Pulau Upeh, Melaka
Pulau Upeh is located off the beaches of Tanjung Keling, only a 30 minutes ferry ride from the town's jetty. Pulau Upeh is a turtle sanctuary. There's a resort on the island which offers visitors a chance to witness the beautiful Hawksbill turtle nesting at the island beaches. The island is one of the few sites in the west coast that has regular turtle sightings.
Pulau Upeh formerly known as 'Liha Das Pedra' meaning places of stones. During the Second World War, Pulau Upeh was used as a look-out point for invading battleships in the Straits of Malacca. It is also believed that this island was a pirates stop-over and hide-out.
Pulau Upeh has an interesting history behind it. Used as a lookout point back in WWII, it was also believed to be a favourite port for pirates. Back then, those protecting the land could see invading warships from afar. The pirates are gone, but Pulau Upeh is still a good vantage point and visitors staying over will enjoy the ocean view from its chalets. There are also conference facilities, a coffee house and pool.
Hawksbill Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle (Pulau Upeh), One of the Earth's rare species, the Hawksbill turtle is a medium-sized marine turtle with a hawklike beak and a thorny shell. Brown and lightly striped, these turtles find their ideal resting ground on the island of Upeh. The egglaying season is from March to June but visitors can expect to catch sight of at feast a few turtles every night throughout the year.
How to get there
To get to the islands, one can book a ferry ride from the Shahbandar jetty, next the tourist information centre at Jalan Kota. Alternative speedboat ride to Pulau Besar is also available at Umbai jetty.
Credit to : http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2883
Labels: Hawksbill Turtle, island, Liha Das Pedra, Melaka, pulau upeh, WWII
