Maratua: Navigating the Hidden Gem of Eastern Kalimantan's Maritime Majesty

Maratua, one of the beautiful hidden beach attractions in Borneo that is still undiscovered and not widely known.

The island of Kalimantan, covering an expansive 743,330 km2, is commonly recognized for its vast land and lush forests. 

However, many are unaware of its extraordinary potential in the marine sector, boasting rich marine resources and the beauty of its coastal attractions. 

The island is home to a variety of stunning beaches, including Kakaban Beach, Samber Gelap Beach, Maratua Beach, Sangalaki Beach, Segajah Beach, Monpera Beach, Kijing Beach, Beras Basah Beach, and Amal Baru Beach.

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Maratua is among the 31 island clusters in the Derawan Islands, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan. Situated in the Sulawesi Sea, it stands as Indonesia's outermost island, bordering East Malaysia's Sabah and the southern part of the Philippines.

This U-shaped, small and elongated island lies to the south of Tarakan City. With a population of nearly 5,000 individuals, or around 1,000 households, Maratua covers a land area of approximately 384.36 square kilometers and has surrounding waters extending to 3,735.18 km2.

Beautiful, truly enchanting, the magnetic beauty of Borneo's beaches is absolutely captivating.

The majority of its inhabitants are of the Bajo ethnic group, who migrated from South Sulawesi centuries ago. They reside in four villages on Maratua: Bohe Silian, Payung-payung, Teluk Harapan, and Teluk Alulu.

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The island's population is dispersed across 19 villages or sub-districts throughout the island. Maratua, also serving as a sub-district, is surrounded by several smaller islands, including Nusa Kokok Island, Bulingisan Island, Bankungan Island, Nunukan Island, Gosong Pasir Island, and Pabahanan Island.

The lengthy sea and air journeys become worthwhile upon reaching Maratua. Its rich biodiversity makes it a hidden paradise, featuring fringing reef coral, mangrove forests, seagrass beds of Halodule universis, and various coral fish, attracting predominantly foreign tourists.

Situated amidst the sea and neighboring countries makes Maratua challenging to reach. There are two ways to set foot on Maratua: through sea and air routes.

If opting for the sea route, one can utilize fast boat or speedboat services from Sanggam Pier in Tanjung Redeb, Berau, to Maratua, with a travel time of approximately three hours. From Tarakan, the journey takes around 3.5 hours. Alternatively, one can sail from Tanjung Batu City, taking less than an hour to reach Maratua.

A clear map that guides you to coastal and maritime tourist destinations in Maratua.

For those choosing the air route, charter flights operated by small-bodied aircraft like Cessna and ATR-72, accommodating 12-50 passengers, are available from four flight points: Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Balikpapan International Airport, Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto Samarinda Airport, Kalimarau Berau Airport, or Juwita Tarakan Airport.

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These flights, served by Susi Air on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, take a maximum of 1.5 hours. Since 2017, a Maratua airstrip has been constructed with a runway length of 1,600 meters and a width of 30 meters. The passenger terminal has a capacity of accommodating 36,000 people per year.

The lengthy sea and air journeys become worthwhile upon reaching Maratua. Its rich biodiversity makes it a hidden paradise, featuring fringing reef coral, mangrove forests, seagrass beds of Halodule universis, and various coral fish, attracting predominantly foreign tourists.

Before the pandemic, according to local tourism authorities, around 20,000 domestic and international tourists visited Maratua annually. According to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries website, Maratua has two types of beaches: white sandy beaches formed by coastal wave deposition and steep beaches due to elevated coral reefs.

Its white sandy beaches are favored nesting grounds for various turtle species, including green turtles, hawksbill turtles, and loggerhead turtles. The ocean currents in Maratua originate from the Indonesian Throughflow or Arlindo, flowing from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean through the Makassar Strait, with an annual current speed ranging from 2 meters per second to 5 meters per second.

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There are two travel options to explore the beauty of Maratua Island, namely by sea and air routes. 

Opting for the sea route, one can utilize the services of fast boats or speedboats operating from Sanggam Pier in Tanjung Redeb, Berau, with an estimated travel time of about three hours. If starting the journey from Tarakan, the travel duration is approximately 3.5 hours.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that Maratua, with its unique and picturesque natural beauty, has become an appealing destination offering extraordinary experiences for visitors. 

The allure of the island extends beyond its beautiful beaches to the captivating richness of marine resources. Therefore, for those seeking to explore authentic natural beauty and the incredible underwater wealth, Maratua is an undeniable choice. (Masri Sareb Putra)