When we were young , our mother told us the story of how one of our ancestors saved his enemy from drowning in the Sadong Tidal Bore. It could have been a fictional creation of someone. But usually when it comes to the Iban Traditional Oral History, the story may just be true.
It was known that the two little prahu were sailing home to the longhouse. And unknown to the rowers of the prahus, a tidal bore was on the rise. Suddenly the height of the river increased by more then tenfold. And water started to rush into the boats. One slipped through a wall of water and came up the right way. Screams were heard as the darkness spread throughout the land. The bore came and went away as suddenly . And then nothing was heard again.
The boat with the Ibans from Skrang, paddled by our ancestors, were once more floating and moving upwards. In the darkness they thought that the other boatmen were save too.
A few hours later, they heard the call of help from one person. When they rowed nearer to him, they found that he was a man who had been very antagonistic towards them. He was vile, he said bad things about them, and he had even brought a curse upon them. But the head of the boatmen agreed to take him in after deciding to throw some stuff out of the boat . They had gone trading with the Malays in the Kampong.
Thus this boatload of people rowed to a safe haven and lived to tell the story of how one man was saved from a tidal bore by one boat that was very blessed.
In times of adversity, the Ibans in the longhouse, continue to shower help to each other. Beautiful thought indeed. Great value indeed.
As children we grew up with stories like these and we learned about the natural ways of our people and the geography of our beloved land. Our mother, being a geography teacher, was always teaching us about anything we asked. Every moment was a teaching moment for her.
Today, the Sadong Bore is a tourist spot.
Why do we have tidal bores?
Tidal bore is a solitary wave formed when a rising tidal front tries to enter a shallow and narrowing river with high tidal range from abroad estuary. In the process, the tidal front is retarded by the river flow and the bed friction start to build up. When it reaches the critical point, it breaks and moves forward upstream as a rushing wave called tidal bore. As it travels upstream, it will decrease in height and velocity and eventually dies out due to energy dissipation.?
Good examples of tidal bores in Malaysia, can only be seen at, Batang Sadong, Batang Samarahan and Batang Saribas in Sarawak.Sri Aman is situated about 194 kilometres by road from Kuching City.
Batang or River Lupar flows from the Klinkang Range to South China Sea with river length of 275 kilometres. Geographically, Batang Lupar has a big opening at the rivermouth and becomes narrow when it reaches upstream. It is believed that tidal bore starts at Pulau Seduku located about 44.6 kilometres from river mouth and 34.5 kilometres from Sri Aman town. Tidal bore or locally known as benak occurs everyday with different wave lengths and heights. However, during spring tide, normally on the third and eighteenth day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, tidal bores with high magnitude can be observed clearly. (The Chinese Lunar Calendar is easily obtainable from any Chinese shop in Sarawak. And the Sarawak Almanac faithfully keeps three calendars in one : the Gregorian, the Islamic and the Chinese Lunar Calendars - a great gift to give to any one!!)
No detailed study has been made by scientists but based on local knowledge,the River Lupar Bore has a velocity of about 7 km/hr to 18km/hr with heights at times reaching to more than 3 metres. The formation of tidal bored depends on several factor as listed below:
Tidal range: neap tide & spring tide
Shape and slope of the river
Overall depth of the river channel
Weather condition and flow of river at upstream
the Sarawak State Government has designated a Pesta Benak (Tidal Bore Carnival) in Sri Aman as one of yearly activities in the Sarawak tourism calendar. The objective of Pesta Benak Sri Aman is to introduce Sri Aman town through tourism and encourage tourist from in and outside the country to visit Sri Aman. Apart from it, Pesta Benak is also to encourage harmonial spirit among local community.
Besides the normal food fair, games, local dances, and other competitions, every year, the festival would provide a ride with longboats braving the waves.
We are including a large number of other world bores in this posting.
Amazon Pororoca, Macapa, Brazil '...at the mouth of the Amazon, in the Canal do Norte, the most expansive tidal bore in the world pushes a volume of water 16km wide into the basin...'
Araguari Pororoca, Amapa State, Brazil '...the most feared pororoca produces a bore upto 3m high travelling in excess of 15mph and was recently conquered by local surfers...'
Aramia Bore, Western Province, Papua New Guinea '...only a single written account has been found for this bore...'
Capim Pororoca, Para State, Brazil '...another pororoca under the scrutiny of surfers, which forms a confluence with the Guama at Sao Domingos...'
Cassipore Pororoca, Northern Amapa State, Brazil '...eyewitness account of a 2m tidal bore, but no further records...'
Colorado River Bore, Baja California, Mexico '...a historical bore, diminished of its power by irrigation and damming upriver, which still produces great floods on the salt plains...'
Daly Bore, Northern Territories, Australia '...a bore exceeding a metre has been documented pushing 30km inland, but no additional information available...'
