Kuala Selangor's fireflies: Silent sparks

Shining a light on the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ in Malaysia’s colony of fireflies

Late one night in the small fishing village of Kuala Selangor in Malaysia, I came face-to-face with what is often referred to as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’. Hundreds of twinkling lights darted in front of me, as close to me as my breath. These are the fireflies — known locally as ‘kelip-kelip’ — which can only be seen in two places in the world: Malaysia and Brazil.

Fireflies are a species of insect from the beetle group and their light lies on their tails. Each insect produces three blinking lights per second and when seen in a crowd of thousands of fireflies, the lights take on a sparkling rhythm. Male fireflies produce brighter light in order to attract the attention of their female counterparts. These beautiful creatures have a lifespan of only two to three months.

Kuala Selangor is located 60 kilometres northwest of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Tourists flock here in search of a stunning, dreamlike scene where hundreds of tiny insects, with lights in their tails, flit in front of you as you cruise on a boat along the Selangor River in pitch darkness.

Though some tourists are hesitant at first to get into the rather narrow boats (called ‘sampan’) in the sheer darkness, their excitement overwhelms them once their eyes spot the fairy-like lights of the fireflies. “My first impression was, ‘I’m not getting on that boat,’” says Noel, a tourist. “However, once I was on the boat, the view was so stunning. I held my breath so the boat wouldn’t topple over.”

The Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park is run by the local government and sampan rides — carrying four people each — begin at 7:30 pm, just as darkness begins to settle in. The rides continue until 10:30 pm and each trip on the boat costs 50 Malaysian Ringgit (roughly Rs1,420).

“This place is a hidden gem and it doesn’t get promoted as much as it should,” says Noel. However, he feels that the low turnout is a plus point when it comes to preserving the precious sights here. “It’s a must-see; but part of me still likes that it’s rather inaccessible, so it preserves its charm and is not overwhelmed by hordes of tourists,” he elaborates.

The fireflies in Kuala Selangor live on mangrove trees and the site is considered one of the biggest firefly colonies in the world. “It’s a unique experience being on the river at night and witnessing this phenomenon,” says Gayathry, another tourist from Petaling Jaya. “My first impression was that the trees were being lit up like they are on Christmas.” She also emphasised the importance of preserving the environment, so that these unique experiences were not lost.

According to the Kuala Selangor District Council, the history of watching fireflies at Kuala Selangor goes back to 1989 when scientists and locals would make the journey up the Selangor River. As word of the beauty of the fireflies spread, tourists began flocking to the site. Locals then started renting their boats to tourists so they could see the fireflies in their natural habitat. In 1989, a Malaysian utility company collaborated with the local council and established a proper system for tourists.

Fazal Khaliq is a Swat-based reporter for The Express Tribune.

He tweets @FazalJustice

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 15^th, 2015.