A visit to the Mangroves of Tanjung Piai and Pulau Kukup Johor National Park opens Zulkifly Ab Latif’s eyes to the wonders of nature
“THERE’S nothing here. Let’s go back!” snaps the man at his family of four while walking the wooden boardwalk in front of me. As they walk past me and back towards the entrance, I cannot help but sympathise with his two daughters whose young faces visibly register their disappointment at not being able to explore further the mangrove forest surrounding them, thanks to their grouchy father.
“Let’s stop by at that Keropok Lekor factory we saw on the way here,” the husband says tohis wife, as if shopping for fish crackers will make up for missing the chance to explore a magnificent national park.
I am standing on the wooden boardwalk of Tanjung Piai Johor National Park, a mangrove forest sanctuary located in the district of Pontian, Johor.
One of the state’s five national parks, Tanjung Piai Johor National Park spans 325 hectares of mostly mangroves and mudflats and is one of the most visited among all of Johor’s national parks, despite the mangrove’s overall under-appreciated status.
The little scene involving the family is indicative of how under-appreciated mangrove forests are when compared to other ecosystems such as terrestrial forests.
Often maligned as eerie and swampy, with all manner of critters that creep, crawl and slither, mangrove forests are actually wondrous wetland habitats that have a distinct beauty and elegance of their own.
If only that man had taken a few more leisurely steps farther down the boardwalk, perhaps he and his family would have begun to appreciate the natural wonders that Tanjung Piai is hoping to protect and showcase.
ASIA’S SOUTHERNMOST POINT
Continuing on with my walk along the mangrove fringed boardwalk, I spot other families taking in the scenery, their patriarchs far more receptive to the experience.
Taking a path that leads out of the dense mangrove forest towards the sea, I spot what I suspect may be one of the park’s main visitor attraction: The southernmost point of mainland Asia.
Marked by a steel globe structure on the water’s edge, Tanjung Piai’s main claim to fame is the fact that it is located on Peninsular Malaysia’s southern most tip, making the spot the farthest south a human can go while still standing on the continent of Asia (or to be more exact Eurasia), which is the largest continent all and mass on Earth consisting of all of Europe and Asia.
Completely exposed under the searing midday sun, the southernmost point of Eurasia proves to be a little too hot and I quickly return to the mangrove forest, seeking the cooler shade of the trees’ canopy. While browsing through the information gallery within the visitors complex, I learn more about the mangrove trees that had sheltered me from the scorching sun, such as how they help prevent coastal erosion, filter the water and trap sediments from the inland.
Apart from providing a habitat for wildlife such as coastal birds and marine life by way of their branches and submerged and tangled prop roots, mangrove forests are also economically important to coastal communities, with one such community located west of Tanjung Piai National Park.
A SALTY VILLAGE
From Tanjung Piai, I make my way to the small fishing town of Kukup some 12km away. Famed for its fresh seafood, Kukup is a rustic coastal settlement overlooking the waters of the Malacca Straits.
With a predominantly Hokkien Chinese community, Kukup reminds me of Pulau Ketam, another often visited fishing community in Selangor.
The village of Kampung Air Masin in Kukup is perhaps the most similar to Pulau Ketam, being a quaint village erected on stilts above a muddy inter tidal zone. Restaurants, stores and even small hotels line the narrow main road of Kampung Air Masin, abuzz with the fishermen’s daily activities as well as city tourists looking for a quick weekend getaway.
Charming in its own right, I am not visiting Kukup for its seafood but rather to visit another of Johor’s beautiful national parks since the town is also the gateway to the island of Pulau Kukup Johor National Park.
My journey to Pulau Kukup begins at a small jetty near Kukup International Ferry Terminal, located near the end of the main road of Kukup town. Together with Fadhil Ahmad Rajini and Khalid Zahrom of Johor National Parks Corporation, we board the waiting boat.
Operated by Kukup locals, the boat service runs from 9am until 4pm, with the last return trip to the terminal ending at 5pm.
The journey across the strait between the island and the mainland is short and provides a brief yet wonderful opportunity to take in the scenery of the many floating fish cages or kelongs lining the strait.
