ESTUARINE ZONES PLAY vital roles in nurturing marine biodiversity; they protect against coastal erosion and support the local fishing economy. In the south of Penang’s mainland, the estuaries of Sungai Kerian, Sungai Chenaam and Sungai Jawi quietly sustain much of the region’s coastal life.
Sungai Kerian Estuary: A River of Abundance
Sungai Kerian forms part of the southern boundary of Seberang Perai, marking the state border between Penang’s Nibong Tebal and Perak. The more popular middle course of Sungai Kerian boasts various eco-tourism attractions such as river cruises and firefly-watching tours, especially in Teluk Ipil and Tanjung Berembang; the mouth offers a walk through the heart of Nibong Tebal’s fishery heritage.
The Sungai Udang fishing village, near the mouth of Sungai Kerian, is lined with rows of two-storey multigenerational houses that double as shops, restaurants and seafood processing facilities. Vibrantly coloured ice boxes and crates, racks of drying seafood products, trolleys and small trucks filled with fresh seafood paint a picture of a community that lives and breathes the sea.
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