Journey to northern Sarawak

[kuching]

My outdoor friend, John wish to visit the habitat of a species of wild fighting fish which only can be found in northern Sarawak & Brunei during this long holiday in May.

After a week of planning, both of us decided to drive his 4 wheels drive into the remote area of northern Sarawak near Brunei. For the first 2 days, we drove 1,000 km to a logging site near the border to search for this wild fighting fish. On the way, I found the rare species of pitcher plant called Nepenthes hispida which is only can be found in some hills of northern Sarawak & southern Brunei. And while jungle trekking in the disturbed forest near logging camp, I found the broad leaf of "elephant ear orchid" (Bulbophyllum beccarii) for the first time in my life !!! The leaf is really huge & broad....one of the leaves is 21cm across!!!


On the top of a hill, I can see the beautiful mountains in Mulu National Park. Mulu is another eden on earth where it is home of the famous slipper orchid, Paphiopedilum sanderianum.






A communication tower near Sarawak - Brunei border.





Loagan Bunut, the largest natural lake in Sarawak:

[kuching]

First time ever, Betta macrostoma (wild fighting fish) is found in the acidic blackwater stream. Water ph is 4.1 !!! The blackwater in the plastic container is from that stream.






A small population of Nepenthes hispida was found on a slope next to a logging road. This is my second time found this beautiful pitcher plant.





More photos will be posted tomorrow.

[ryzcris]

WAH!!! I wanna go too...

[kuching]

On the first day, we spent 10 hours to drive from Kuching city to Miri city. When we reached Bintulu, we turned left to the new coastal road. It is very boring to drive on that road as almost the whole area is oil palm plantation. It is the biggest opil palm plantation we have ever seen. That area was used to be a peat swamp forest. It is pity to see the home of some many species of flora & fauna became the home of palm tree which is introduced from Africa.






After spending a night in Miri, we woke up very early & drove a logging road to a village near Sarawak - Brunei border. It was very dangerous to drive on that road if it rains. Luckily, we didn't face any problems as it didn't rain that morning. In the picture below, you can see a saloon car is going to drive up that muddy road. That driver tried a few times but failed to drive pass that small hill, so we overtook it but we almost get stuck in the middle of that road.






A blackwater river of Baram river basin. The water is so black that it reflects the blue sky above on the water surface. It is the home of wild crocodiles. Few weeks ago, someone from logging company was attacked & eaten by a giant crocodile in Baram river basin. According to the local people over there, the croc. from Baram river seldom attack people in the past. The reason is because of the lost of habitat, shortage of food due to decrease of fish & shrimp population have caused the cro9codile to find other food source....the Homo sapiens !!! However, when the croc. killed the Homo sapiens, they will blame everything on croc. but never think of who is responsible to the destruction of mother nature & reduction of fish population.

[kuching]

There are too many rivers in Sarawak. In the rural areas, ferry service is very important for public to travel in the remote places. The small ferry:




This ferry is using the chain to move (by pulling the chain using the motor):





A bigger ferry & our 4 wheels drive vehicle:





John is enjoying the scenery of Baram river on the ferry. Baram river is the largest & longest river in northern Sarawak:

[andrewtyr]

I, too, lament at the indiscriminate destruction of natural habitats. Development comes with a very high price.

[kuching]

It rained heavily at noon, the logging road became so slippery that we had to stop driving & parked our car near the roadside. From there we hiked half an hour to a river. According to the villagers, that river was used to be a clearwater river (before logging started), but now the water of the river became brownish - milky coloured. The soils are washed down to the river during the heavy downpour. I have no idea how many fish can survive in such a bad condition. Do you think the fish can hunt in the milky water? I couldn't get down the river as the water was too rough & I couldn't see how deep is the water. It was a bad idea to travel so far to see the destroyed habitat.

Used to be a clearwater river, but now is a milky river! "Thanks" to the logging activity in the up river.






The road is so muddy that we have to hike to the disturbed jungle near the border:






After 1 hour of hiking along the riverbank, we saw a small blackwater stream flowing down to that polluted river. John went down to the stream & he caught a fish......