ISLAND OF MANGROVES
Having just visited the mangroves of nearby Tanjung Piai, it may seem redundant or even odd for me to visit Pulau Kukup Johor National Park, another mangrove forest reserve.
Although superficially similar, the mangroves of Pulau Kukup differ since it is categorised as an overwash mangrove whilst Tanjung Piai is categorised as a fringe mangrove. An overwash mangrove means the entire forest is an island that becomes flooded at high tide, and Pulau Kukup’s claim to fame is as one of the largest mangrove islands in the world.
Established in 1997 and spanning 647 hectares, the island of Pulau Kukup Johor National Park can be explored by wooden boardwalks that begins at the floating visitors complex.
Fadhil, who is walking behind me while looking up at the tree canopies to spot any interesting animals, suddenly tells me to stop and stand still. The low and stern tone of his voice freezes me in my tracks, making me think I might have done something wrong.
Slowly turning to look at Fadhil, I see him looking down at a spot on the boardwalk a few foot steps away from my feet. Jutting out of the gap between the wooden boards is a reptilian tail, its brown colour perfectly blending in with the hues of the wood.
Fadhil carefully pokes the tail with the long piece of stick he’s carrying, and the tail disappears into the gap. The triangular shaped head of a snake suddenly pokes out of the gap, making me realise I had almost stepped on the tail of a snake!
“It’s a mangrove pit viper!” remarks Fadhil nonchalantly as the viper slowly slithers unto the overhanging branch of a nearby mangrove tree. Shy but venomous, the mangrove pit viper is usually seen coiled motionless between mangrove tree branches and is more active during night time.
Thanks to the close call with the viper and wearing only rubber slippers, I am suddenly feeling somewhat exposed and vulnerable, my toes now instinctively curled tight with each step on the boardwalk. Much to Fadhil and Khalid’s amusement, I insist they take point for the rest of the walk.
Distinct in its feature of being an overwash mangrove, the habitat here in Pulau Kukup Johor National Park is isolated from the mainland and terrestrial predators, making it an ideal place for birds to roost.
Standing atop a viewing platform looking out unto a vast expanse of verdant green mangrove trees and narrow exposed canals below, I begin to get a grasp on how the park is an important stopover for migratory birds, with its wide swaths of mudflats serving as an abundant feeding ground for many species of birds.
Without doubt, Tanjung Piai Johor National Park and Pulau Kukup Johor National Park are important and irreplaceable sanctuaries of biodiversity, so much so that the parks have been declared as Ramsar Sites under the Ramsar Convention.
Also known as the Convention On Wetlands, the Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty outlining the framework for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands around the globe.
The parks are also a shining example of Johor’s alluring ecotourism landscape, their close proximity to each other conveniently allowing both to be explored in one go. Visitors need only come with a reverent and receptive frame of mind, and mind their steps on the boardwalks.
FAST FACTS
JOHOR NATIONAL PARKS CORPORATION
Level 1, Dato’ Muhamad Salleh Perang Building Kota Iskandar 79100 Nusajaya Johor
TEL 07-266 1301/07-6969 712 (Taman Negara Tanjung Piai)
FAX 07-266 1302
EMAIL jnpc@johor.gov.my
WEBSITE www.johornationalparks.gov.my
HOUR Both parks are open from 8am to 5pm daily. Last entry is at 4pm. The best and probably the most entertaining time (especially for children) to visit Tanjung Piai Johor National Park is in late December during the annual High Tide Water Festival. Lasting for a few days every year, seawater overflows into the park during high tide, a natural phenomenon that transforms the entrance area into a water playground for a few hours when visitors can happily splash about.
DO Spot long tailed macaques, fiddler crabs and mudskippers while walking on the parks’ boardwalks or take in the rustic scenery of an old fishing village at Kampung Air Masin in Kukup.
STAY Apart from a unique elevated campsite amongst mangrove trees within Tanjung Piai Johor National Park, visitors seeking more creature comforts may also choose to stay at the nearby Tanjung Piai Resort, which is reminiscent of an old fishing village built on stilts.
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