Diving in The Gili Islands, Indonesia : Looking to the future

 

 

Over the course of 2013 Trawangan Dive as achieved many of its long term goals and has been subsequently rewarded for the efforts. However this opens up a whole new area of potential development for the future.

Although we have already increased the amount of accommodation options available to our guests we have also seen a huge increase in the number guests taking diving programs and therefore our accommodation facilities have followed suite and there is now a need for further expansion. Trawangan Dive will be increasing the amount of onsite luxury bungalows to accommodate our continued popularity.

Although Trawangan Dive provide the full range of recreational dive courses, we have seen an increase in customers asking about technical dive programs and therefore have identified this as an area of potential expansion. Over 2013 we have seen record numbers of recreational divers taking PADI programs and therefore have had seen a slight negative affect on the technical division of the dive center. In the future Trawangan Dive wishes to expand it technical dive division to accommodate those divers wishing to take their training to a new level.

As with the professional level courses we have seen record numbers of divers choosing to take our PADI Divemaster Program here at Trawangan Dive. Throughout 2013 the PADI Divemaster Program has been continuously monitored and we will continue to do so in the future, allowing divemasters in training to receive the latest and most up to date training needs whilst also getting a real life taste of working within one of the busiest and best dive centers in Indonesia.

Our Instructor training facility has gone through a number of changes during 2013; all our training facilities and course content has been overhauled and we have developed a close working relationship with PADI allowing us to make sure instructor candidates are not only kept fully up to date with training updates but also kept fully up to date with the ever changing nature of the industry. We intend to carry on providing the best professional and non-professional training possible making Trawangan Dive the only real choice when it comes to serious scuba diving training.

If you wish to be part of the future of diving with Trawangan Dive contact us on info@trawangandive.com

It's a messy job..

Meet Sian Williams, Trawangan Dive’s very own Éco Warrior’.  Sian came to Trawangan Dive in March 2012 to take part in a 2 week Biorock programme.  Naturally, she fell in love with the Island, the Dive Centre (and the staff).  She also saw Delphine Robbe , (Gili Trawangan’s original Éco Warrior’), struggling to single-handedly maintain the island’s growing Biorock, population, control the marine debris, while keeping the island clean of rubbish, and more recently, being a mum.

Sian made the decision to dedicate her life, (or the next few years of it anyway), to helping with the marine conservation of our tiny island. 

Sian is based out of Trawangan Dive.  She is a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, and can also teach the PADI ‘Introduction to Biorock process'speciality.  She dedicates her time to maintaining the Biorocks, running regular beach clean ups, dives against debris, reef check, reef gardening, island clean ups, and generally cleaning up after the thousands of people that pollute Gili Trawangan and the surrounding reefs with non-biodegradable plastic, cigarette butts, glass, flip flops, lighters, light bulbs, fishing line, and fish hooks.

 

This kind of work usually receives little recognition or thanks, but carries with it a huge amount of frustration and stress.  No sooner have you finished maintaining one Biorock, then another one breaks, or gets unplugged, or is destroyed by a storm.  Moments after one beach clean up has finished, another boat load of people wielding a fresh delivery of cigarettes and plastic bags arrives. While most of us go about our normal day not giving a second though about who will pick up that discarded nappy, or who will spend hours unravelling the kilometres of embedded fishing line from the reefs, it’s people like Sian who dedicate their time to tasks like this.

Sian has developed some eco alternatives for divers interested in conservation, marine ecology or just wanting to give something back to the ocean.  

Introduction to reef gardening – Single dive 470,000rp

• Learn how to identify broken, overturned live corals that with our help, have a second chance of survival. 
• Learn how to safely pick up heavy corals and to find suitable substrate to transplant onto for the coral to attach to once overturned and secured.
• Gain reef conservation skills you can take with you travelling and diving around the world
• Dive includes all equipment including protective gloves and briefing on identification of corals to focus on and present reef state around the Gilis.

Dive Against Debris - Single dive 400,000rp

•  Equipped with protective gloves and a mesh debris bag divers will go out in buddy teams to different reefs collecting as much non organic waste as possible.
• Debris is separated, weighed and recorded onto a Project AWARE debris data sheet to submit to Project AWARE
• Dive includes protective gloves and mesh bag, briefing and Dive Against Debris ID guide to know what to look for and collect, data sheets to analyse debris data.

Biorock Fundive –Single dive 400,000

• Learn what a Biorock is whilst diving around the world’s largest concentration of Biorock reef structures.
• Briefing includes why the Gili islands reefs depend on artificial reef restoration. The basics of what a Biorock is and how it is advantageous to Gili islands tourism, fish populations and reefs. 
•  Help our volunteers’ check the structures are on, working properly and harbouring the correct corals. 
•  Bring along your underwater camera and get a picture on our very own Deus motorbike Biorock.
• Dive includes short briefing on the Biorock technology, how long our Biorocks have been established, the age and condition of each Biorock you will see.

