Merimbun Lake () is the largest natural

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...

. It is located near Mukim Rambai in the

Tutong District Tutong District (; Jawi: دائيره توتوڠ) or simply Tutong is one of the four districts of Brunei. It has an area of ; the population was 48,313 in 2016. The administrative town is Pekan Tutong. It is home to Tasek Merimbun, the count ...

, about 70 km from the capital,

Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB; Jawi: بندر سري بڬاوان; ) is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the s ...

. The S-shaped lake is located 27 km from Tutong Town and it is surrounded by the 7800-hectare Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park.

Physical environment and facilities

Tasek Merimbun is very dark in color; a phenomenon generated by

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...

coming from leaves falling into the water. The lake supports a rich variety of fauna including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Visitors can hire a boat to take them around to explore the lake and its two islands. There is a small island in the center body of water that can be reached via a wooden walkway. Here, picnic pavilion facilities fashioned from logs enhance the enjoyment of this restful spot. Chalet facilities for researchers are available nearby.

ASEAN Heritage Park

In 1967, the first Director of the Brunei Museums Department suggested Tasek Merimbun as a valuable asset and a potential Wildlife Sanctuary. A survey on Tasek Merimbun's bio-diversity and socio-economic activities conducted in 1983-84 led to the discovery of a rare

White-collared Fruit Bat The white-collared fruit bat (''Megaerops wetmorei'') is a species of megabat found in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the g ...

. This discovery was a major reason for the 29 November 1984 designation of Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park as the eleventh

ASEAN Heritage Park ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) are selected protected areas in the ASEAN region that are known for their unique biodiversity and ecosystems, wilderness and outstanding values in scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational and tourism. Its vi ...

.Museums Department. (2010). ''Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park''. BSB: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports

Important Bird Area

The park has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because its forest and freshwater wetland habitats support

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

Storm's storks.

References

Lakes of Brunei Tutong District Protected areas of Brunei Important Bird Areas of Brunei {{Brunei-geo-stub

Physical environment and facilities

ASEAN Heritage Park

Important Bird Area

See also

References