Pulau Samama is a tiny mangrove islet with a small coconut grove and beach opposite the Berau River mouth at Tanjung Redeb in East Kalimantan. P. Samama is one of about c.20 Derawan Islands. The largest island P. Maratua is a popular with dive tourists. Growing about 300m offshore Samama, is a small grove of Sonneratia trees. These Sonneratia trees provide one of the most important night roosts for frigate birds around the coast of Borneo with several hundred birds roosting on some nights. We arrived at dusk just as a big storm hit the island and had to tie our boat to the Sonneratia trees and wait out the storm until dawn. The frigate birds flew off to roost elsewhere.
Frigate bird roost of Sonneratia trees in the background. Our guide Erwin in the foreground.
