Selirong Island

Not to be confused with Mosquito Island (Senegal) or Mosquito Island.
Selirong Island
Native name:
Pulau Selirong
Nickname: Mosquito Island
Selirong Island as seen from Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge
Selirong Island is located in Brunei
Selirong Island
Selirong Island
Location in Brunei
Geography
LocationBrunei Bay
Coordinates4°52′55″N 115°07′47″E / 4.8818999°N 115.1298164°E / 4.8818999; 115.1298164
ArchipelagoMalay Archipelago
Area25[1] km2 (9.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation1 m (3 ft)
Administration
DistrictTemburong
MukimLabu
Demographics
Population0

Selirong Island (Malay: Pulau Selirong), also known as Mosquito Island,[2] is an island located within the Brunei Bay and Mukim Labu, Temburong District, Brunei.[3] The island also sits at the river delta of the Temburong River.[4]

History

In 1948, the 2,499 hectares (6,180 acres) Labu–Selirong Wildlife Sanctuary was established.[5] Initially in 1950, plans for both the Andulau and Selirong Forest Reserve were set to begin within that year but later fell through.[6] Later in 1954, the Labu–Selirong Wildlife Sanctuary was later expanded to an area of 8,984 hectares (22,200 acres).[5] Since 1995, the Forestry Department, along with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, has been working to improve the island, which has now been turned into a recreational park.[7]

Tourism

It is home to the Selirong Island Mangrove Park and Selirong Forest Reserve.[8][9] The island consisted of the largest mangrove swamps and wildlife reserve with an area of 2,566 hectares (6,340 acres).[10][11] Selirong is one of the ten islands used for ecotourism, research and educational purposes.[12] In order to monitor and investigate the wildlife on the island, notably a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) walkway and an observation tower were built.[13]

Animals such as the proboscis monkeys, macaques, kingfishers and eagles made up the fauna.[14] Meanwhile, plants such as the nipah palms, stilt roots, bakau trees can be found in the Pulau Selirong Forest Recreation Park.[15]

Transportation

The island can only be accessed by speedboats from Bandar Seri Begawan.[16] The estimated time to reach the island from Muara is 45 minutes as it is required to pass through the Brunei River and across the Brunei Bay.[17][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pulau Selirong Recreational Park | Brunei Darussalam Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  2. ^ Borneo Bulletin Brunei Yearbook. Brunei Press Sdn. Bhd. in collaboration with Integrated Information Pte. Limited. 2007.
  3. ^ The Asian Wetlands: Bringing Partnerships Into Good Wetland Practices : Proceedings of the Asian Wetland Symposium 2001 "bringing Partnerships Into Good Wetland Practices", 27-30 August 2001, Penang, Malaysia. Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia. 2002. p. 293.
  4. ^ "Brunei Darussalam: Nature-Based Tourism". Southeast Asia Travel. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b Nature, World Wide Fund for (1989). A Directory of Asian Wetlands. IUCN, The World Conservation Union. p. 915. ISBN 978-2-88032-984-6.
  6. ^ Office, Great Britain Colonial (1950). Annual Report on Brunei for the Year. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 22.
  7. ^ a b Md. Zain, Norliah (18 July 2007). "Pulau Selirong berusia 1,000 tahun pukau pengunjung" (PDF). Pelita Brunei (in Malay). p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  8. ^ The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009. Oxford Business Group. 2009. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-907065-09-5.
  9. ^ Silvestre, Geronimo (1992). The Coastal Resources of Brunei Darussalam: Status, Utilization and Management. WorldFish. p. 149. ISBN 978-971-8709-11-5.
  10. ^ Forum, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Southeast Asia Regional (2000). The World Commission on Protected Areas, 2nd Southeast Asia Regional Forum, Pakse, Lao PDR, 6-11 December 1999: Papers presented. IUCN Lao PDR. p. 56.
  11. ^ "SELIRONG ISLAND MANGROVE TOUR". Borneo Tour Specialists.
  12. ^ The Integrated Management Plan for the Coastal Zone of Brunei Darussalam. WorldFish. 1 January 1992. p. 86. ISBN 978-971-8709-15-3.
  13. ^ Asia, Inc: The Region's Business Magazine. Manager International Company. 2002. p. 19.
  14. ^ Fidgeon, Tamsin (2004). World Travel Guide. Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-902221-84-7.
  15. ^ "Department of Fisheries - Pulau Selirong Forest Recreation Park". www.fisheries.gov.bn. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  16. ^ Welcome to Brunei Darussalam: The Complete Traveller's Guide. Brunei Press. 2000. p. 39. ISBN 978-99917-32-05-3.
  17. ^ Fidgeon, Tamsin (2004). World Travel Guide. Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-902221-84-7.