Belait Beach
{{Short description|Beach in Belait, Brunei}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox Protected area
|name=Belait Beach
|iucn_category=
|photo=File:Belait Beach 01.jpg
|location=Kuala Belait, Kuala Belait, Belait
|nearest_city=Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara
|coordinates={{coord|4.5921880|114.2121968|display=inline, title}}
|map=Brunei
|relief=
|area=
|established=
|visitation_num=
|visitation_year=
|governing_body= Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Department
|alt_name=Pantai Belait}}
Belait Beach ({{langx|ms|Pantai Belait}}),{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZL9kAAAAMAAJ&q=Pantai+Belait |title=Dari "Pemburu" ke "Terapeutik": antologi cerpen Mastera |date=2005 |publisher=Pusat Bahasa, Departemen Pendidikan Nasional |isbn=978-979-685-480-6 |pages=127 |language=ms |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214210/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZL9kAAAAMAAJ&q=Pantai+Belait |url-status=live }} also known as Kuala Belait Beach ({{langx|ms|Pantai Kuala Belait}}),{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZensAAAAMAAJ&q=Kuala+BElait+beach |title=Penyata pembangunan Negeri Brunei 1953-1958 |date=1958 |pages=69 |language=ms |author1=Brunei |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214018/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZensAAAAMAAJ&q=Kuala+BElait+beach |url-status=live }} is a beach in Kuala Belait, Mukim Kuala Belait, Belait District, Brunei.{{Cite book |last=Brunei |first=Muzium |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W7hwAAAAMAAJ&q=pantai+Kuala+Belait |title=Brunei Museum journal |date=1994 |publisher=The Museum |pages=55 |language=en |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214123/https://books.google.com/books?id=W7hwAAAAMAAJ&q=pantai+Kuala+Belait |url-status=live }} The beach used to stretch from Kuala Belait to Pelumpong Island but was cut and split at Muara Beach.{{Cite book |last=Silvestre |first=Geronimo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QYQAVO-JUn8C&dq=Kuala+BElait+beach&pg=PA141 |title=The Coastal Resources of Brunei Darussalam: Status, Utilization and Management |date=1992 |publisher=WorldFish |isbn=978-971-8709-11-5 |pages=141 |language=en |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214014/https://books.google.com/books?id=QYQAVO-JUn8C&dq=Kuala+BElait+beach&pg=PA141#v=onepage&q=Kuala%20BElait%20beach&f=false |url-status=live }}
Offshore platforms from the South West Ampa Field can also be seen in distance from the beach.{{Cite web |last=activ8bn |title=5 spectacular sunset spots around Brunei |url=https://www.bruneitourism.com/5-spectacular-sunset-spots-around-brunei/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Brunei Tourism |language=en-US |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214125/https://www.bruneitourism.com/5-spectacular-sunset-spots-around-brunei/ |url-status=live }} Seawalls have been built along the coastline in order to reduce erosion.{{Cite book |last1=Chua |first1=Thia-Eng |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VP-OtIaUFswC |title=The Coastal Environmental Profile of Brunei Darussalam: Resource Assessment and Management Issues |last2=Chou |first2=L. M. |last3=Sadorra |first3=Marie Sol M. |date=1987 |publisher=WorldFish |isbn=978-971-10-2237-2 |pages=59 |language=en |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214202/https://books.google.com/books?id=VP-OtIaUFswC |url-status=live }} Activities such as surf fishing do take place on the beach.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-23 |title=Riding on the wave of surfcasting » Borneo Bulletin Online |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/riding-on-the-wave-of-surfcasting/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Riding on the wave of surfcasting |language=en-US |archive-date=27 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627063428/https://borneobulletin.com.bn/riding-on-the-wave-of-surfcasting/ |url-status=live }}
History
In 1930, British Malayan Petroleum Company (BMPC) constructed a telephone line along the Belait coastline which linked up Seria and Rasau.{{Cite book |last=Office |first=Great Britain Colonial |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lNUZAAAAIAAJ&dq=Rasau+Brunei&pg=RA18-PA12 |title=Colonial Reports - Annual |date=1930 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |pages=12 |language=en |access-date=26 June 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214014/https://books.google.com/books?id=lNUZAAAAIAAJ&dq=Rasau+Brunei&pg=RA18-PA12#v=onepage&q=Rasau%20Brunei&f=false |url-status=live }} As of 1934, the beach was used as a highway between the town and Tutong District.{{Cite book |last=Saunders |first=Graham |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DUv8AQAAQBAJ |title=A History of Brunei |date=2013-11-05 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-87394-2 |pages=119 |language=en |access-date=26 June 2022 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108091556/https://books.google.com/books?id=DUv8AQAAQBAJ |url-status=live }} In which a ferry would take passengers across the Tutong River separating the two districts.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9aodAAAAMAAJ |title=Colonial Reports--annual |date=1934 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |pages=25 |language=en}}
At midnight on 16 December 1941,{{Cite book |last=Halim |first=Yura |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EuVuAAAAMAAJ&q=Pantai+Belait |title=Ririsej Brunei Darussalam |date=2002 |publisher=Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei, Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan |isbn=978-99917-0-251-3 |pages=40 |language=ms}} an amphibious assault was carried out by 10,000 soldiers from the Japanese Kawaguchi Detachment at Belait Beach as part of the Japanese occupation of British Borneo during World War II.{{Cite book |last=Saunders |first=Graham |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DUv8AQAAQBAJ&dq=Kuala+Belait+16+December&pg=PA121 |title=A History of Brunei |date=2013-11-05 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-87394-2 |pages=121 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Ooi |first=Keat Gin |author-link=Keat Gin Ooi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Eg_HBQAAQBAJ&dq=Kuala+Belait+16+December&pg=PT306 |title=The Japanese Occupation of Borneo, 1941-45 |date=2010-12-17 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-96309-4 |language=en |access-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502215140/https://books.google.com/books?id=Eg_HBQAAQBAJ&dq=Kuala+Belait+16+December&pg=PT306#v=onepage&q=Kuala%20Belait%2016%20December&f=false |archive-date=2 May 2024 |url-status=live}}
From 2001 to 2005, the Eighth National Development Plan (RKN 8) aimed to build a car park and dumping ground within two separate plans.{{Cite book |last=Brunei |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AIdGQkgTapkC |title=Eighth National Development Plan, 2001-2005 |date=2000 |publisher=Government Print. Department |pages=212 |language=en |access-date=27 July 2022 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502215344/https://books.google.com/books?id=AIdGQkgTapkC |url-status=live }} On 2 February 2020, a company was issued a penalty for illegal dumping on the beach.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-02 |title=Local company fined for littering » Borneo Bulletin Online |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/local-company-fined-littering/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Local company fined for littering |language=en-US |archive-date=18 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118232320/https://borneobulletin.com.bn/local-company-fined-littering/ |url-status=live }}