After my aimless stroll on the beach, I met Shah, a 38-year old fisherman, who was kind enough to extend my adventure in Melaka to the sea. Thanks to Shah, my visit to Tanjung Bidara unfolds an all new adventure: we are going fishing for comel (squid as how the locals call it).
Shah, the anchor of my new-found adventure
Shah, when not fishing and not working on land, takes fishing groups out to the sea for fun-filled fishing trips. He knows exactly where the fish are waiting. The father of five have been out in the sea since the age of ten as a sidekick to his father.
Bhat, Shah's 4-year old son
Initially shy, this buddy soon becomes my pal on the deserted beach in Tg Bidara. Unlike other healthy growing child, Bhat’s growth is stunted by repeated surgeries to fix a serious birth defect -Imperforate Anus, also called anorectal anomaly. At birth, Bhat did not have anal opening. Since then, the minor has gone through four surgeries in General Hospital in KL. At such a young age, Bhat has been a patient in the hospital more times than he could endure.
Gerimis
Gerimis is a type of shellfish that the locals cook with soup noodles. It looks pretty similar to the lalas, only these are much smaller, and with patterns.
Girls digging for Gerimis
Girls spend their after-school time digging for gerimis for dinner. They will first wash the sand off the gerimis and cook them (with shell on) in soups, usually with mihun (rice noodles). This is literally cari makan.
Mee goreng special at Balai Nelayan
No travel experience is complete without a local favorite meal and the photos would have to be in color, of course. The scrumptious early dinner, mee goreng special, managed to stay where it should throughout my journey in the sea.
Shah gets ready his boat
After dinner and a little time thereafter to facilitate healthy digestion, we set out. The brand new engine is Shah’s new investment. Together with the boat, the gears have cost him around RM10,000, an amount that is substantial enough for him to strike any holiday plan in his reality.
After all is set, we ride against the waves for Shah to make a day’s living and for me to be a speck in the sea.
A makeshift lamppost
After ten minutes, the engine is switched off, and the anchor is thrown into the seabed 100-ft below us. This is a battery-powered lamppost. The fine string that curls below is a fishing line. Shah hooks a dead squid on the fishhook as bait and lets it dip in the sea. Squids are generally aggressive by nature. So, when a squid sees another, either one will launch attack. Once a squid swims close to the bait, Shah will scoop it, with a net. A less hassle way to fish for dinner, otherwise, a huge net is usually deployed.
As all this happens, the boat is rocked and buoyed by ripping waters. My head spins and my stomach churns. I feel my early dinner rises up to my throat, but it managed to stay in. My only regret during this trip is that I did not catch a single comel. I should have taken the anti motion sickness pill long before.
We move from one spot to the other for a couple of times. The movement helps ease my sufferings a little. To not waste my early dinner, I stay out of the action. I fall asleep, a couple of times but wake up in time to catch the action.
Patir with his 2 kilos garoupa
As we move to another spot, we stop to check on other fisherman’s catch. Patir fishes with gawai, a 2ft by 2ft round plastic container, that night.
The more rewarding catch would be Jenak/Jehanak (John Snapper). In the market, a Jenak below 10kg fetches a decent rate of RM28 per kilo, heavier than that, the price goes down slightly to RM22 per kilo. Shah had caught one that weighed 12kg and 800g once with a fishing line. The biggest one known to the locals was 20kg. The catch, when cut open, had 17 fishhooks buried inside its stomach. It is time to give in when you have no stomach for more fishhooks.
At midnight, lightning pierces through the clouds, the fierce veins threaten us with much aggression. We return to shore shortly thereafter. I hear from Shah the next day that after the rain has stopped, a turtle has come onto the shore to lay eggs.
Malam tadi, ada penyu datang. Dalam pukul 3 lebih lah. Kalau Joey tinggal kat sini, Shah boleh panggil Joey tengok.
(Yesterday night, a turtle came (to the shore) at around 3am. If you stay here, I can call you so you can see.)
How I wished I had stayed. Just a couple of nights before, Shah had seen a turtle on the shore which laid 181 eggs. The eggs were later transferred to the hatchery center in Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre. The turtles visit on a regular basis, apparently and usually, after rain.
If you are a fan in fishing, Shah is possibly your best guide and Tanjung Bidara has more to offer than you can stomach. Stay over at RNC Challet or Tiara Chalet (though basic) and hang out with local fishermen at the Balai Nelayan. Join the locals for a truly localised experience. Shah will wake you if there is turtle visiting the shore.
If you want a fruitful catch, there are a few local terms you need to know about the sea. Knowing them also helps you to prepare better for a fruitful catch.
- Bani Terang a.k.a Spring Tide – strong tides that occur during the full moon.
- Bani Gelap or Neap Tide – tide’s range is minimum and result in less extreme tidal conditions.
- Air Besar – though I still couldn’t grasp the science behind it, but this generally happens during the first four days in Muslim calendar. The best catch during this period are prawns and shrimps, especially geragau that is used in making sambal belacan and cincalok.
- Air Kecil – this generally happens during the last four days in Muslim calendar. The best catch during this period is fish.
Tiara Chalet or RNC Chalet
Shah – 016 – 622 3752
Weekday – RM80/room/night, Weekend – RM90/room/night
Jalan Bukit Tinggi, 78300 Masjid Tanah.
Coordinates: Lat: 2.298059 Long: 102.082798
These are the exact coordinates for the Balai Nelayan. Once you turn into a Jalan Bukit Tinggi, you will come to a narrow road overseeing the beach, you can only turn left. After turning left, the chalets will be on your left, and Balai Nelayan should be behind you. Ask the residents nearby for permission to park your vehicle and walk in reverse direction to go to Balai Nelayan. Don’t ask me how I remember.
In addition to this pictorial post, visit THE STORIES BEHIND for a more detailed account of my experience.
Next up is a story on how teritip (baby oyster) is harvested.
Auntie Joey, where are pictures of Comels?