I’m an architect not a botanist or geologist but I was wishing I was one when I came across a ‘tea-coloured’ stream for want of a better word which we stumbled upon at Teluk Pandan Besar beach at Bako; so that I can better understand some of things I come across on my kayaking trips.
This beach is not easily accessible by land trails and so is pristine and hardly visited upon and the stream/river is not easily visible from the coast as well as it is located quite a distance from the shoreline at low tide.
I resorted to collecting seashells and taking photos while pondering what could be the cause of the colourisation of the water. Decaying organic matter or presence of minerals in the grounds? Though coloured, the water is ‘clear’ and appears clean even though it looked like an oil slick! I see small fishes swimming about and was tempted to drag my kayak from the beach and paddle further upstream to explore this intriguing river; perhaps another time. I love kayaking and I love it when I have an entire beach, coastline and river all to myself (and the ocassional friend) and the wonderful and surprising sights that await me along the way. Kayaking anyone?
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This was how Sungai Merah (in Sibu) got its name. The water is clear and clean…the tea colour came from fermenting dead leaves that dropped into the water from the many trees by the river…which is more than anybody can say about the “teh-si-peng” Rejang River, no thanks to all that logging upriver, just to fill the pockets of a few privileged Foochows
We have “tea-colored” water in rivers here in the U.S. as well.
http://www.superiorsights.com/information/tahquamenonfalls/index.html
Its from all of the decaying leaves and trees leeching into the ground water.
Sorry, Unker. Thats from all us Pandas up stream drinking too much tea!
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