Tusan Beach

Tusan Beach is located about 40 km from Miri, along the Bekenu coastal road. Hidden behind an oil palm plantation, Tusan Beach boasts a long white sandy beach and a beautiful setting to enjoy breathtaking views of sunrise and sunset. There are also a number of small caves along the coast with fascinating rock formations.

A trip to Tusan Beach will not be complete if you didn’t get to witness the ‘blue tears’, a dazzling phenomenon that has attracted many locals and foreign visitors to the beach and the main reason for its popularity in Miri.

The exquisite ‘blue tears’ is caused by a kind of algae called ‘dinoflagellates’. During its blooming time, the algae will produce a glowing blue luminescent light when stimulated by a certain motion and turns the sea water into neon blue as it washes up on the shores.

The phenomenon was first discovered by the locals in October 2015, and it gained popularity after pictures of bright blue lights on the beach gone viral on social media. The ‘blue tears’ create a dazzling sight that is especially captivating at night.

The blue fluorescent light shines through the dark surrounding replicating a night light, which will glow brighter during warmer weather. Nevertheless, the sighting of the ‘blue tears’ phenomenon depends on weather and season.

Tusan Beach is relatively new; hence, it has not been developed. There are some food stalls here set up by the locals. You can also drop by Bekenu, a small fishing town, which is only a 15-minute drive away from Tusan Beach. It has a fish market, several places to eat, and a pleasant esplanade.

How to get there

Tusan Beach is about an hour’s drive from Miri town. It is located along Jalan Pesisir Pantai Miri-Bekenu. It’s location is rather isolated. Visitors have to walk down 30 m from a cliff to reach the beach after driving through an oil palm plantation.