It was a beautiful day in the morning of March 24th, 2024. It was one day before the full moon for the last moon phase, and high tide at Sungei Khatib Bongsu was around 11am, perfect for a morning kayak into the mangrove forest there.
We launched our inflatable kayak Emma into Johor Strait from Sembawang Park shortly after 9am. The sky was clear, blue sky, rising tide. We paddled toward Sungei Khatib Bongsu, into the the direction of Sun.
The water was surprisingly clear and green. A few white bellied fish eagles glided overhead near the mouth of Sungei Simpang. We also spotted a couple of great billed herons.
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| white bellied fish eagle |
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| a great billed heron perched on a bare branch |
After about 45 minutes, 3km, we reached the mouth of Sungei Khatib Bongsu.
What a difference the high tide made. Eight months ago, we kayaked to Khatib Bongsu on a a Sunday morning as well, but at low tide. The bottom of side branches of the Sungei were exposed, the mangrove swamps were inaccessible.
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| The swamps of mangrove were drained at low tide |
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| underwater old concrete was exposed at low tide |
This time, the mangrove swamp was flooded, with about 5 feet water depth. With peak of the high tide still about an hour to come, we had plenty of time to explore the maze of the mangrove swamp at Khatib Bongsu.
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| the entrance to the first branch of the Sungei into mangrove |
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| looking out from the first branch |
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| We were armed with goPro |
We also spotted a eagle nest along this branch.
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| A eagle nest near the top of the tree in the middle |
The greenery was soothing to the eyes... the green water, and the green mangrove. The tranquility and solitude were frequently interrupted by the chorus of bird songs, especially those of colored kingfishers unique chirps, as well as their occasional flying over use. The sight of colored king fishers flying in front us under the bright sunshine highlighted their bright blue plumage and their white collars!
The chorus of birds chirps at Khatib Bongsu
Knowing that the mangrove swamp has several navigable branches (from checking google Satellite map), and that a lot of places were reachable between mangroves, we took the approach of staying on the left hand side each branch, and paddle to the furthest, we eventually came out of the typically U shaped branch, see our paddling trail map in the swamp below, we paddled in 5 branches, and missed 1, at mile maker 7
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| The navigable branches in the mangrove swamp |
Paddling in the mangrove was really thrilling, we had to squeeze by narrow passages a few times, we wondered a couple time if we could get lost in the mangrove maze between mile markers 5 and 6.
Our big yellow kayak Emma was very eye catching, even for birds.
One time, we startled a great billed heron - which perched on a mangrove tree branch and we did not see it until it took off, and landed on another tree 20-30 meters ahead. As we got closer it took off again. This happened 3 times. On the 3rd time, it flew into the woods, and we did not see it again along this branch of the Sungei. This come and go happened to a sand dipper as well.
We saw a Osprey a couple times, which we mistook as an eagle initially. As we paddled along a wide branch, I spotted a bigbird on the bare top of a tree, we turned on goPro as we approached the tree. As expected, the big bird took off when we were getting closer. That's when I positively saw its brownish plumage under the Sun, and white head with a back patch. It was an Osprey. The bird was too far away for the goPro, it was a dot in the video. Fortunately I took a few pictures and made a movie out of it.
We paddled 10 km already when we left Khatib Bongsu. We were tired, so we beached the kayak at a sandbar at the mouth of Sungei Simpang (mile marker 11), and rest for a while, I got off the kayak and walked around for a few minutes.
It was a tiring but very pleasant bird watching and kayaking adventure
Notes
A. protection from UV
1. We wore Sun sleeves and leggings to prevent Sun burn.
2. We brought some snacks and bottles of water - a must for long distance kayaking.
3. Need apply sunscreen again on exposed areas after a couple of hours under the Sun. I did not do so and got some Sun burn on my nose tip.
B. Beach the kayak
Always make the kayak perpendicular to the beach when park it at the beach, otherwise waves can crash in or overturn the kayak. When we beached the kayak at Sugei Simpang, the water was very calm, no wave at all. But wind started to blow, wave pushed the kayak beached at an angle to the shore, and made it nearly parallel to the shoreline, and water crashed in, almost overturned it.
C. Fixing stuck paddle
When we tried to disassemble the paddles at the end of the trip, one paddle stuck. Soaking it in the water, shaking it, twisting it, pouring oil and even heating the stuck junction, nothing worked.
I also tried brute force, tried to use nails to expand the outer tube. It did not work either. In the end, I poured vinegar into the the junction, and the reaction between the calcium containing sand and the vinegar loosened the junction, and the paddle was disassembled.
Two potential causes
1. I placed paddle components on the beach before assembling them, Sand could get into the tube during assembly.
2. Sand residual at the inside surface of the tube after cleaning.
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| sand grains inside the surface a tube after cleaning and drying |
To prevent a stuck paddle, clean the inside surface of paddle tubes after cleaning, and not placing the tubes on beaches, and assemble them from the paddle bag.
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