Living Things on Gili Trawangan, Indonesia Part 1
Indonesia is a nation of over 17,000 islands, which is a number almost unbelievable without the support of a Google search. Many have heard about Bali, but maybe much less well known is the tiny island of Gili Trawanagan, which is nearly 2 hours away from Bali by fast boat. I had the pleasure to travel to this beautiful little island just last week, and I would like to take some time to show you some of the living creatures I encountered while I was visiting there.
Scary Spider
The first living thing I would like to introduce to you is definitely also the most terrifying. It was this really large and creepy spider that I spotted while riding a bicycle on a forested path through the center of the island. If it wasn’t for its size and the red heart-shaped design on its body I probably would have missed it. It was bigger than the palm of my hand, and its web was about three feet across. As soon as I noticed him, I got goosebumps all over my body, a reaction I still get every time I look again at the photos I took. Upon further research, I discovered the species is called a Golden Orb Weaver, and they can be found in many areas around Southeast Asia and on many Pacific Ocean islands. I was pleased to learn that they are not typically harmful to humans and that they would rather run from you than bite you. That being said, if you do provoke them their bite would be similar to that of a bee sting. I am just glad that I didn’t accidentally run into this guy in the night or I am afraid the terror of finding it on my body would probably have kept me in my hotel room for the rest of the trip.
Friendly Crab
The next creature I encountered was much less scary, and we even ended up becoming sort of friends. I spotted this little crab while I was resting on a beautiful and secluded bit of beach. He was scurrying around, and my inner child took over and compelled me to try and catch him. I have seen crabs running around many beaches near my home in Vietnam, and they are almost always too fast for me. This guy was not fast enough, and I actually caught him quite easily. When I had him in the palm of my hand he didn’t try to escape, and we spent a good two minutes or so just looking at each other. He didn't even try to pinch me with his little clamps. When I set him free, he didn’t run away. I was worried that maybe I had hurt him, so I decided to start giving him cool shells and rocks I found nearby to see if he would run away. Despite putting the shells very close to him, he didn’t run. I figured he might just be too scared, so I walked away. To my surprise, he followed me! At this moment, I was overcome with a deep sense of joy that not only was he still healthy, but that I may have also just made a new friend. I hope he is thriving.
I realize now that I have perhaps been rambling a bit too much for one post, so I think I will continue to share more in a second installment. I hope you enjoyed reading about these cool creatures that I met, and that you will join me for part two, which I will try to post tomorrow.
All photos were taken by myself. Thank you for reading! :)