Snake Island

Article and photographs by Peter Hemenway

In Bali, there is a famous temple named Tannin Lot. The Balinese worship the sea, and at this temple, deadly snakes stay to guard the temple. The renowned Dr. Blair filmed these snakes underwater in there natural habitat, deep in the ocean next to the island of Sanglang, a mysterious Island just off of the coast of Sumbawa. Scientist have said that these snakes are the deadliest snake known to man. On the island of  Pulau Ular ( Snake Island, which it is referred to in English) the snakes here resemble the deadly snakes. Dr. Blair remarked in his film how the snakes played so gracefully with him underwater.

The Snake Island can be seen from this view of the coast and ocean

We arrived after several hours of driving at the coast to the village of Pia which is the closest village to the Snake Island.

A local fisherman explained the mythology of the island

 A local fisherman at Pia told us the mythology surrounding the small Island. It resembles a boat that reportedly snack. The snakes on the island are the soles of the dead sailors that were on the boat.

He went on to tell us that the snakes should not be taken off the island or the consequences are that who takes these snakes to the mainland will soon die.

We hired a boat with a driver whom took us to the island. Children in other boats joined us and we from the ocean we could also see the famous Sanglang Island.

When we arrived at the Pulau Ular we almost immedetly found snakes. They were mostly crawling in the rock bed of the hill that formed the island, but they were also on the land and in the rocks that surrounded the area.