Similajau National Park, Sarawak

Similajau National Park (GPS: 3.34807, 113.15695) is a national park in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak. It is located about 30-40 km from Bintulu town.

Similajau National Park is noted for its beautiful beaches, which include white sand beach, golden sand beach, and rocky beach. Behind the beach is the rainforest. The park was gazetted on 1 December 1976 and covers an area of about 70 square kilometers. It stretches from Sungai Likau to the south right up to Sungai Similajau to the north. On 17 February 2000, a further 19 square kilometers were added, making the total size of Similajau National Park today to stand at approximately 90 square kilometers.

There are three types of forests at Similajau. They are the beach forest, the heath or kerangas forest and the mixed dipterocarp forest. Among the plants that can be found here is the Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), a small, slender tree with medicinal properties. Another tree found here is the Bintangor (Barringtonia asiatica).

Similajau National Park is rich in wildlife. Among the animals here include gibbons, banded langurs and the long-tailed macaque. 185 species of birds have been recorded here including the hornbill and the Storm's Stork. Saltwater crocodiles, dolphins and green turtles are also found in the park.

So far, five different types of dolphins have been sighted here. They are the Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiop trancatus), Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa cinensis), Finless Porpoise Dolphin (Neophocaena phoacaenoides) and the Pantropic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella attenuta). Dolphin sightings are frequent in March to September. They are usually found in groups of four or more in the early morning.

Among the turtle species at Similajau National Park are the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback turtle (Dermochelyes coriacea) and the Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate).

There are two species of riverine crocodiles found at Similajau. They are the False Gharial (Tumistoma schlegii) and the estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porousus).

Similajau National Park is also a place for sighting horseshoe crabs, which usually appear in pairs, with the male being the smaller of the pair.

There are eight species of hornbill in Sarawak but only the black hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus) can be found within the park compound, usually in the early morning and late afternoon.

Features of Similajau National Park

The following are the features as well as places of interest at Similajau:

Similajau National Park is on the map of National Parks in Sarawak

List of National Parks in Sarawak and National Parks in Malaysia

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