The river of water, Batang Ai

[kuching]

I have no idea why the locals called this river as Batang Ai. (Batang = big river; Ai = water) This is my third time to come back to this paradise. In this trip, I found out the road where I explored before is not the road to Danau Sentarum of Kalimantan. (Danau Sentarum is the largest lake in Borneo) However, I managed to find the road to Sarawak-Kalimantan Barat border in the late afternoon.

The most interesting thing I found is unidentified species of Cryptocoryne in a tributary of Batang Ai.


More on this link:

http://www.ibanorum.netfirms.com/wateriver-menu.htm







Scenery of Batang Ai lake.






Scenery of Batang Ai lake.






After more than 1 year, I'm back to this stream again to collect a beautiful variant of Rasbora einthovenii.

[kuching]

Hunting for snakehead & fighting fish.





Juveniles of Betta sp. (Most probably Betta ibanorum)






Head of snakehead - Channa striata.






Catfish - Ompok fumidus ???

[kuching]

Catfish, Silurichthys phaiosoma ???







Blyxa sp. - Probably Blyxa aubertii ???







Freshwater redeye puffer, Carinotetraodon salivator (male)








Freshwater redeye puffer, Carinotetraodon salivator (female)

[kuching]

Najas sp. found in a blackwater drain near the border. Probably Najas indica ???






Flying barb. (Esomus metallicus) This species is introduced from Thailand.







Three spotted gourami. (Trichogaster trichopterus)





In this trip, the most interesting discovery is that unidentified species of Cryptocoryne grows together with a cluster of Crypt. striolata.

[kuching]

Crypt. sp. "Batang Ai".







Crypt. striolata. (the leaf form is different from the same species in other part of Borneo)







Behind this mountain is Kalimantan Barat.





The barge carrying the timbers. In Borneo, a lot of people involve in the timber industry are getting rich & they build big houses for themselves in the city/town. If they are those wildlife in the jungle, do they feel happy to see their home to be destroyed? the river became polluted? the temperature is increasing? Do they feel shame to destroy our beautiful rainforests of Borneo?

[Ivan]

Hi Michael,

By viewing all those photos you have taken makes me feel like going through the exploration in person (though we are miles apart) and enjoying the scenery.

It really relief our working stressed (especially on a Monday morning!!!) and provide strenght of going through the city working life for the rest of the week. As there is still hope somewhere, some place on earth which we can look forward and enjoy GOD's wonderful creations.

Sad to said that those people who are still destorying the forest don't feel the same as us. I always love this statement from our zoo: "Until they chop off the last tree and killed the last animal on earth, then they realised that money cannot be eaten..."

Neverthless I'm still looking forward to see more of these wonderful pictures from you, thank you so much for sharing with us these nice pictures.

[Justikanz]

Nice place...



Awesome...

This fellow looks sad to be caught...


Michael, isn't the gourami a snakeskin gourami, Trichogaster pectoralis, instead of the 3-spot?

[andrewtyr]

Is it very hot there?

[Xema]

Really amazing trip... but I am quite surprised with the crypt found. Resembles to swamp grower as C. schulsei, griffithii, etc... due to the stripped marks, but it having cordate leaves. And growing together at C. striolata, which grows in more o less fast flowing streams, with weak acid water. Have you idea about the pH and hardiness of the water there??
By the way, I am quite interested to place aproximately the area where you found them in Google Earth.
Following your references I found a big lake in the Batang Ai National Park and mark a point for the located, it´s the following pictures...



Am I right???

[kuching]

Updating:

(1)Ompok leiacanthus




(2) Silurichthys phaiosoma

[kuching]

Thanks for viewing everyone.

That gourami is 3 spotted gourami as all others (in the same net) got spots except the one I show to u.

The Crypt location is near that lake, but not too close. Sorry, can't disclose much info, else everyone can go there & collect all the Crypt.

[Xema]

Originally Posted by kuching

The Crypt location is near that lake, but not too close. Sorry, can't disclose much info, else everyone can go there & collect all the Crypt.

Yah, I understand you...

Greets from Spain

[kuching]

Originally Posted by Xema

Yah, I understand you...

Greets from Spain

Now,I'll cultivate it & wait for the flower. I didn't measure the water PH & temperature or others.....water is a bit brownish.....not very acidic, I guess.

[Xema]

Originally Posted by Kuching

I'll cultivate it & wait for the flower. I didn't measure the water PH & temperature or others.....water is a bit brownish.....not very acidic, I guess.

If you say the plant is not growing in acidic water seems to be a strange plant. Really looks as a swamp grower as C. purpurea, or some kind of cordata...

[kuching]

Originally Posted by Xema

If you say the plant is not growing in acidic water seems to be a strange plant. Really looks as a swamp grower as C. purpurea, or some kind of cordata...

yes...very strange plant to me too. Now, I hope it flowering as soon as possible. I'll up date u all if got flower.

[ranmasatome]

it really looks like something of a cordata complex

[kuching]

A guy told me that there is a forest at Tanzania also called PUGU !!!!

Here is the link:

http://www.puguhills.com/forests/pugu-forest.htm

[hwchoy]

Originally Posted by Xema

Really amazing trip... but I am quite surprised with the crypt found. Resembles to swamp grower as C. schulsei, griffithii, etc... due to the stripped marks, but it having cordate leaves. And growing together at C. striolata, which grows in more o less fast flowing streams, with weak acid water. Have you idea about the pH and hardiness of the water there??
By the way, I am quite interested to place aproximately the area where you found them in Google Earth.
Following your references I found a big lake in the Batang Ai National Park and mark a point for the located, it´s the following pictures...



Am I right???

Michael, there's a funny looking geological structure extending southeast from Simanggang towards the border. Its a long straight ridge line of about 100-150m elevation. Have you been there and any pix of it? Strange to find a single straight ridge extending almost 40km, one would expect multiple lines of folding.

[kuching]

Originally Posted by hwchoy

Michael, there's a funny looking geological structure extending southeast from Simanggang towards the border. Its a long straight ridge line of about 100-150m elevation. Have you been there and any pix of it? Strange to find a single straight ridge extending almost 40km, one would expect multiple lines of folding.

Check this pix :



see that mountain? Thats the end of that "ridge"(the most western part, near the border). That gravel/dirt road is running parallel with that ridge!!! That ridge is separating Batang Lupar & Batang Undup of Simanggang (now called "Seri Aman" town).

[keithtang]

Wow,
wish i was there love all tis natural,
went to kuching last year but only
for off shore fishing trip, stay on
board...may return next year and
go for a walk in the natural