Kinabatangan River Cruise (Sabah, Bornean Malaysia)

The Kinabatangan River, the second longest river on Borneo, stretches and winds for a length of 560 kilometers.  And while more than half of the island has been deforested and replanted as palm oil plantations, there are still areas along the Kinabatangan where visitors can view wildlife in their natural habitat.  One of these areas is the Kinabatangan River Wildlife Sanctuary, an area covering 260 square kilometers.  In recent years, boat cruises (also referred to as boat safaris) along the river have become very popular as an ecotourism activity. 

The Boat Cruises

Visitors usually book these cruises through the lodges where they stay, and the quality and sturdiness of the boats used for these cruises vary by lodge.  Some lodges utilize small boats which ride only a few inches above the waterline, and, when one remembers that the Kinabatangan is populated by huge saltwater crocodiles, it makes for an exciting, albeit nervous ride.

Some lodges employ larger boats.

The Kinabatangan is a very slow flowing river.  Consequently, the surface of the river sometimes resembles the surface of a lake, and when there is no wind, it takes on a glassy, reflective appearance. In the morning just after sunrise, and in the evening at sunset, these conditions can create especially beautiful scenes.  The water itself is a very muddy brown color, and visibility in the water below the boat is basically zero.  (Perfect hiding conditions for hungry crocodiles.)

The water on one particular branch river had a dark, almost black color.  I was told that this was caused by tannins leaching out of the peat grass along the banks in that area.

Animals Seen During Cruise

The boat cruises manage to get considerably close to the wildlife that populates the land around the river.  Below are some of the creatures that we spotted during four separate river boat safaris.

Long-tailed macaque

Pig-tailed macaque

Orangutan

Proboscis monkey

Blue-Eared Kingfisher

Cattle Egret

Black-and-Red Broadbill

Gold-ringed snake

Monitor lizard

Close Encounters With Wild Animals

Since the lodges along the Kinabatangan River are located within the forest (in fact many are accessed by boat), wildlife spotting can often be enjoyed even without leaving the property.  Here are some of the animals that I spotted during a two-night stay at one such lodge.

 

This orangutan was in a tree immediately next to the entrance of the lodge.  Visitors could view it from a distance of about 3 meters.

This Borneo Black Squirrel descended from its tree to accept pieces of fruit offered by lodge staff.

This wild boar was part of a family that was permanently parked on the grounds of the lodge.  The boars fed on kitchen scraps thrown out daily by the lodge staff.

Staff at the lodge explained that this Malay Civet had been a regular visitor every night for more than 10 years.  The civet is visibly aged, and its right eye appears to be obstructed by a cataract.

Although this visit to the Kinabatangan River allowed me to view many wild animals for the first time, I was not able to see a saltwater crocodile or a wild elephant.  I guess those two animals will provide me with enough reason to make another trip to Borneo.

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