Ocean of blessings to discover

Locals can buy fresh seafood at good prices from fishermen at landing points such as this beach off Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. — Filepic

I WOULD like to share two blessings that Penang has to offer which even some Penangites might not be aware of.

The first will benefit tourism players and business owners.

Do you know that even before cruise ships berth at Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal in George Town, passengers already have the opportunity to book their day tour packages?

Cruise ships usually call on ports only for a day, so passengers have just a few hours for their shore excursions.

As such, they will want to maximise the experience. Such packages are designed by tour operators in collaboration with cruise ship operators.

I was told that Penang’s five-star resorts offer day trips for cruise tourists too.

The communication director of a beach resort, Datuk Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman, said, “Tourists can feel a little cooped-up after spending days at sea. Many come here just to walk barefoot on the grass or the beach and experience open spaces.

“So we have packages for cruise tourists to spend four or five hours here; dining, visiting our spa or walking in our garden.”

The number of cruise ship tourists coming to Penang is soaring – 131,208 passengers in January and February this year compared with 100,803 at the same time last year.

They came via 45 cruise ships and more are arriving.

So, if you are a tourism player or have an establishment such as a farm, fruit orchard or restaurant that can provide a delightful experience, explore how you can link up with tour operators to market your offerings to passengers while they are still at sea.

The other blessing in Penang can help with your household food costs, especially if you are a seafood lover.

Penang has more than 5,000 inshore fishermen who use small boats, meaning they usually go and come back with the tide on the same day.

They spread out nets by hand, which is a difficult skill to master.

These nets are for catching prawns, crabs and fish like kembong, selar and pomfrets.

These fishermen have to wait on their nets for a few hours so in the meantime, they also drop baited hooks either with a fishing rod or old-fashioned hand line. And they sometimes catch surprisingly good fish.

Once, I visited inshore fishermen at the beach beside Ocean Green Restaurant just off Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.

These are flower crab fishermen and by chance, they caught an orange spotted grouper of over 1kg and brought it back alive. After some haggling, I acquired it for RM50.

I live just 3km from these fishermen’s launch point, so when I brought the fish back home, it was still alive. I was able to properly bleed the fish out before gutting it.

I had enough to enjoy over three meals cooked in different ways and I still remember the cottony white flesh of a sweetness that we can never get from fish bought at a market.

There are many areas around Penang island and mainland where these fishermen launch and land.

The other spots I know of are in Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah, Teluk Bahang and Gertak Sanggul.

They also land at three rustic jetties along the Balik Pulau coastline.

You can buy ultra-fresh seafood from them at good prices, though you might need to get chummy with them first because sometimes, their regular customers may have booked their catches before they even return to shore.

With the cost of living being what it is, this can be a way to purchase food without compromising on quality while supporting the local economy.