There were 7 of us in a group. We went on a Saturday morning around 10am. We had arranged with a tour company beforehand to go on the river cruise + eagle watching. I had found the relevant info about the river cruise on their FB page (Bot river cruise Kuala sepetang).
Tourist guide En.Mohd Jusri Yusof, his assistant, and the boat guy met us by the roadside in front of a charcoal factory, and led us to a nearby jetty in a fishing village, where we boarded the boat. The guide was very knowledgeable about the area and showed us the fishing village, the factories that processed cockles, shrimp and fish, the different types of boat that were used etc. River was very serene and there were a lot of pelicans (burung bangau) by the river bank, and on the branches of mangrove trees trying to catch fish.
Boat then took us to a place where a boat was feeding eagles. Guide told us that they were feeding the eagles with chicken skin. The birds were majestic, swooping down to catch the food, then flying back up, round and round. They truly were such beauties. Guide told us that their company does not make it their practice to feed the eagles. I do not agree with the practice either, as I have read that the feeding by tourist causes the eagles to stop hunting naturally, leading to poor diet, which causes their egg shells to become thinner, causing deformity in their chicks. I therefore urge people wanting to go on the river boat trip to choose a responsible eco-friendly company which cares about the area’s natural environment.
Tour took about 45 min – 1 hour and we were dropped back off at the jetty in the fishing village. There, there were a few stalls selling local produce (anchovies, dried shrimp, salted fish). We enjoyed the boat ride and it was a Saturday morning well spent.
