Malay traditional dance from Terengganu. It is an ritualistic dance performed to appease or invoken the spirits of the sea are always accompanied by a unique song also called ‘Ulek Mayang’. An traditional orchestra comparising drums, gong, violin and accordion accompanies the dance.

Turtle fishing in Fiji is prohibited by Government during their breading season which falls from 1st November to end of February. \nDuring turtle season, men of Qoma island fish for turtles from Tuesday to Friday for 2 - 3 weeks of the month. Turtle fishing will require a group of 3 to 4 men who will not return home until Friday afternoon unless there is a catch. \nThe trip will be commanded by the oldest person, and will cover considerable large geographical area, fully devoted to turtle fishing. Once the turtle is sighted, a variety of methods may then be used for its capture. \nDuring the day, turtle fishing is done at high tide when the fishermen make careful observations as they pole their punt near the reef or reef edge. Turtles can easily be distinguished from rocks deep down in the sea or can be sighted when they surface to breathe. \nOnce an identification is made, the net is quickly placed (viri) to block the likely escape path that the turtles will take out of the reef. The disturbance (samu), is then started close to the shore or the other side of the reef and continues as the party advances, attempting to drive the turtle towards the placed turtle nets. This type of fishing may continue from high tide to when it is completely dry with the occasional placing (viri) and retrieving (yavi) of nets consequent to the sighting of turtles.

Men's Knowledge of The Sea\nThe ocean has always been a part of our Palauan identity. It sustains our livelihood and provides a setting to learn and transition from a boy into a man. Respect of the ocean is a core value instilled at an early age. Women and small children glean the shallow reefs for sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and clams. Young men go with their fathers and uncles to learn how to fish the reefs, lagoons, channels, and open sea. The elders teach young fishermen about the annual, seasonal, and lunar cycles of the wind, the tide, the currents, animal behavior, and the cues of flowering and fruiting plants to ensure the best harvest. Slowly, they learn the right technique, time, and place, to sustainably harvest certain species. Young fishers learn how to construct, use, and maintain their fishing tools. Fishing families are renown for their skills in handling throw nets, surround nets, hand nets, spears, spear guns, fishing weirs, fish and crab traps, and fishing lines. Fishing enables men to bond with each other and their children through an exchange of valuable knowledge and skills. They share the bounty of a good harvest and bring joy and pride to their clan and the community.

Lawasau (meaning sacred net) is a traditional fishnet for catching turtle, made from coconut sinnet knotted into a mesh approximately 30cm square. \nThis traditional fishnet is owned by the people of Qoma Island, with total land area of approximately 22 hectares, situated on northeast coast of Vitilevu mainland, Fiji. \nThe turtle fishnet is believed to be the extension of the net owner’s morality because it is believed that turtles can only be caught if the ancestral spirits are satisfied with the fishermen’s behavior and are supportive of them. \n

This graceful dance of worship is the most popular in Terengganu. Ulek Mayang was performed as a healing ritual for fishermen who fall ill at sea or while carrying out their daily activities. Some illnesses were believed to be caused by sea spirits and could only be cured by calling upon the spirits of the sea and sending them back to the dark watery depths. In a ritual performance, some of the performers will fall into deep trance. The performance tells the tale of a sea princess who falls in love with a fisherman while he is at sea. The princess steals the fisherman’s soul, causing him to fall into a trance-like state of semi-consciousness. Once they are back on land, the fisherman’s friends ask a bomoh (traditional healer) to restore his semangat (spirit) and bring him back to health. The bomoh conducts a healing ritual for the fisherman using a mayang (coconut palm blossom), kemenyan (benzoin resin) and offerings of coloured rice. He summons the spirit of the sea-princess, who calls upon her five sisters to help seize the object of her desire. A tug-of-war ensues between the bomoh and the six princesses for the soul of the fishermen. Finally, the seventh and eldest princess arrives and sends her sisters back to sea with these words: “I know your origins, let those from the sea return to the sea, let those from the land return to the land.” She thus releases the soul of the fisherman and restores his health. Ulek Mayang is traditionally performed by seven female dancers, each dressed in an elaborate costume with a regal headdress and flowing yellow sash. Three to four male dancers perform the role of the fishermen and bomoh. The graceful gestures of the female dancers are reminiscent of the undulating movements of the sea. The dance is accompanied by a small music ensemble comprising a rebana (frame drum), accordion, and seruling (flute) or serunai (double-reed oboe). The contemporary version of the Ulek Mayang is performed in almost every formal state function and event.

This graceful dance of worship is the most popular in Terengganu. Ulek Mayang was performed as a healing ritual for fishermen who fall ill at sea or while carrying out their daily activities. Some illnesses were believed to be caused by sea spirits and could only be cured by calling upon the spirits of the sea and sending them back to the dark watery depths. In a ritual performance, some of the performers will fall into deep trance. The performance tells the tale of a sea princess who falls in love with a fisherman while he is at sea. The princess steals the fisherman’s soul, causing him to fall into a trance-like state of semi-consciousness. Once they are back on land, the fisherman’s friends ask a bomoh (traditional healer) to restore his semangat (spirit) and bring him back to health. The bomoh conducts a healing ritual for the fisherman using a mayang (coconut palm blossom), kemenyan (benzoin resin) and offerings of coloured rice. He summons the spirit of the sea-princess, who calls upon her five sisters to help seize the object of her desire. A tug-of-war ensues between the bomoh and the six princesses for the soul of the fishermen. Finally, the seventh and eldest princess arrives and sends her sisters back to sea with these words: “I know your origins, let those from the sea return to the sea, let those from the land return to the land.” She thus releases the soul of the fisherman and restores his health. Ulek Mayang is traditionally performed by seven female dancers, each dressed in an elaborate costume with a regal headdress and flowing yellow sash. Three to four male dancers perform the role of the fishermen and bomoh. The graceful gestures of the female dancers are reminiscent of the undulating movements of the sea. The dance is accompanied by a small music ensemble comprising a rebana (frame drum), accordion, and seruling (flute) or serunai (double-reed oboe). The contemporary version of the Ulek Mayang is performed in almost every formal state function and event.

Inta fishermen, Inle Lake, Myanmar. 1993

Fishermen on poles, Weligama, Sri Lanka, 1994