The Necessary Means
It appears that most people do not come to Ko Libong to see the dugongs, which is a relief as I had visions of hordes of boats chasing the few remaining animals across the sea grass beds where they are trying to feed.
On the other hand it made it difficult to go out to see them.
Ko Libong has no banks or cash points. I’d changed a hundred quid in Trang—thinking it a generous amount, but it turned out that that isn’t a lot of money for a solo traveller out here. A dugong-watching tour would come to 3,600 baht, admittedly for up to six people.
If only I had a kayak, like in Trinidad. No sooner had I thought it that my gaze fell on a sign near the bar. There were kayaks for rent.
“How much?” I asked Simon, forgetting for the moment that dugongs do not live in tranquil canals and rivers but in the sea, including the busy stretch between Ko Libong and the mainland.
“400 baht per half-day,” he said. “800 baht for a full day. Means you can come in for a break and head back out, no pressure.”
I regarded the map. The main habitat of the dugongs was indicated along the eastern side of the island. The Libong Nature Beach Resort was practically around the corner of its southern tip.
“I’m in,” I said, hesitating for just a moment. It is true that I’m prepared to watch my animals from a raft if necessary, but it is also true that my mother once followed me for over a kilometre along the bank of the fast-streaming river flowing past our former home, waving her arms and shouting as the current worked loose the ropes around my homemade contraption. And I had seen the kayaks for hire at seaside resorts around here. Little plastic bowls that would capsize if hit head-on by a wavelet.
“Eh, what kinds of boats are they?”
“Oh, racing kayaks. Some New Zealanders sold them to the Professor after a competition. Too expensive to ship them home.”
Tags: Dugongs, SE Asia, Travel, Tag Index
Denni