Seeing Singapore Sooner than Never: North East Islands: Pulau Unum and Pulau Tekong

Monday, 13 December 2021

North East Islands: Pulau Unum and Pulau Tekong

One of the reclamation beacon off North Pulau Tekong

Given that Pulau Tekong is a restricted area, there is very little chance to explore the most northern eastern shores of Singapore. Thankfully, the waterways there are still visitable by us!

Apart from Pulau Ubin, the other North Eastern wonders are Pulau Tekong, Pulau Unum as well as Beting Bronok.

Green: Beting Bronok, Red: Pulau Unum, Blue: Radar Tower & Disused Pier

Crossing Pulau Ubin towards Tekong was tough. The mouth of the Johor River aka Kuala Johor expectedly brought about complicate currents. Together with the North East Monsoon, we were in for a rough ride.

Nonetheless, we were able to cross Kuala Johor safely arriving at Tekong Buoy.

North Eastern Tekong Buoy marking the Tekong "Group of Islands"

Blue line indicating the thin stretch we could travel due to reclamation works. (Dec 2021)

Pulau Tekong is undergoing massive reclamation works as of Dec 2021. Basically, the reclamation is done by dyking up areas we want to turn into land and draining all the water within it. This resulted in only a thin navigable channel between the reclamation zone and Singapore Port Limit that we could travel. (Indicated by the blue line.)

One of the attractions of course was how the reclamation looks like.

Reclaimed area look like a desert marked by Toilets from time to time.

As reclamation was still ongoing, the general view is a vast desert environment punctuated by toilets from time to time (Check out the one at the left hand side of the picture.)

Excavators on Floating Barges were also spotted to help in the massive reclamation efforts.

Barges and Excavators on floating barge

We also had a chance to take a look at one of the most Northern Eastern Island: Pulau Unum.

Pulau Unum: Green patch right in the center.

Pulau Unum is an island off Tekong near the old village of Kg. Unum. To preserve its natural environment, the dyke was built away to protect the island. We can see the green patch right in the center which was Pulau Unum.

In the most North Eastern part of Pulau Tekong, there still lie one offshore fish farm. Which is extremely developed. The Prima Aqua Fish Farm.

Prima Aqua Fish Farm North of Tekong

The coastal area of North East Tekong was mostly mangrove. In one of the most North East Corner of Pulau Tekong lies a disused pier off a radar tower. (1.419098, 104.080412)

Disused Pier off a Radar Tower.

Having visited one of the most Northern Eastern Island: Pulau Unum as well as the unreclaimed northern eastern coast of Pulau Tekong, I feel privileged.

Glad to have seen all these before there are further developments.