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Published: August 8th 2012
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Well, it’s nearly over now.
I’ve been in Malaysia for almost 2 months, and have been hard at work at the SAFE site for 6 weeks—including a killer final week in which I had finally gotten my primary productivity chambers to work and was trying to get all the data I need for 8 streams (which didn’t happen). My legs are exhausted from extensive steep hiking, my back is sore from carrying heavy productivity chambers & equipment up and down slopes & streams, my feet are nearly rotted off from being constantly wet for 6 weeks, and all I want to do is sleep and eat until my feet are dry and I feel normal again…
It’s times like this that you really do need to take a break from field work and give yourself a rest, both for your mental and physical health, and to ensure that your remaining time in the field is productive and that you’re at the top of your game. So this weekend, I took a day off en route from the SAFE site to my next field site (Danum Valley) to help preserve my sanity.
Given
View from Sibuan Beach
It was even more blissful than it looks my location, I decided that a sensible diversion would be to go snorkeling around one of the islands off the coast of Semporna, a town on Sabah’s east coast and a world-renowned dive locale. Semporna is only about 4 hours’ drive from camp, and 4 hours’ drive from Danum, so it seemed like a reasonable side trip—not too pricey (about US$30 for a day’s snorkeling, including lunch & gear) and not too far off my planned route.
I’ve heard loads about Semporna over the years, and knew that people came from all over the world to dive at Sipadan, an oceanic island off the coast. I had heard bits and pieces about the other islands in the area (all within about an hours’ boat ride of the town of Semporna), but for some reason I never made it here in all my time in Malaysia. All I can say now is, what the heck took me so long?
I arrived in town on Saturday evening, exhausted and starving. The site of a bed—an actual bed!—made me unbelievably happy, and my first hot shower in 6 weeks was transcendent. We definitely eat our fair share
Crystal clear water
Standing hip-deep in the water, I shot this pic of my feet--possibly the clearest water I've ever seen in my life! Absolutely stunning. at camp, but it just never feels like it’s quite enough, and I spent the weekend stuffing myself silly with all manner of things we don’t get at camp: breads, Indian food, Tom Yam soup, crab, donuts (fried fresh at local street stalls, 3 for RM1 or about 30 cents), and my favorite drink in all of Sabah, KitChai Ping (iced lime juice). Mmmmm….
But the real reason for my trip to Semporna was to snorkel and see the amazing marine life everyone talks about. I’ve been snorkeling in a few different places in the tropics, but it has been a while since I’ve seen really good reef and marine life. I spent most of the day exclaiming “oh my gowrsh” into my snorkel, and excitedly popping up above the water to point out all the different phyla I was seeing: Sponges (Porifera; the base of the animal kingkom and the only animal with no true tissues)! Jellyfish & corals (Cnidaria—the 2
nd most basal of all animals & the first radially symmetric ones)! Giant clams nearly as big as I am (Mollusca)! Urchins & sea stars (Echinodermata)! Tunicates (Chordata)! And of course, lots and lots of fish
Baby Hermit Crab
The cutest little hermit crab! (Chordata). But the highlight for me, as a herpetologist, was my first ever sea snake. For some reason, anytime an organism seems to cross into novel habitats, I find it exciting. Snakes evolved on land, but one group managed to exploit the marine environment—so these snakes still have to breathe air, but they hunt among muddy bays & estuaries, or in the case of the species I saw, among coral reefs. The guy I saw was banded black & white, about 1.5 m long, and was happily seeking out tasty treats on a giant (>2 m diameter) head of coral. Awesome.
I wish I had been able to take pictures, but alas, my current camera is not waterproof. Suffice it to say that if you find yourself in Sabah, I would HIGHLY recommend a trip to Semporna and its offshore islands. Great for nerdy biologists as well as those seeking pristine beaches and crystal clear waters full of colorful marine life. I now feel relaxed and ready to tackle two weeks at Danum followed by a final two weeks back at the SAFE camp. =)
xoxo
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