Dee Bore, Clwyd, Wales '...a small bore, upto half a metre, which crosses the border between Wales and England...'
Dordogne Mascaret, Aquitaine, France'...fueled by the Gironde estuary, this wave peaks in early autumn at around a metre, as bore riders of all sorts gather in St Pardon...'
Fly Bore, Western Province, Papua New Guinea '...the tides of the Papua Gulf flood this basin in the rainy season, but a bore of over a metre has been observed...'
Ganges Tidal Bore, Khulna, Bangladesh'...G Darwin documented a five metre tidal bore in the late nineteenth century, now the bore regularly heralds the devastating storm surge...'
Garonne Mascaret, Aquitaine, France '...sister to the Dordogne, this mascaret flows out of the Gironde and through the city of Bordeaux...'
Gironde Mascaret, Aquitaine, France '...source of the largest mascaret in France at the current time, the bore is clearly visible before the river forks...'
Great Ouse, Norfolk, England '...this bore was prominant in the great floods of 1953, when a giant surge sent a two metre bore wayward through the streets of King's Lynn...'
Guama Pororoca, Para State, Brazil '...this large bore, first sighted by the explorer Martius, can exceed four metres in height, and has become a popular challenge for local surfers...'
Guajara Pororoca, Para State, Brazil '...this pororoca forms more than 150km inland on a tributary of the Amazon, deep in the Amazon basin, where accessibility is a problem...'
Hebert Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada '...a small bore can be viewed from the River Hebert highway bridge 30 minutes before the Maccan river bore reaches the viewing park...'
Herbert Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada '...a small bore, sourced from the Avon River, reaches the rickety Herbert River bridge...'
Hugli Tidal Bore, West Bengal, India'...revered for the destruction it has caused to ships, this two metre bore terrorizes the shipping routes to Calcutta...'
Kent Bore, Cumbria, England '...at the northern end of Morecambe Bay, this small bore meanders its way across the Milnthorpe sands...'
Lune Bore, Lancashire, England '...we have been informed of a small bore in this river mouth at the southern end of Morecambe Bay, needs confirmation...'
Lupar Benak, Sarawak, Malaysia '...this tropical tidal bore can reach two metres in height, is popular with tourists, and has been captured in detail on still...'
Maccan Tidal Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada '...a small half metre bore can be observed well in advance as it winds its way towards the town of Maccan...'
Mahi Tidal Bore, Madhya Pradesh, India '...observation only, we have found no accounts of for this west Indian river...'
Mearim Pororoca, Maranhao State, Brazil '...only confirmed by observation this river feeds into the Atlantic 600km south east of the Amazon basin...'
Meghna Tidal Bore, Khulna, Bangladesh '...the eastern branch of the Ganges delta, this river is likely to be affected by the great monsoon surges, and a tidal bore has been observed...'
Mersey Bore, Cheshire, England '...a very small bore, observed and illustrated by Tricker, occuring shortly after the Dee bore just to its south west...'
Moju Pororoca, Para State, Brazil '...a deep inset river where a three metre bore has been observed, but no further corrobaration...'
Mont-Saint-Michel Bay Mascaret, Haute Normandie, France '...small mascarets are regularly observed in the bay's channels, and occasionally these have breached the Cousenon, Selune and See rivers...'
Narmada Tidal Bore, Madhya Pradesh, India '...as with the Mahi to its north, no documentation to corroborate this bore has been found...'
Ord Tidal Bore, Western State, Australia '...this bore appears to have been recognised during a field trip around the Cambridge Gulf into which the river drains, no further accounts...'
Orne Mascaret, Basse Normandie, France '...a couple of accounts have described this mascaret sourced from the large tidal range of the English Channel...'
Parrett Bore, Somerset, England '...a bore reaching about half a metre, that has been observed in several historical accounts, passes through the town of Bridgewater...'
Petitcodiac Mascaret, New Brunswick, Canada '...this bore is only a remnant of its former majesty, although much work is being undertaken to restore the glory and size of this famous bore...'
Prince Regent Tidal Bore, Western State, Australia '...located deep in the heart of a nature reserve north of the Kimberleys this river is not easily accessible for confirmation...'
Pungue Tidal Bore, Sofala, Mozambique '...a colleague heard about this one during travels through the country, but no corroborating records available...'
Qiantang Dragon, Haining Province, China '...it's been said many times, the outstanding monster amongst tidal bores, and strongly worshipped by the Chinese, with myths a plenty...'
Sao Francisco Pororoca, Alagoas/Sergipe Border, Brazil '...a single account of this pororoca has been found in a promotional context for tourism, further corrobaration needed...'
Salmon Tidal Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada '...this Bay of Fundy bore, is located at the eastern end of Cobequid Bay and can produce a metre high bore past the town of Truro...'
