Eagles, bats and sting rays in Langkawi

Gorilla mountain, in Langkawi's Kilim Geoforest Park

It was time for another excursion after having missed out on the tea factory in the Cameron Highlands due to illness.  (Despite this, Aron managed to take a few "drive-by" photos of the area including a few overviews of the hilly tea plantations.)   A couple weeks ago, we'd received a tip from a fellow traveler who had been to the Malaysian island of Langkawi, where we were headed.  She told us about the "eagle feeding" tours that take place there.  For us bird lovers, it sounded right up our alley.  And what better place to see these majestic birds than a place whose name actually means "reddish brown eagle"?

Spectacled Langur

Bats

Our day began at 9:30 am after a bus ride to Kilim Geoforest Park, known for it's unique karst topography.  We hopped on a boat with another 6 people and a local guide who explained that karsts are typified by subterranean caverns, created when groundwater dissolves  limestone.  Some of the hills are gently rounded while others are more sharply defined with trees clinging precariously to the vertical rock.  Alerted by a commotion above, we saw a spectacled langur or dusky leaf monkey; a change from the more common macaques that we've seen elsewhere in Malaysia and Indonesia.  Following the boardwalk through first-growth mangrove forest, we came to two caves.  The first was empty, but the second was a different story.  Upon entering the humid space, we found the air both stifling and rank with the pungent odor of bat guano.  Hundreds of the small rodents were clinging to rough, craggy surfaces; the odd bat occasionally fluttering about to reposition itself.  Dozens of stalagmites stretched their rocky fingers up toward stalactites which had dripped down over many, many years.  Given enough time, some of these had connected to form a solid column of limestone dappled with silvery white.    

the underside of a Horseshoe crab

petting a sting ray at the fish farm

Next was a stop a floating fish farm which doubled as a restaurant. They raised a few different species of fish such as tuna and grouper, plus various shellfish including horseshoe crabs.  And for those so inclined, we could try our hand at feeding the fish.  It was quite amusing to watch sting rays, one of nature's bottom feeders, trying to find a way to eat a chunk of fish sideways.  While the fish farm employee awkwardly fed them, we took the chance to "pet" the fish.  The sting ray was as gritty as sand, but the edges of its ripply underside was soft and silky.  Who would have thought that these large fish would be so friendly and docile? 

Brahminy kites

Moving on through more mangrove forest we spotted a couple monitor lizards and a handful of crab-eating macaques at the shore.  One of the more thrilling finds was a frustratingly elusive brown-winged kingfisher that briefly flashed past us.  Typical of most birds, it was too elusive to capture on camera, but this rare sighting had even the guide and boat operator excited.  We cruised through a cave that would be completely underwater in the afternoon when the tide came in.  After a quick lunch at the floating restaurant we donned life jackets and headed out into the open ocean.  We came to a spot where eagles were circling and soaring, diving and swooping.  There had to be at least thirty in the vicinity, some actively fishing while others perched nearby.  These birds of prey were mainly Brahminy kites, the most common type of eagle in Malaysia.  But there were also a couple White-bellied fish eagles, almost twice the size of the brown kites.  It was mesmerizing to watch them effortlessly fly through the sky, riding on the thermals.  At one point, two opportunistic crows made an appearance, joining the throng of eagles.  Lacking talons and the ability to hunt in the water, these avian thieves were attempting to poach food from the eagles. As we departed the area, our boat operator left behind some chunks of fish in the water, so that the next tour boat could have the same show when they came around the corner.

The final leg of the tour consisted of a stop at a deserted beach only a stone's throw from Satun, Thailand, where we could swim and soak up the sun.