Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

2023's New Year's countdown marked the return of the fireworks display at Marina Bay since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

However, it also brought to light the end of a longstanding maritime tradition of flares fired from ships anchored off Singapore, according to Singaporean photographer, Darren Soh.

Set up camp, only to be met with darkness

In a post to Facebook on Jan. 2, Soh wrote that he had headed to a "vantage point" as per usual to view the ship flares on New Year's Eve – Dec. 31, 2022 – only to realise that things had changed.

As the clock struck twelve, the sky remained dark, and "nothing happened".

Speaking to Mothership, Soh shares that he has been taking photographs of the ship flares, on and off, as part of his New Year's Day photos for over a decade.

He had even previously shot them from as far as Toa Payoh, because they used to be visible from "really far inland".

However, that night, it was a quiet affair Soh elaborates:

"I was completely shocked and different trains of thought started to go through my head - did the hundreds of ships moored off the East Coast Park decide to follow the Indonesian timezone this year? Did they all exchange for new flares just before Dec. 31?"

Soh added that the brilliant flares have been set off from ships not just in Singapore but in several parts of the world to usher in the New Year, for "as long as he can remember".

Generally, flares have a three-year shelf life, so the firing is supposedly one way to expend expiring flares.

However, Soh described starkly of the night:

"After 10 minutes, there was one flare. Then a second. Then that was it. [...] For years, I could depend on the ships to do this one thing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day but my faith was suddenly shaken."

Not allowed as it can be hazardous to aircraft operations: MPA

After doing some research, he realised that the longtime maritime tradition is now illegal in Singapore and has been since Dec. 2021.

According to a post published by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on Dec. 28, 2022, directing laser lights at aircraft and firing of flares for non-emergency purposes is prohibited.

In an annex attached to the publication, a Dec. 9, 2021 notice by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) detailed to those in the marine community that doing so are considered as offences "under the Air Navigation Order".

According to the memo, this is because the flares or lights can "confuse, distract, or cause discomfort to pilots, and can be hazardous to aircraft operations, especially during the aircraft’s critical phases of take-off and landing."

As such, those convicted of breaching this order can be fined up to S$20,000 for the first offence, and fined up to S$40,000 or jailed up to 15 months, or both, for the second and subsequent offences.

Soh laments: "And so, a longtime tradition witnessed by many but yet still unknown to some is killed."

"Happy New Year Singapore, please treasure what you have and make as many photos as you can, because you never know when it will be taken from you."

A memorable custom

Soh also told Mothership that of all the shots he has taken, the one taken of the ships in the Eastern Anchorage off Marine Parade, shared Jan. 1, 2015, has remained his favourite.

He explains that then, the skies over the Eastern Anchorage had "lit up in red" and describes it as an experience that is hard to compare to the fireworks display, as it is less planned.

"You never knew how many flares to expect every new year as it was highly spontaneous."

Related story:

All images courtesy of Darren Soh and Wee Jiahui