MANY city folks decided to take advantage of the long weekend break, in conjunction with the King’s birthday, to make short tours, with my family heading for the Sky Mirror Photo shoot, off the coast of Kuala Selangor, in the Straits of Malacca.
It is a relatively new attraction but on June 4, Saturday morning, two dozen power boats ferrying over 600 tourists, locals and Singaporeans made rendezvous at this spot. It is a half hour ride to a sandbar, which opens up as a large outdoor reflective mirror during low tide.
We took the hour-long drive from Kuala Lumpur to the Sky River Rainbow Jetty on Sungai Sasaran, a fishing village dotted with fishing boats and myriad birds, including hordes of flamingoes perched on mangrove trees and on the muddy banks of the river.
It was certainly an amazing experience – an “island” popping out before our eyes as the tides receded, and a giant reflection of the skies mirrored on the large sandbar that unfolded, hence, the name “Sky Mirror”.
By the time we reached the spot, over 20 boats were anchored, with the boatmen telling us to stay on board while the tides receded to expose the sandbar. Many of the tourists took a walk in the shallow waters to have a feel of the seabed.
All were advised to dress in bright colours as the main attraction was a photo shoot, and what an experience it was for everyone, as depicted in the photos. Many had come with their parents, toddlers, and two Golden Retrievers were among the merry lot.
An amazing and enchanting experience was the overall verdict. The land mass turned out to be a shiny, mirror-like floor, the size of several football fields.
With the smart phones, one is
able to capture amazing illusions, Hollywood style. This is the only sky mirror in Malaysia and the only one on sandbars while the other leading ones are on salt flats.
From literature, one gleans that the ripple-free glassy surface that reflects the sky is a sandbar on a beach, a phenomenon experienced over 20 days a month, with the best effects nearer to new and full moon days.
A whole industry has been built around it, including an association specialising in this segment of the tourist industry.
We took off from the Kg Bagan Sasaran jetty, which is being newly painted and refurbished. All on board were fully vested in bright orange and yellow life jackets.
Our boat, white-coated, looking like the one in a James Bond movie, had 30 on board, including three crew, senior citizens, couples and three families from Singapore, who had heard about the place.
Two crew members in the boat were specialists in photography, which is the main attraction of the tour, as everyone testified later, with hundreds of shots taken with all jumping skywards, with various props and images reflected on the “sky mirror”.
Our crewmen, Jackson and Winson, were busy as the waters receded, setting up a miniature makeshift photo studio of sorts with an umbrella and a V-shaped styrofoam board, and pitching it as a cover, smoothing the mudflats to give a shiny sheen, creating a small pool for reflective effect. They had miniature toys for use as props.
Merchant ships could be seen sailing to and from ports in the Klang area, as fishing boats dotted the straits, while the mainland was clearly visible, including the towers of the power stations and rock outcrops in the sea.
Jackson went about photographing us in various poses. There were squeals of laughter as the tourists saw images of themselves. The visitors wanted more, and Jackson and Winson obliged.
There were shots of people jumping skywards, pointing at the glorious sky at midday, posing against a miniature Eiffel Tower and with dinosaurs too, which looked huge in the photos.
All the various groups returned with 500 or so impressions, each in various poses.
After the amazing experience,
many proceeded to nearby towns, including an old section of Kuala Selangor, scattered with riverside cafes, tidbit shops, eateries, fish markets, dried fish and keropok stalls, as well as souvenir outlets.
S.N. Rajan
Former Bernama editor
