Sakar Island (Malaysia)

Pulau Sakar is an island belonging to Malaysia in the open to the Celebes Sea Darvel Bay. The irregularly shaped island is located about 3.5 km south of Lahad Datu and is the second largest island in the Darvel Bay. It is predominantly forested tight. Its maximum length is in the direction WSW about 9.5 km, the maximum width of about 4 km. A narrow, shallow straits of a few hundred meters wide separates the island from the mainland. Amidst its south side rises a conspicuous hump up to a height of 218 m.

History

The island has been inhabited for a long time. On the coast of the island there are several settlements; Look Bikin Kg, Kg Tambak Buaya, Kg Tanjung Batu, Kg Tanjung Paras, Tarwag Kg and Kg look Terusa.

Infrastructure

Roads do not exist on the island. The traffic between the villages is exclusively by boat. The island is equipped with two schools, a mosque and a meeting hall. In addition, the Fisheries Board maintains an office there ( Stesen Jabatan Perikanan ).

Economy

The inhabitants of the island make their living mostly by fishing and by the operation of aquaculture.

The southwest of the island is a 760 -acre rainforest reserve ( Class VI Virgin Jungle Reserve ). The Jungle Preserve is known for the mass occurrence of the " fireflies " ( Pteroptyx gelasina and Pteroptyx similis ). The special feature of this sub-species of fireflies is that the insects can synchronize their light emission rhythmically. The night-time observation of the fireflies from the boat is an important component of ecotourism in the region.