My both eyes almost popped out when he showed me a young male Betta macrostoma.....the most beautiful fighting fish from northern Sarawak. That is the only fish found in that stream & the water is very acidic, ph is 4.1 !!! It is taking "shelter" in that stream as that big river is unsuitable for any fish to search for food or swimming around.

[kuching]

Rasbora tubbi, a common rasbora in Brunei & northern Sarawak. There is no such species in southern Sarawak. We can catch it easily as all of them swimming very close to the riverbank.




2 hours later, we turned back as there are too many fallen trees & branches which blocked our way to explore the up river. The whole afternoon only found 2 species of fish.....this is the worst fishing trip, and also the toughest one!


I was shocked when I saw the elephant's ear orchid (Bulbophyllum beccarii) growing on the fallen tree. It is probably the broadest leaves orchid in Borneo.





Talking about lowland species of pitcher plant, this area is an interesting place to see pitcher plant as it is so diverse!!! This is my first time to find so many lowland species growing in a small area....and natural cross hybrid of pitcher plants are found abundantly here!

Nepenthes bicalcarata is very common in northern Sarawak. This species is very rare in the south.

[kuching]

As I don't have enough time to search for pitcher plants, I only photograph whatever species I found while trekking in the disturbed forest or along the logging road.


Nepenthes rafflesiana is very common in the north. Most of them are light green coloured:





Nepenthes bicalcarata is so common that I can find it almost anywhere either in the kerangas forest or dense lowland forest !!! This one is climbing a scrub in the kerangas forest:





And natural cross hybrid of N. bicalcarata is found in this area too. I think this one below is N. bicalcarata x N. gracilis.

[kuching]

Nepenthes hispida is found growing on a slope of a hill near logging road. (facing east)




The inflorescence of N. hispida. (male flower)





The hairy leaves of N. hispida.




The young N. hispida. This species is only growing on the hills of northern Sarawak & Brunei.

[kuching]

Red N. ampullaria




Natural cross hybrid, N. x trichocarpa






Natural cross hybrid, N. gracilis x N. mirabilis ???




First time found N. mirabilis var. echinostoma in kerangas forest!!!

[kuching]

The ant plant. When I disturbed the plant, the ants came out from the nest in the plant & defend its nest & also the plant:





I can't believe I can find a red tree in the Kerangas forest.....this is so strange to find a red tree in tropical country.





This small red tree has some beautiful flowers!!!

[kuching]

Correction:

That "ant plant" is a Hoya. (Hoya mitrata)

And there are some mistakes for the ID of the pitcher plants:

Red N. x hookeriana



Probably bicalcarata x mirabilis

[CK Yeo]

First time see fangs on a Nepenthes.
Look forward to more great pics of excursions from you.

ck

[kuching]

More photos; here:

http://www.ibanorum.netfirms.com/tutoh.htm

[Coyote66]

wow very very nice pics
thanks

[kuching]

It rained heavily the night before we returned home. The water level of Baram river rose to very high level. The sandy road at the peat swamp area was flooded but luckily our 4 wheel drive vehicle could drive pass without any problem. We were stucked in some muddy areas but managed to get out.

On the way back, we went to a tributary of Batang Balingian near Bintulu where the giant Crypt. bullosa was found by my friend very recently.





The Crypy. bullosa in this river is the biggest bullosa I ever seen!!!




And, we stopped at Batang saribas basin to search for male Betta taeniata. This is the spot I caught female Betta taeniata. The coverage area of Betta taeniata is wider than what we thought. We couldn't find the male so we went back home after half an hour later.




Female Betta taeniata.

[josh]

The bullosa found by herman bernard(from zoo negara malaysia) is really huge, measured more than 2 feets long

[kuching]

The bullosa found by herman bernard(from zoo negara malaysia) is really huge, measured more than 2 feets long

Yup, it is a giant!

[ryzcris]

droolzzzz.....................