"Pulau Derawan - Borneo's most diverse... " a Pulau Derawan Travel Page by DidiBeachBum

Derawan Island is located off the east coast of Indonesian Borneo. Getting there itself is really adventurous. You have to jump on a plane from Jakarta to Balikpapan for 2 hrs flight, continue with a small propeller plane to Berau that takes about 1 hour. Then hire a speedboat to cruise down this really humongous river straight to Derawan Island for 2.5 hours if you're lucky. that means, No bumping into crocodiles or anything. (just kidding :p) As you sail on, you'll pass along fishermen villages, forests, mangroves, coalmine, and forest monkeys. it's a very exotic sight guaranteed!

It's a dive destination where the rest of the world have not "discovered" it.

Pls wait for better quality pics as the ones i got now were taken by my cellphone ( i accidentally soaked my digicam on the saltwater). Will upload better pics later.

about 45 minutes by speed boat froM Derawan there is this uininhabited island called Sangalaki. It is the CAPITAL CITY OF MANTA RAY. You can easily swim with them as these plankton eaters are not afraid of you. Mh most of them are about 3m wide with a white belly and a few black that could get as big as 5m. It is totally off the hook to watch and swim closely with them. You'd be totally whacked by your own adrenaline!

The island of Kakaban is an exceptional marine environment. The lake was formed in the area during the Holocene transgression, 19000 yrs BC where about 5 sq ft kilometer of seawater was trapped turning the area into a land lock marine lake. The only other known lake of such nature found only in Palau, Micronesia, is a desert compared to Kakaban. Through 2mio of years, the lake species have adapted into an ecosystem that is totaly unique. There are at least 4 species of stingless jelly fish including one of an upside species of Cassiopea. About 3 species of Halimeda green algae cover the bottom, and mangrove roots live side by side with tunicates, sponges, tube worms, bivalves, crustacean, anemonies, sea cucumbers, sea snakes and at least five known species of gobies. Unidentified species are in abundance. Dr. Thomas Tomascik from Canada has aptly called this place a biological paradiseThe mystery of how the lakes plants and animals are able to survive in this isolated system is a subject that marine scientists and geologists bicker about Thousands of barracuda, blue finned tunas and big sharks are also found at Kakaban's Barracuda point. (adapted from periplus Diving Indonesia i wouldnt have known about these things)