Batam Island, Indonesia

Welcome to Batam Island!

Occasionally we organise a short break for the British Council Professional Development Centre, Singapore team. In 2007 we went to Bintan Island.

Batam is a 30 minute ferry trip from Singapore. The first picture shows you one of the many ferries that go frequently between Singapore & Batam We stayed at the Turi Beach Resort.


















The weather was a bit of a photographic
challenge. The light was bright but hazy.
The sky a whiteout, but on Saturday late
afternoon it improved a little.
















We stayed in a room on the hill. This shot
looks down on the entrance to the resort.
















Daniela reclining, protected by 2 Balinese type
Statues. In fact the feel of the resort was quite
Balinese. More Hindu than Muslim.













Traditional accommodation. These huts are
quite old now. They look much better in the
publicity photos on the Resort website!
















The East wing is traditional. Recently the West
has been built in a more modern style.














The Resort has two swimming pools.
This is the original one.
















Part of the Resort foyer














And this is the new pool. You can see the
new rooms. They are more expensive,
of course.











There are two piers. Always a boon for a
photographer looking for something to
shoot.......












.......from different angles.
















When you come to a resort straight from
Singapore you don't realise that Batam is
an industrial island.















Just 20 Kms from Singapore, Indonesia and
Singapore have invested heavily into the
development of Batam.














Can you see the little bird on the rock?
Ship building and electronics are the main
industries. It is a trade free zone



















The resort has water sports and you can
get a boat to a snorkelling site off a very
small island called No Man's Island close to
Batam
















Batam is not famous for its coral and fish but I
did manage to spot my favourite clown fish
hanging out in an anenome
















Close up of one of the traditional huts






















This is the second pier. It was closed.
You can see there is nothing to stop you
falling in on the left side. Not good after
a few beers!






















Tourists share the resort with
monkeys.













Local game. Object of the game is to hit the
steeple of flip flops and make it collapse. So
simple but everyone was having a great time.











In case you were having withdrawal
symptoms, one last shot of the pier before
nightfall. Two bathers in the bottom left
hand corner.














The sun doesn't set in the sea but I managed
to catch it just before it disappeared behind
the trees. Goodnight! Hope to see you again
soon.

Primates

Hello and welcome to my blog.

I hope you enjoyed the White Bengal Tigers. Continuing with shots from my visit to Singapore Zoo this posting is dedicated to Primates. You will see 5 different types:

Proboscis monkeys (photo on the right)
Douc Langurs
Hamadryas Baboons (parental guidance advised!)
Orangutans
Brown Capuchins

The word 'primate' generally refers to mammals with flexible hands and feet and a highly developed brain, such as a monkey, an ape, or a human being that have developed complex social relationships and structure.

I didn't include photos of human beings, although there were plenty of fine examples at the zoo!

Next time will be the last posting dedicated to the residents of Singapore zoo. I'll show you a variety of animals.

Alan















Proboscis monkeys have the longest nose of
all primates. It can reach 17.5 cm (a quarter
of the body length). It is thought it is attractive
to the ladies!
















Those living in the wild inhabit Borneo.
They like to live in mangroves, swamp forest
and by the river
















They feed on leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers and
a small amount of animal prey. They live to
about 13 years old. They are an endangered
species
















The Red-Shanked Douc Langurs are probably
the most colourful of the primates. They are
often referred to as the 'costumed ape'. They
are very agile and frequently make leaps of
up to 6 m (20 feet)
















They live in groups of 4 - 15 though groups of
50 have been reported. They live in the tropical
and monsoon forests of Cambodia, Laos and
Vietnam. There are usually two ladies for each
gentleman
















Like the proboscis monkeys they are an
endangered species. The douc monkey eats a
variety of leaves and certain fruits. They have
big stomachs to enable digestion
















They have a lifespan of about 25 - 30 years.
Much of their time is spent eating, digesting
food, grooming and dozing. Not bad!
















They have been rarely observed in the wild
so little is known about their natural breeding
habits. The San Diego Zoo is collaborating with
the Singapore Zoo to chronicle the emergence
of behaviours in captive red-shanked douc
langurs and proboscis monkeys from birth
to 18 months
















They live peacefully with each other and have
been known to share their food by offering it
to another. This is quite rare amongst old
world monkeys















The Hamadryas baboon lives in Ethiopia,
Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. It prefers
the rocky desert areas and the subdesert
regions that have grass
















The pink “sitting pads” on a baboon’s rump
make it more comfortable for the animal to
sleep in a seated position






















The smallest social unit, called a
harem, contains one adult male,
one or more “follower” males,
and up to 9 adult females with
their young
















Usually, a baboon mother gives birth to one
baby in the late spring or early wintertime.
How many monkeys can you see in this photo?
A hamadryas baboon can live for around 38
years in a zoo



















The females are ruled by aggression and stay
by the side of the male at all times. This
babboon can live up to about 35 years






















Hamadryas baboons are omnivorous and eat
a wide variety of foods, including grass, roots,
tubers, nuts, insects, eggs, and small birds
and mammals.
















It’s best not to smile at a baboon—amongst
their own kind, showing teeth can be
interpreted as a threat!










Orangutans eat fruit, flowers, leaves, seeds etc.
They will also eat insects and small animals.
After a morning of searching for food and eating
they have an afternoon nap.
















Orangutans are about 2/3 the size of the gorilla.
The word 'orangutan' is Malay and means
"Man of the forest".


















They are thought to be very intelligent.
They use found objects as tools, like a large
leaf to protect them from the rain.
In the wild they live in Borneo and Northern
Sumatra






















The capuchin monkey derives its name from
the Capuchin monk. The monkey's hair-pattern
resembles the monk's hood






















They are very clever and are often
trained to entertain (the famous
monkey of the organ grinder) but
also to help people. They can be
helping hands for quadriplegics.
Around the house, the monkeys help
by doing tasks including microwaving
food and washing the quadriplegic's face
















Jack, in the film "Pirates of the Carribean"
is a capuchin monkey

















They live in Central and South America in
groups of 6 - 40 monkeys. Their life expectancy
in the wild is 15 - 25 years. During the mosquito
season they crush millipedes and rub the remains
on their backs as a mosquito repellent.
Hmm, perhaps I should try that here in Singapore!