Pelaihari Tanah Laut

Pelaihari Tanah Laut Nature Tourism Park (Taman Wisata Alam Pelaihari Tanah Laut) is a small coastal protected area of 1,401 hectares (about 14 square kilometers) in Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, centered on Batakan Beach in Panyipatan District. ^[1] Designated a nature tourism park (TWA) in July 2014 by Ministry of Forestry Decree SK.5153/Menhut-VII/KUH/2014, it is managed by the Conservation of Natural Resources Agency (BKSDA) of South Kalimantan under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, situated roughly 18 kilometers from the regency seat of Pelaihari. The park preserves a mosaic of coastal forest, mangrove, and lowland forest at the southern tip of Kalimantan, and its tourism classification balances light recreation and nature appreciation with conservation of remaining native coastal habitat.

The park supports coastal and lowland wildlife typical of southern Borneo, with proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) — Borneo's endemic flagship primate — present in the mangrove and riparian margins, alongside long-tailed macaques and a range of forest and edge-dwelling birds. ^[1] White-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster) and various kingfisher species are among the notable coastal birds. Reptiles, amphibians, and insects associated with secondary forest and coastal margins are also present. Because the surrounding district is dominated by farms and plantations, the park functions as a refuge for wildlife within a fragmented landscape.

Vegetation in the park comprises three distinct communities: a coastal forest fringe with sea pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), tropical almond (Terminalia catappa), sea hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), and putat (Barringtonia racemosa); a mangrove zone featuring Avicennia marina and Rhizophora species along tidal areas; and a lowland forest with swampy ground that floods during the rainy season, backed by shrubland in the interior. ^[1] These coastal and transitional plant communities give the park its ecological character as a representative strip of southern Kalimantan's native shoreline flora within an otherwise heavily agricultural landscape.

The park sits on the low coastal plains and shoreline of southern Kalimantan, shaped by marine and fluvial processes along the Java Sea coast. The terrain is flat to gently undulating, built from alluvial and coastal sediments. Inland from the beach, the land transitions to lowland and swampy areas that flood seasonally. As with much of southern Kalimantan, soils are nutrient-poor and erosion-prone when forest cover is removed, which informs vegetation patterns and the conservation value of the remaining coastal forest strip.

The park experiences a tropical climate with consistently warm temperatures and high humidity throughout the year, typical of equatorial Borneo. Rainfall is abundant, with a wetter season generally falling between November and April driven by the northwest monsoon and a relatively drier period around the middle of the year. Daytime temperatures commonly range in the high 20s to low 30s degrees Celsius. The drier months are usually the most comfortable for beach visits and nature walks, while the wet season brings heavier downpours and greener vegetation.

Tanah Laut Regency in South Kalimantan has long been home to Banjar communities and other groups whose livelihoods center on agriculture, fishing along the nearby coast, and use of forest resources. The Batakan coast and its mangroves have traditionally supported local fishing and coastal livelihoods. Over generations the surrounding lands were progressively converted to farmland and settlements, making the coast one of the few remaining accessible natural shoreline areas in the regency. The establishment of the nature tourism park reflects a more recent effort to retain a portion of the district's coastal landscape while also providing a regulated recreational destination for residents of South Kalimantan.

The site was formally designated as a Nature Tourism Park (Taman Wisata Alam) on July 16, 2014, through Ministry of Forestry Decree No. SK.5153/Menhut-VII/KUH/2014, placing it within Indonesia's system of conservation areas managed for recreation and education as well as habitat protection. ^[1] Administration falls to the South Kalimantan office of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Kalsel) under the national Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). The park is internally divided into a protection block of 1,265.63 hectares and a utilization block of 135.64 hectares.

As a nature tourism park on the Batakan coast, the area offers beach recreation as well as nature appreciation. Visitors can enjoy beach scenery, banana boat rides, camping along the shoreline, and horseback riding, in addition to walking the forested and mangrove margins. ^[1] The park's modest size and coastal setting make it suitable for day visits and educational outings, and its proximity to Pelaihari makes it one of the most accessible natural areas in Tanah Laut Regency.

The park lies about 18 kilometers from Pelaihari, the seat of Tanah Laut Regency, and is reachable by road from the regency center and from the provincial capital Banjarmasin to the north. Facilities support beach recreation and nature tourism in keeping with a small regional TWA, and visitors should bring their own supplies where specific amenities are absent. Access and conditions are best during the drier months, and travelers are advised to coordinate with the managing BKSDA Kalsel office for current information on entry and activities.

Conservation here focuses on protecting a remnant of coastal forest, mangrove, and transitional habitat within a province where most natural vegetation has been cleared for agriculture and development. Managed by BKSDA South Kalimantan, the park faces pressures common to small coastal protected areas, including encroachment, waste management challenges on the beach, and habitat fragmentation. ^[1] Sustainable, low-impact tourism is intended to provide a conservation rationale and community benefit, while the broader challenge is maintaining the park's ecological integrity as an island of coastal habitat in a heavily settled agricultural landscape.