By noon, we have reached the Durlu Ranger Station, the last station belonged to the Forestry Department on this road, any further north-west and they would be too close to the border and risk their life with our unsettle neighbor troop. Durlu stream was the first tributary of Suriya river we encountered and from here onward the area was protected by Border Petrol Police (BPP) whom we have contacted in advance and was waiting to take us to their base at the Suriya. Before we moved on, the orchid team has something to excite about for they found a little Phalanopsis parishii, one of the world rarest small orchid, growing on a small tree branch above the Durlu.
From Durlu, we drove up north for 1 more hours, then parked our trucks in the middle of the dry bamboo forest. Although the long and tired walk was waiting for me, I felt more sorry for the old Karen who will have to stay with our trucks, for the forest in that area was being invaded by a large army of cicadas which was constantly producing loud annoying noise, and worse peeing like rain from the canopy.
It was a short but very tired walk for we have to climb down several limestone hills. We finally reached the Suriya around 3.30 pm. and we wasted no time to get into the cool and clear water. At the very first touch, all the tiredness from the long traveling has gone and I was –once again- in my dream river.
The Hump-headed Glassfish –Palambassis pulchinella- seemed to be a good receptionist for a school appeared as soon as I reached the based of a small water fall. This cute fish was first discovered in the Myanmar side of the Kasa river –known officially as Ataran river and known by local as Geng-tor meaning the Golden River. It remained Myanmar citizen for sometimes before I discovered a Thai population in Suriya on my first trip. Then appeared a lone Syncrossus berdmorei from under a large driftwood. Swim a little further and I was greeted by a Polkadot loach, this fish has taken the aquarist world by storm a few years back. This species was –too- first discovered in the Myanmar part of the Kasa river and was later described by Morice Kottelat as Botia kubotai after Mr. Katsuma Kubota a Japanese fish dealer who based his operation in Thailand. It –too- remained a Myanmar citizen until I found this population in the Suriya on my first visit.
I climbed up this first small ledge of the fall and continue my diving. Here I found a large clump of Downoi –Pogostemon helferi a popular aquarium plant that I introduced to the world- was surrounded by a school of young Hampala salweenensis. This predatory large barb –discovered as recently as 1994- was very cute when young with pinkish body, red rim un-paired fins and 5 black striped. They, later, grow to be one of the most handsome fish in the water. Then at the next clump I found another species of barb, this time a small species reaching no more than 5 cm., the Puntius stoliczkanus. This barb, too, have red un-paired fins and some handsome black and golden body marking.
By the time I got back to the camp, the orchid team seems to have found a new local guide as one of the BPP was a very keen orchid enthusiast. They were opening a guide book and the young BPP was pointing at picture of the Concolor lady’s slipper orchid Paphiopedilum concolor. “There are thousands of them on top of the limestone hill.” He said pointing to a small hill, which our GPS said have a height of about 250 meters. “I saw them when I went up there to put up the flag.” He was referring to a small Thai flag right on top of the mountain, cross to the other side of the flag –for only a millimeter- and it would be Myanmar. Finally, he agreed to take the orchid team up the mountain to see the orchid in the morning.
That evening while sitting on one of the ledge in the middle of the water with Phet –one of the Orchid team, he pointed to me a small Schistura with strange pattern that was sitting on top of a decaying leaf. I grabbed my net and quickly scooped it up. To my surprise, after removing the leaf, in stead of Schistura, there was a Glyptothorax in my net. Where ever it was before being scooped this little catfish was later proved to be G. dorsalis another new record species for Thailand from this trip.
After dinner and the night fall, we were back in business again. This time, Tok who brought an underwater flashlight went out with Gui and Ton for the night dive. Me…I brought the underwater flashlight too, and 3 sets of fully charged battery, but forgot to take it with me from the car…..So, I grabbed my normal one and walked along the ledge of the limestone fall. After a while, I found a small yellowish catfish foraging among the rocky substrate. Upon a closer look, I was able to ID it to the genus of Batasio but the species was beyond my knowledge and it was time I should call on a professional help. “Mheeeeeeeeeee” I yelled Chaiwut nickname. “There is a Batasio here.” It didn’t take long for Chaiwut to come running, while I tried hard to keep the little catfish in sight.
“Batasio dayi!” Chaiwut shouted with joy when he took a good look at the fish “New record for the country again.” He announced and then we high-fived. After a while, we found one more B. dayi and then something a little different that brought us a nice surprise. Batasio tigrinus! A species that we formerly though endemic to Mae Klong besin in Western Thailand, was found living together with the B. dayi in this Suriya river which was a part of Salween besin.
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