Loagan Bunut

Where is Loagan Bunut?

Countries on its shores: Malaysia.

Largest lake of: Malaysia.

Middle of the lake: 3.77° N, 114.22° E

The story behind it

Loagan Bunut covers about 650 hectares, or 6.5 km², and is surrounded by peat swamp forest. Three rivers are linked to it: the Bunut, the Tinjar and the Baram. Its name was given by the local Berawan people. In the dry months, which can last from February until September, the water level drops and the lake can become a dry, muddy plain. Sometimes it dries out for up to three weeks, and people can walk on its bottom. The Berawan invented a clever way of fishing called selambau: as the water level changes, they scoop up the passing fish with big nets. The lake is protected in Loagan Bunut National Park. Hornbills, egrets, herons and darters live here, as well as macaques, langur monkeys and tiny mouse deer. Tasik Chini, which is called Malaysia's second largest natural lake, has only about 202 hectares of open water, so Loagan Bunut counts as the country's largest.

Find it on the globe

Loagan Bunut is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.

It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.