Elrora Liveaboard
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Elrora Liveaboard
Kalong at dusk: a stream of bats over the mangroves
Updated 2 November 2026
Kalong bats fly at dusk because they are flying foxes that rest in the mangroves by day and leave to feed once the light fades, about 15 minutes after sunset. On Elrora Liveaboard's three-day route Kalong closes the first day, with sunset at 17:57 in July.
Why the bats leave at dusk
Kalong is Indonesian for flying fox, a large fruit bat. The island itself is a mangrove islet lying between Komodo and Rinca, and thousands of the bats roost there. By day they hang in the trees and rest. At dusk they leave to feed, and they travel a long way from the mangroves to find fruit and blossom.
The departure is not a single burst. The exodus comes as a long stream lasting about 30 minutes. It starts around 15 minutes after sunset, and the sky fills slowly. The sight is watched from the boat, since Kalong is not a landing stop.
On the three-day route Kalong closes the first day, after Kelor and the snorkel stop. It asks for nothing but patience and a good place at the rail.
Standing on deck at dusk
Sunset sets the clock. Sunset is 17:57 in July, 17:55 in October and 18:27 in January. The bats follow about a quarter of an hour behind, so the stream starts a little after those times. The table gives every month.
Be on deck 20 minutes before sunset. The bats leave on their own timetable, not yours, and the best of the light is lost to anyone who arrives late. Settle at the rail, put the phone away until the first bats rise, and wait.
If a particular month matters to you, tell us, and we plan the first evening around its sunset. Then it is over. Keep your voice low while you wait at the rail, because the quiet before the first bats rise from the mangroves is part of the stop, and the sound of their wings arrives with them.
| Month | Sunset | Bats fly from about |
|---|---|---|
| January | 18:27 | 18:42 |
| February | 18:26 | 18:41 |
| March | 18:15 | 18:30 |
| April | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| May | 17:49 | 18:04 |
| June | 17:50 | 18:05 |
| July | 17:57 | 18:12 |
| August | 18:00 | 18:15 |
| September | 17:58 | 18:13 |
| October | 17:55 | 18:10 |
| November | 18:01 | 18:16 |
| December | 18:14 | 18:29 |
Computed for the location; accurate to a few minutes. The crew shifts wake-up with the actual swell.
Real photo from a KEXI trip · 5 photos
How to watch and photograph them
Bring a long lens and a fully charged battery. The bats are small against a big sky, and a phone shows them as dots. A steady rest on the rail beats any setting on the camera.
Shoot into the afterglow, where the sky is pale and the bats are dark. Do not use a flash, which lights nothing and spoils the eyes of everyone around you. Take a short run of frames and then stop to watch. A picture of a sunset you were too busy to see is a poor trade.
The best photograph is of the stream, not of one bat. Single bats are small, fast and far away. Wait for a long line of them to cross the pale sky, and shoot as the line passes.
After the bats: the evening on board
After the bats the evening belongs to the boat. Dinner is on board, and the party stays on board overnight. Which bay Elrora rests in overnight is decided by her captain, who reads that evening's weather; we leave the choice there.
The sky after the bats is darker and fuller than it was at the sunset. Stay on the deck for the stars if the sky is clear, and go to bed early, because day two begins before dawn on Padar.
Meals on board are included in the fare, and this dinner is the first of two on the three-day route. Tell us about any dietary need before you sail, and the kitchen plans for it.
FAQ
What time should I be on deck for the Kalong bats?
Be at the rail about 20 minutes before sunset. Bats start streaming from the mangroves some 15 minutes after sundown, and the flow lasts around 30 minutes. In July sunset is 17:57, so the best of the sight falls shortly after that hour.
Do guests land on Kalong?
No. Kalong is not a landing stop. Guests watch from the boat, anchored within view of the mangroves at dusk. The sight needs no walk, so the stop suits every age in the party, including relatives who would rather not climb.
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