Sadong Benak, Sarawak, Malaysia '...one account, but no further documentation has been found...' (see above)
Tidal Bore Phenomenon
Tidal bore is a solitary wave formed when a rising tidal front tries to enter a shallow and narrowing river with high tidal range from abroad estuary. In the process, the tidal front is retarded by the river flow and the bed friction start to build up. When it reaches the critical point, it breaks and moves forward upstream as a rushing wave called tidal bore. As it travels upstream, it will decrease in height and velocity and eventually dies out due to energy dissipation.?In Malaysia, tidal bore phenomenon can only be seen at Batang Sadong, Batang Samarahan and Batang Saribas in the state of Sarawak.Sri Aman is situated about 194 kilometres by road from Kuching City. The unique phenomenon of tidal bore occurrs in Batang Lupar. Batang Lupar flows from the Klinkang Range to South China Sea with river length of 275 kilometres. Geographicaly, Batang Lupar has a big opening at the rivermouth and becomes narrow when it reaches upstream. It is believed that tidal bore starts at Pulau Seduku located about 44.6 kilometres from river mouth and 34.5 kilometres from Sri Aman town. Tidal bore or locally known as benak occurs everyday with different wave lengths and heights. However, during spring tide, normally on the third and eighteen day of? the Chinese Lunar Calendar, tidal bores with high magnitude can be observed clearly.
There is no detailled study on the tidal bore Batang Lupar. However, based on naked eyes observation, the velocity of the tidal bore is about 7 km/hr to 18km/hr with heights at times reaching to more than 3 metres. The formation of tidal bored depends on several factor as listed below:
Tidal range: neap tide & spring tide
Shape and slope of the river
Overall depth of the river channel
Weather condition and flow of river at upstream
Sarawak State Government recognises Pesta Benak (Tidal Bore Carnival) in Sri Aman as one of yearly activity in the Sarawak tourism calendar. The objective of Pesta Benak Sri Aman is to introduce Sri Aman town through tourism and encourage tourist from in and outside the country to visit Sri Aman. Apart from it, Pesta Benak is also to encourage harmonial spirit among local community.
Pesta Benak 2003 was been held in Sri Aman on 17 April to 20 April 2003. In conjuction with this festival, there were many events organized such as development exhibition, food fair, karaoke competition, Pesta Benak Sri Aman Seminar 2003, culture and art performances, development exhibitions and others. In conclusion, tidal wave festival has made the area a popular spot in Sarawak for visitors, you can join in the fun and hitch a ride with the longboats or just watch the boatman braving the waves. You can even immerse yourself with the local culture at the food fair, good music and dance performances that are part and parcel of the festival.
Samarahan Benak, Sarawak, Malaysia '...another of the Island's bores with only one account...'
Saribas Benak, Sarawak, Malaysia '...this bore features in stories of pirates, but no further accounts have been found...'
Schubenacadie Tidal Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada...currently the largest Fundy bore, reaching two metres in height, this is a popular location for zodiac rides in the rollercoater tide...'
Seine Mascaret, Haute Normadie, France '...exceeding six metres with terryfying irregularity, this great bore may at times have rivalled the Dragon, but now has been almost eliminated...'
Severn Bore, Gloucestershire, England'...the home birth place of bore surfing and the most outstanding bore in the UK reaching upto two metres height, with many associated legends...'
Sittang Tidal Bore, Tenaseerim Border, Myanmar '...this monsoon influenced bore wreaked havoc on military ships trying to pass over the river during the second world war...'
Solway Firth Bore, Cumbria Northern Border, England '...reputed to have caused great problems for conquering armies, and still a threat to people being caught unawares fishing on the banks...'
St Croix Tidal Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada '...a tidal bore reaching a metre can be observed on this Windsor basin river from the local Tidal Bore View Farm...'
Stewiacke Tidal Bore, Nova Scotia, Canada '...on the western side of the Minas Basin, rafting trips are offered to observe this small bore...'
Tempisque Tidal Bore, Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica '...local fisherman have confirmed the prescence of a bore but no further accounts found to date...'
Trent Aegir, Lincolnshire, England '...the second most famous bore in England, with a head wave reaching a metre...'
Turnagain Arm Tidal Bore, Alaska, USA '...simply the most picturesque, and coldest, environment of any tidal bore, the arm is surrounded by mountains where a three metre bore can form...'
Victoria Tidal Bore, Northern Territory, Australia '...another Australian river for which no corrobarating information has yet been found...'
Wager Bay Tidal Bore, Nunavut, Canada '...single account of 15 foot tidal bore from the Wahington Post (25.06.95), located just south of the Arctic Circle at the highest latitude of any bore...'
Wye Bore, Gloucestershire, England '...very rare, a bore has been observed in this tributary of the Severn Estuary when the tides have reached their maximum range...'
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