Introduction to the Biorock Process, 1 or 2 day PADI speciality 2,000,000rp

•  Learn about coral ecology and the importance of coral reefs in the marine environment. The course raises awareness to the state of coral reefs global and the need for awareness and responsible behaviour to protect remaining healthy reefs. 
•  Divers will also be introduced to the Biorock process and technology and why it is so successful.
• Take part in training to identify damaged coral reefs, the causes of destruction and the use of Biorock technology for restoration and erosion prevention.
•  Learn how a Biorock works and why they are more successful than other reef restoration techniques. Will also gain an insight into how they are advantageous in preventing coastal erosion and eco tourism.
• Gain a PADI Distinctive Speciality certification
• Course includes 2 dives, at least one around the Biorock structures. The divers will learn to identify species of coral and the status of the corals on reefs and also on Biorock structures to compare. You will also learn how to recognize coral bleaching, disease and predation with underwater identification slates, whilst gaining a PADI speciality certification.

Email info@trawangandive.com for more information.

Protecting our reefs for generations to come

 
Trawangan Dive is proud to be hosting part of the 2012 Biorock training workshop. It will bring professional coral restoration experts and lecturers into the classroom to engage participants in all aspects of coral reef restoration using the definitive Biorock method.
 
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the world’s oceans. Just like their earthly counterparts, they occur in tropical and sub tropical environments and support a huge variety of species. They are also diminishing at an alarming rate.

Decline of the Great Barrier Reef

A study published just a few weeks ago revealed that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years. Researchers analysed data on the condition of 217 individual reefs that make up the World Heritage Site. The results show that coral cover declined from 28.0% to 13.8% between 1985 and 2012. They attribute the decline to storms, a coral-feeding starfish and bleaching linked to climate change.

Asia’s Coral Triangle is also under threat 

Another report has warned that more than 85 percent of reefs in Asia’s Coral Triangle are directly threatened by human activities such as coastal development, pollution and overfishing. Launched at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns, it said the threat was substantially more than the global average of 60 percent and urged greater efforts to reduce destructive fishing and run-off from land.

“When these threats are combined with recent coral bleaching, prompted by rising ocean temperatures, the percent of reefs rated as threatened increases to more than 90 percent,” the report said.

The Coral Triangle covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, The Solomon Islands, and East Timor and contains nearly 30 percent of the world’s reefs and more than 3,000 species of fish.

Marine biologists are trying reverse the trend

Marine biologists across the world are desperately trying to protect our remaining reefs. Some are building repositories of the known coral species so that future generations can at least get to see them in aquariums. Others are constructing artificial reefs in areas of significant damage.

Biorock method yields quick results

The biorock method was developed by architect and marine scientist Wolf Hilbertz and marine biologist Tom Goreau. They found that by running a small electrical current through a structure in seawater, a hard shell of calcium carbonate would form on the cathode. You could then attach small pieces of natural coral to the structure. The corals seemed to love these substrates, achieving growth rates often five times faster than normal.

Gili Trawangan – a paradise under threat

Gili Trawangan is one of three tiny coral atolls off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. It is increasingly a compulsory side trip to any Bali holiday, thanks to its white beaches, diving and snorkelling sites and absence of motor vehicles.

The Gili Islands are dependent on a healthy marine habitat for their fisheries, tourism, shore protection and marine biodiversity. This habitat has been largely damaged by combinations of coral heatstroke, disease, storms, global sea level rise, over-fishing and direct physical damage from destructive fishing practices, boats, anchors and tourists.

Without large-scale restoration of degraded habitats to make them capable of supporting larger fish and shellfish populations, there will be fewer fish in the future.

And without healthy growing corals, there will be fewer beaches or tourism income, affecting all business owners on the island.

Tourist attraction

“Right now we around 60 biorock structures around this island,” says Delphine Robbe. “By the end of this year, we should have one hundred.” Since coming to Gili Trawangan in 2005 with a plan to get her PADI Divemaster certification, this Frenchwoman has become the driving force behind the island’s many eco programmes.

Besides stimulating biodiversity, the Biorock structures also combat beach erosion, which became a serious problem with the destruction of the natural reefs. Increasingly, they are an attraction for tourists too. Divers and snorkelers can now see underwater sculptures of a manta ray, trident, dolphin, turtle, octopus, snake, moon and even a komodo dragon.

2012 Biorock training workshop

Gili Trawangan is proud to be hosting the 2012 Biorock training workshop. It will bring professional coral restoration experts and lecturers into the classroom to engage participants in all aspects of coral reef restoration using the definitive Biorock method.

Workshop sessions will cover all aspects of theory and practice including design, construction, installation, monitoring, maintenance and repair of Biorock sites. Additional lectures will cover the basic principles of coral reef ecology, threats to coral reefs, and environmental restoration.

Over the course of the seven day workshop, participants will have the opportunity to use their knowledge as they plan and invoke all the steps involved in constructing, deploying and populating Biorock structures with coral fragments.

After accomplishing the Biorock workshop, certified PADI instructors can apply to PADI to be able to teach the PADI Distinctive Specialty: Introduction to Biorock process.

If you’d like more information about the Biorock workshop and ways in which you can combine the course with PADI professional courses, please contact us at Trawangan Dive.

