Selirong Island
Island in Brunei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Native name: Pulau Selirong Nickname: Mosquito Island | |
|---|---|
Selirong Island as seen from Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge | |
  Location in Brunei | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Brunei Bay |
| Coordinates | 4.8818999°N 115.1298164°E |
| Archipelago | Malay Archipelago |
| Area | 25[1] km2 (9.7 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Administration | |
| District | Temburong |
| Mukim | Labu |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Geography
Approximately 2,409 hectares (5,950 acres) hectares of the island are covered with mangrove forests, which have been designated as a research and study area for the flora, fauna, and animal species of the country. This area is known as the Pulau Selirong Recreational Forest Park.[5]
History
In 1948, the 2,499 hectares Labu–Selirong Wildlife Sanctuary was established.[6] Initially in 1950, plans for both the Andulau and Selirong Forest Reserve were set to begin within that year but later fell through.[7] Later in 1954, the Labu–Selirong Wildlife Sanctuary was later expanded to an area of 8,984 hectares (22,200 acres).[6] 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.[8] As part of the 6th National Development Plan, the island was developed into a park by the Forestry Department in 1998.[9]
Tourism
It is home to the Selirong Island Mangrove Park and Selirong Forest Reserve.[10][11] The island consisted of the largest mangrove swamps and wildlife reserve with an area of 2,566 hectares (6,340 acres).[12][13] Selirong is one of the ten islands used for ecotourism, research and educational purposes.[14] 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.[15]
Animals such as the proboscis monkeys, macaques, kingfishers and eagles made up the fauna.[16] Meanwhile, plants such as the nipah palms, stilt roots, bakau trees can be found in the Pulau Selirong Forest Recreation Park.[17]
Transportation
The island can only be accessed by speedboats from Bandar Seri Begawan.[18] 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.[19][8]