Just observations...: One local destination a month (2nd edition) - Part 2 : Kelip-kelip Sungai Cherating, Kuantan

Our visit to Kuantan was made in early February. At that time, the coronavirus issue was not yet pandemic. The daily numbers for new infections were still in single digits and life was pretty much normal. We still traveled to a few places in the weeks before the Movement Control Order came into force. I do have a post in hand for Part 3 of this series but anything after that is uncertain.

As mentioned in an earlier post, we drove up to Kuantan to attend the wedding reception of the son of a former teacher. Cikgu Hussain was a history teacher at MRSM Kuantan in the late '70s. I did not take history as an elective subject so, strictly speaking, I was not his student. But Cikgu Hussain was also a warden, so that makes all of us who stay at the hostel as his responsibility too. He was a very firm but cordial warden. Very well-liked and respected by most students, even the naughty ones. This is demonstrated by the large number of former students who made the effort to fulfill his invitation.

In planning for the trip to Kuantan, I decided to include a visit to the firefly conservation area at Cherating. My blogger friend, Jehan Bakar had posted about it on her Facebook page a few times. I sent her a whatsapp message asking if it was a good time to take the boat trip up Sungai Cherating. She promptly replied that is was okay and offered to make the advance booking for me since she personally knows the tour operator.

Kelip-kelip Sungai Cherating is located about 35km north of Kuantan town, on the coastal road to Kemaman, Terengganu. I've traveled on this road many times during the years I worked at a water treatment plant project in Dungun. I never knew that there was a firefly conservation area at Sungai Cherating. I had never been on a boat trip to watch fireflies before. Now is a good time as any.

From our hotel in Balok, we took a leisurely drive towards Cherating and reached the jetty a few minutes before 7pm. After registering and paying for our tickets, we were asked to wait in the briefing room. The tour is run by a gentleman named Hafiz who gave an introduction of the particular species of firefly that has made the mangrove banks of Sg Cherating as their habitat. There are thousands of firefly species in the world, he says, but the one found here is unique to the area. A Japanese researcher has identified the species as pteroptyx bearni. They are the non-synchronous type, meaning that they don't flash their lights in tandem. As a comparison, the fireflies at Kuala Selangor are the synchronous type. He told us that he would be calling the bugs to fly down from the trees towards us in the boat. It is a skill he has mastered after years of observation and study. The bugs are of the size smaller than a housefly but larger than a mosquito. His final request to us before we headed for the boats was not to catch (or kill) any firefly and not take photographs. Just enjoy the experience.

It was a cloudless night that evening. Thousands of stars were brightly shining in the sky. Since my knowledge of astronomy is practically nil, I could not name any. But I enjoyed the sight nonetheless. The moon was nearly full and it was quite bright. Hafiz assured us that the brightness would not hamper our sight of the fireflies.

The tide was rising and the current was coming in swiftly from the sea. The high water level meant that the overhanging branches of the mangroves were very close to the water's surface. The boat traveled upriver for about an hour or so. At certain locations, Hafiz would slow down the boat and indicate to us where some of the fireflies are congregating. Right side at about 3 o'clock. Or on your left, 10 o'clock about 2 meters above the water. Here and there he would call out such directions.

Af first, we couldn't see anything. Then Hafiz would flash a pocket-light while lovingly calling upon the bugs as if they were his sweethearts. The tree branches would suddenly glow with hundreds of tiny pinpricks of light. These lights would then fly down towards the boat passengers who mostly watched in awe. I don't exactly know how Hafiz does it; the pocket-light could have been of a specific wavelength or he could have flashed it in a certain sequence. What he mentioned in the briefing about his skill was there for us to see.

Some of the bugs would land on us, seemingly unafraid. I managed to guide one into my hands which were cupped so as to create a dark hollow. Indeed it was a tiny creature and magical too. After watching it beam out a few pulses, I let it go and watch it fly back to the trees.

It was truly an experience to remember. Nature and its beauty.

The only drawback throughout the tour that I can think of is that we could not remain stationary at any one spot with the boat engine switched off for too long because of the fast-moving current. To experience the scene in relative quiet of the night would have been perfect.