Ten miles south of Port Dickson town in Negeri Sembilan is a short stretch of beach popularly known as “Blue Lagoon”. It is a truly beautiful beach being protected on the left by Cape Rachado, on the right by an outcropping of rocks and in- front of it by a small coral reef that is barely visible at low tide.
It is not a lagoon in the strict sense but I suppose the coral reef helped in giving it an impression of being one. it is more of a small bay and the seawater in it is really blue.
To get there we used to have to travel along a narrow winding road through the secondary jungle. Now a straight road had been cut through the jungle right from the main road to the beachfront. Getting there is no longer a hassle but much less exciting than before.
The first thing that strikes one on seeing the beach is the feeling of peace and tranquillity. A few years ago before modern condominiums were built next to the beach, this feeling was even clearer. Even so, the condominiums sort of quietly blend in with the generally peaceful atmosphere of the beach.
With tall stately coconut palms a shady pine trees surrounding the fine white sand it is easy to see why many people flock to Blue Lagoon on weekends and holidays. One could say that the setting here is not unlike that described as a “tropical paradise” by some western writers.
When the tide comes in, one could swim around to one’s delight. The stretch of water that is suitable for swimming is only about three hundred meters long, but it is about one of the loveliest stretches of water one can ever find. The beach that is close to Cape Rachado and the rocky outcropping is not very -suitable because of mud and sharp rocks. So as long as one remains in the center of the bay, it is a sheer watery joy.
When the tide is low, the water virtually disappears from the bay. The clear blue sea gives way to pale wet sand interspaced with tidal pools. In these shallow tidal pools can be found crabs, clams and other little marine creatures. Hundred of little red crabs, crawl out to forage on the wet sand. it is always quite a sight to see these red creatures spread out all over the exposed sand. When approached these little ones merely bury themselves in the sand and nothing short of digging will make them come out. You have to be pretty quick if you ever hope to catch one of these fellows before it buries itself underground.
Right on the boundary between the sea and sand is the small stretch of coral reef mentioned earlier. It used to be teeming with fish and the view underwater (with proper equipment) was simply beautiful. Sadly though much of the lovely corals were destroyed by man. Nevertheless one can still see colorful fishes at play among the corals. Sometimes one can see a fisherman or two trying to catch these fishes.
At the next change of tide, it is prudent to head for the beach as quickly as possible. Here at Blue Lagoon high tide brings the water in very quickly and woe betides anybody who gets caught by the sea that suddenly becomes too deep. There were cases of drowning here before. I was nearly a victim once too. I learned to respect the sea. A shallow tidal pool only ankle-deep can turn into a six-foot-deep sea in a very short time. So safety-first is the best policy to adopt here. When the tide comes in, keep close to the beach and enjoy the sea.
For those who would rather remain dry, sitting on a mat placed on the sand in the shade is one of the most enjoyable experiences to be had. The breeze is cool and soft. One can hear birds chirping and squirrels scurrying about. on the trees nearby. Then there are always the blue waters to rest one eye on. Ah, life is gentle and peaceful.
It does not really matter whether it is on a weekend if you happen to get to P.D, drop by at the Blue Lagoon and play in its blue waters, or simply sit down quietly for a change. It is wonderful.