Gandiva
Gandiva Phinisi
Kalong at dusk: backlit sails and a sky full of bats
Updated 3 November 2026
Kalong Island bats at dusk: the first of thousands of flying foxes leave the mangroves 15 minutes after the sun is down, and the stream runs for half an hour, watched from Gandiva's deck. Sunset there falls between 17:49 and 18:27.
The hour the bats leave the mangroves
Between Komodo and Rinca stands Kalong, an islet of mangroves, and thousands of flying foxes hang in it all day. At dusk they pour out in a single stream. The first go soon after the sun is down, so the show begins under a sky that is already colouring.
You do not land. Kalong is a stop to watch from the deck, and that is the plan: no shoes, no climb, no tender. On the three-day route it closes the first day, after Kelor and Manjarite.
Be on deck about twenty minutes before the sun goes down. The bats keep to their own time, and the sky changes quickly in the last minutes. The captain chooses the anchorage by the wind and the water, and we cannot promise a clear sky.
For a couple, this is the evening to leave the phone in the cabin for the first ten minutes and watch with your own eyes. Then take the pictures.
Backlit sails and a sky that turns copper
Sunset at Kalong falls at 18:15 in March, 17:57 in July and 18:01 in November. The table shows every month.
The frame to look for is backlight. Stand so that the sun is behind the boat, and the sails read as dark shapes with gold at their edges. Gandiva has two masts, and when the wind and the captain allow the sails go up. We cannot promise they will be set, and we do not promise the colour of the sky.
The upper sundeck gives the best angle, because it lifts you above the rail and clears the horizon. Three sundecks with sofas give the two of you room to sit apart from the others, if the boat has other guests.
A sky that turns copper needs thin cloud and clean air. It happens on some evenings and not on others, and the best preparation is to stand ready on every evening.
| 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 of this stop, from a KEXI trip · 5 photos
How to photograph bats against the last light
Two things are asked of you: a long lens and a full battery. The rest is method.
- Take your reading from the sky and let the bats go black. They will be shapes, and that is the picture.
- Use a fast shutter, because a flying fox crosses the frame in a second.
- Focus on an empty patch of sky where the stream is heading, and shoot in bursts as the bats enter it.
- On a phone, tap the bright part of the sky to lock the exposure, and use the longest lens setting.
- Add the boat: a sail or a rail in the lower corner turns a sky of bats into a place.
Keep a spare battery in a pocket. Dusk is when the battery dies. Free up the memory card before you board, because the first night's frames are the ones most people want twice.
The camera is yours unless you add a photographer; on a private charter the photographer and the documentation are quoted in writing. A drone needs the park permit, is not part of the fare, and we arrange it on request.
After the bats: dinner and a quiet deck
When the last bats have passed, the deck goes quiet and the sky goes blue. This is the blue hour, and it is the easiest light to photograph, because nothing in it is harsh. Walk to the bow, or to the Arjuna balcony if you hold that cabin, and take the last pictures of the day.
Dinner follows, with three meals a day in the fare. You sleep on board. The anchorage is chosen that day, by the weather and the captain. The first day ends here.
If you have ordered an anniversary surprise, this is the evening it belongs to. Decoration, a cake or a table set for two are services on request, quoted in writing before anything is added. We never call them included, and we never call them free.
Light check. The sun sets in the west, so stand with it behind the boat and the bats in front of you. Wear a long-sleeved layer for the deck after sunset and keep the camera battery charged.
FAQ
When should we be on deck for the bats at Kalong?
Be on deck about twenty minutes before sunset. Stay for the stream; it runs for about half an hour once the first bats leave. The table on this page gives sunset for your month.
Do we land on Kalong, or watch from the boat?
No. Kalong is not a landing stop. The bats are watched from the deck, which is why the stop needs no shoes and no climb. The captain chooses the anchorage by wind and water.
Check availability — Gandiva
Gandiva sails with its own crew; Komodo Explorer is the booking partner and answers for your reservation.