.  The aquarium first opened in 1904 as the “Honolulu Aquarium”, and, according to its home page, is the second-oldest public aquarium in the United States.  It is a relatively small aquarium, with the public areas consisting of a main building housing the indoor exhibits and a number of outdoor exhibits built on the adjacent grounds.  In fact, the aquarium is compact enough that a visitor on a tight schedule can easily go through the facility in under 30 minutes.  (Assuming the visitor doesn’t read much of the posted explanations or listen to any of the educational presentations.)  The main building of the aquarium was constructed in 1955, and although the facility has had a number of significant renovations over the years, it still retains the same “Local Hawaiian” charm that it had when I first visited it in the 1970’s. 

Indoor Exhibits

The indoor exhibits were based on themes displaying various geographies and types of ecosystems.  Notably, the live corals in these tanks were as beautiful as the ones that I have seen while snorkeling in the waters off of Oahu’s North Shore.  

Here are a few photos:

 And here are a few photos of some of the inhabitants:

Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)

Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis)

Stripey (Microcanthus strigatus)

Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga) (Hawaiian name: Kikakapu)

Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) (Hawaiian name: Lau’ipala)

Pot Belly Seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis)

Jellyfish Gallery

Lagoon Jelly (Mastigias sp.)

Blackchin Tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron), a fresh water fish imported into Hawaii. They now inhabit many, if not most, of the freshwater ponds, rivers, and brackish water areas in Hawaii.

Outside Exhibits

My favorite outdoor exhibit is the “Edge of the Reef” representation of a shoreline and tide pool.  It is populated by small fishes and invertebrates, and it features a mechanism that recreates small waves.

Exhibit regarding fish in Hawaii aquaculture

Hawaiian Monk Seal Pool

This area was divided into two sections – perhaps meant to house two Monk Seals or a seal and a different type of animal – but on the day of my visit, I only saw a single Hawaiian Monk Seal.  Due to good timing, I was able to watch the seal’s feeding time.  At least during the time I watched, the animal was not made to perform the type of circus tricks that are sometimes criticized at some other aquariums. 

Educational Efforts - Opportunities for Animal Encounters

Although the Waikiki Aquarium started its existence in 1904 as a private commercial venture, the owners ceded the property to the Territory of Hawaii in 1919 and administration of the aquarium was delegated to the University of Hawaii.  Subsequently over the years, the aquarium assumed a mission of education, conservation, and research. This mission is evident throughout the aquarium’s signage and displays.

Touch screen video presentation

Display of live corals with magnifying glass

Explanatory Signs

Pictured below is the “Edge of the Reef” area where volunteer staff members provide explanations and allow visitors to touch certain invertebrates.

Food and Souvenirs

Although the aquarium grounds feature a large grass lawn and a patio deck that seem to be the perfect setting for a picnic, I did not see any food or drinks for sale within the aquarium. The souvenir shop was well stocked with many branded merchandise such as clothes and trinkets, many books, and even fairly pricey artwork of marine animals. 

The Waikiki Aquarium and Me

The fish in the photo below is the Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) (Hawaiian name: Kikakapu).  Among all fishes in the ocean, this is one of my favorites. 

The first time I ever took a “nature” photograph was at the Waikiki Aquarium, and the first fish I targeted was a Raccoon Butterflyfish.  I was so impressed by the beauty of this fish that I begged my father to let me take a photo using his Kodak Instamatic, a plastic-bodied film camera that used disposable flashcubes.  A few days later when my father brought the developed prints back from the film processing shop, I was very disappointed that the photograph did not look “the way I saw it”.

The camera flash had reflected off the glass window of the exhibit, and it completely obscured my primary target, the fish in the middle of the frame. This was my first lesson on the use of flash while photographing through a glass window.  It was also the start of a lifelong pursuit of the “natural-looking” animal photograph – in zoos, aquariums, and in the wild.

  

Getting There

The Waikiki Aquarium is located at the eastern end of Waikiki, a short walk from the Honolulu Zoo, and within walking distance from most Waikiki hotels.  Admission is US$12 for adults (ages 13 to 64), US$5 for juniors (ages 4 to 12), and free for children 3 and under. Senior citizens aged 65 years old and over get in for US$5, U.S. active duty military personnel and adult Hawaii State residents get in for US$8.

(Note: All photos (except one) in this post were taken during a visit on September 15, 2016.  The comments in this post are based on observations made on that day.  Conditions may have since changed.  Please check it out for yourself!)