LUMUT, Feb 12 — Each year, the mesmerising annual parting sea phenomenon unveils a 400-metre raised sandbank at Pulau Giam, attracting tens of thousands of both local and international tourists to the site in mid-February.

Manjung Municipal Council (MPM), (Duty-Free Island Management Unit) assistant administrative officer Nur Aniessa Abd Aziz, said the unique phenomenon occurs once a year when the seawater in the area completely recedes.

She said it usually takes place around Chinese New Year from 10am to 12 noon for three consecutive days.

"This is a significant highlight of Pulau Pangkor. Visitors can personally witness and document the unique experience of walking from Pantai Teluk Nipah to Pulau Giam,” she said when met here today.

Nur Aniessa explained that visitors can observe and touch various marine life, such as sea cucumbers, all along the sandbank crossing.

"This (experience of seeing and touching marine life) provides some knowledge of marine life in the area, especially to the children,” she added.

Nur Aniessa explained that the phenomenon has been promoted as a tourism product on the duty-free island for the past four years.

"So, after the end of Covid-19, we started promoting the phenomenon, and alhamdulillah, we can see the results with the surge of visitors every time before the Chinese New Year,” she said.

She said MPM collaborates with the Fire and Rescue Department, and the police to ensure the safety of visitors at the location.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Fakiruddin Omar, 28, who was on a work trip to Pulau Pangkor with three other colleagues said it was a pleasant surprise to experience the phenomenon.

Ahmad Fakiruddin said they only found out about it from their hotel when they checked in yesterday.

"We happened to have some free time, so we took the opportunity to experience crossing this sandbank. It was fun because we could hold the sea cucumbers, which are abundant here,” he said.

Another visitor, Lee Kam Seng, 34, who hails from Selangor, said he and his wife Lai Poh Lian, 30, never tired of the experience even though it was their third consecutive visit.

He also emphasised the importance of prioritising safety measures aimed at preventing accidents from visitors’ carelessness. — Bernama