02 Oct 2019

New Mammals Recorded on Kofiau Island

Our visit to Kofiau Island on our inaugural 'Indonesian Explorer' expedition promised to be one of the biological highlights of the voyage, not because what was known about the island, but because of what wasn't! The island, comprised of an ancient remnant of continental crust, is so seldom visited that there was only one recorded species of mammal recorded - but under the guidance of our on board expert  Professor Tim Flannery, this was all about to change.

We started the day with a walk on the northern coast that took us through a modified coconut plantation to the edge of pristine forest. We then continued by Zodiac to visit one of the nearby communities for a chance to experience a slice of village life. Immaculately laid out, there was a bustle of activity along the village waterfront where we watched large dugout boats being constructed.

Over lunch back on board Spirit of Enderby we repositioned to the south of Kofiau where a multitude of islands lie scattered just offshore. It's here we indulged in our second snorkel of the voyage where lively, colourful coral gardens greeted us beneath the water including an impressive variety of soft corals.

The day concluded with one of Tim Flannery's famous evening Zodiac cruises in search of some of the nocturnal mammals and didn't disappoint with 8 species of bat identified and the number of recorded mammal species for Kofiau Island totalling 12 following our visit. Having added 11 new mammal records for the island in a single day, we raised a glass in the bar as we sailed towards our next adventure.