Kelongs –traditional wooden fishing structures ubiquitous to Southeast Asia – once dotted Singapore’s waters. In the 1940s, 254 licensed kelongs produced 60% of Singapore’s seafood. Today, only a handful remain.
In 2024, the owners of Kelong E63 contacted the National Heritage Board (NHB). As Kelong E63 retained many traditional elements practically unchanged from kelongs in the past, NHB decided to undertake the digital documentation of Kelong E63.
The National Heritage Board would like to thank Timothy and Maureen Ng for their generous support in facilitating the digital documentation of their kelong.
A Structure Between Two Worlds
The kelong presented a unique opportunity to document an operational site rich with intangible cultural heritage. Workers and sometimes the owners typically live onboard the kelong as they are required to work odd hours. The nets are raised twice a day during low tide, using a combination of a diesel pulley system and a manual winch. The combined weight of the catch, seawater, and the net itself is extremely heavy. Such work requires immense strength and physical dexterity. Any missteps with the manual winch could cause serious injury to the operator.
The daily catch reflects the marine life of the Johor Straits. Most fish are low value "trash fish" used to feed the adjoining fish farm E63C, whilst more lucrative catch are sold at markets or to restaurants and resellers.
A Hybrid Documentation Methodology
As a dynamic structure existing both above and below water, Kelong E63 required a radically different technical approach from typical documentation methods.
The team combined traditional fieldwork with digital heritage documentation. A unique digitisation methodology was designed, which includes terrestrial and underwater 3D scanning and modelling workflows. The owners and workers were essential partners in this process. Documenting the kelong was not just about capturing its physical attributes, but also the stories that made it a living, working structure. Anthropological fieldwork, which included oral history interviews and observation, laid the foundational groundwork for this documentation.
Above Water: Precision and Challenges
Terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging technology) scanning was used to produce detailed 3D scans of the above-water structures, while sonar scanning was used to capture the underwater structures. However, the floating fish farm attached to the kelong created unexpected problems. Strong tides caused constant movement in the structures, causing in significant "ghosting" effects in the scan results. This required careful manual correction of the collected data.
Hi-resolution photogrammetry of the structure was done using comprehensive image data captured using drones and high-resolution cameras. This data was merged together with the 3D scans to develop an accurate 3D model with hi-resolution textures.. The complex framework of intersecting wooden beams created numerous challenges that required extensive post-processing.
Below Water: Navigating the Unknown
Sonar scanning documented the underwater stakes that form the kelong's foundation. A six-person diving crew supported these operations, timing scans during low tide when water was clearest. Despite careful planning, poor underwater visibility and communication difficulties between divers and surface teams hampered progress.
Creating Immersive Digital Experiences
All documentation will be combined into an interactive digital platform with six viewing modes showcasing different aspects of the kelong - from a bird's-eye view to ground-level walkthroughs using stitched 360° videos. Users will be able to choose their own journey through clickable interactive hotspots rather than following a set path.
Balancing Technical Precision with Human Experience
The physical experience of approaching Kelong E63 by boat – marked by sea spray, nearby fishing vessels, and the smell of fish – cannot be replicated digitally. However, the virtual experience offers two key advantages: anyone with access to the internet can “visit” the kelong, while the extensive documentation provides historical, cultural, and operational context.
Kelongs like E63 represent an important part of Singapore's maritime heritage and connection with the sea, embodying more than 150 years of fishing heritage that has witnessed Singapore's transformation over the decades. From the Bugis-Malay pawang rituals that blessed their construction to the Mazu worship that protected their operations, kelongs served as sites where cultural traditions merged and adapted to life at sea. The documentation represents the wealth of traditional knowledge - from the tacit knowledge and physical prowess of maintaining and running a kelong to an intimate understanding of the rhythms of the tides - embodied in kelong operations. The history of kelongs, and Kelong E63, represent the ongoing negotiation between tradition and modernity that define Singapore's character.
Documenting Maritime Heritage for Future Generations
This project demonstrates new ways for documenting maritime heritage in Southeast Asia whilst considering more holistic, user-centric approaches. While challenges remain - particularly in data integration, accessibility, and underwater accuracy – the project demonstrates how heritage documentation can move beyond traditional written reports focusing on the physical structures. By combining fieldwork with technology, we can capture the living, breathing aspects of kelong life.
The team at NHB hopes to record not just the kelong's physical form, but to ensure that at least part of its "life" and stories remains accessible to future generations in digital form.