This article originally appeared on www.idc-gili.com.

Gap year diver rocks the world

Trawangan Dive’s BioRock Distinctive Specialty Course attracts divers from around the world who want to work on a long-term project with a beneficial environmental impact. It is also a very popular choice for many gap year students. One of our latest arrivals is Pippa, from the UK. She joined us a few weeks ago and has captivated us all with her stories, her diving skills and her professional attitude.
 
Tell us about yourself Pippa…

I’m an 18 year old originally from Hampshire, United Kingdom but I now live in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. Yes, where the cheese comes from! I’m currently on my gap year before starting a BSc in Marine Biology with Oceanography at Newcastle University next year.

What made you come to the Gili islands?

I wanted to do something conservation and science-oriented in preparation for my studies next year. At a gap year event at my school, I met Ben from Gap Year Divers and he gave me some information about the Gili islands, Trawangan Dive and the BioRock specialty course. It all sounded so perfect.

I’ve been a diver since completing my PADI Junior Open Water Diver at the age of 10. Since then, diving has been a big part of my life and I’ve had my sights set on becoming a PADI Divemaster for a long time.

In addition, some friends had been to the islands before and had amazed me with stories about the culture, the diving and the parties!

What are your first impressions of the Gili islands?

I’d never been to this part of the world before – this is by far the furthest east I’ve been. Everything is so different – the culture, language and cuisine – but you get used to it very quickly.

The Gili islands themselves are beautiful. In one word – paradise! They really are paradise islands, with white sand beaches, swaying palm trees and crystal clear seas. It’s great that there is no form of motorized transport allowed – it’s makes for a very peaceful environment.

Everyone is so friendly and I’ve felt very welcomed since day one. The locals are always smiling and greet you whenever you meet them, even if you’re just walking down the road. It feels a very safe place.

How are you finding it at Trawangan Dive?

It’s very much a home from home and I felt part of the team straight away. When we arrived, we were met by Adam, one of the managers, down at the harbour. He greeted us with a smile and a hug and then bundled us into a horse cart.

It only took a few minutes to arrive at Trawangan Dive and I have to admit I was impressed. It sits right on the beach, overlooking the crystal waters with Gili Meno on the other side of the channel. It looks professional, clean and welcoming. Which was a relief because you can never really tell from looking at pictures on the internet!

I’ve got everything I need here. The food at the restaurant is delicious and there’s lots of variety, from English breakfasts to Mexican fajitas and Indonesia rice dishes. The backpacker rooms are simple but clean. I’ve got a bunk bed room to myself so I have some privacy.

The diving side of things is very well organized and everyone works together as a team. There are so many nationalities working here – English, Scottish, Kiwi, Australian, Swiss, German, French, etc.

Tell us about your previous diving experience

My father is a scuba diver and as a family we go to Mauritius every year for our family holiday. I always really enjoyed snorkelling on the reefs and when I was 10 years old my father enrolled me in the PADI Junior Open Water Diver course. I thoroughly enjoyed it and even got to dive with a pod of wild dolphins on my last dive!

I also completed my PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver in Mauritius when I was 15 and then my PADI Rescue Diver course back in the United Kingdom. It was certainly a different experience! I did it at Vobster Quay, a quarry in the south of England. The water was cold and murky and there wasn’t an awful lot to see. I had to wear an 11m wetsuit which is neither comfortable nor flattering!

In addition to those places, I’ve also dived in the Red Sea and the British Virgin Islands.

You’re also a PADI Master Scuba Diver! Congratulations!

I’m pretty proud of myself because I worked quite hard for it. I did most of my PADI specialties including Night Diver, Digital Underwater Photography, Research Diver and Underwater Naturalist, at a company called Action Quest in the British Virgin Islands. In addition, I became an Enriched Air Diver.

How is the PADI Divemaster course going?

I love it! It’s really broadening my knowledge and giving me a whole new take on diving. I’m learning to look at dives and divers from a different perspective.

I’ve already been assisting on a variety of courses, from Discover Scuba Diving to Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses. Over the last few days I’ve also been given the opportunity to play the victim on a Rescue course. I’ve been getting a lot of the theory done and have already completed my first theory exam.

I really appreciate the mentor relationship and am learning a lot from Instructor Jo, but I also like that I get to work with all of the instructors. It’s interesting seeing how each instructor has a different style.

What about some of the cool things you’ve seen underwater here?

I saw my first ever shark at Shark Point the other day! We saw a total of three white tip reef sharks swimming in hundreds of circling jack fish and it was so cool.

There are loads of turtles on the dive sites which is brilliant because they are my favourite marine animal. You can’t go on a dive without seeing at least a couple of them.

I’ve also got to see lots of nudibranch that I’ve never seen before and I spent a good 10 minutes watching a cuttlefish lay some eggs the other day. Amazing!

Your BioRock specialty course is starting soon! Are you looking forward to it?

Absolutely. It’s a new concept that I’d never heard of before. Like most people, I’d heard about the decline of coral reefs around the world, and about coral bleaching and the warming of the ocean. I’d even witnessed this decline first hand having dived in Mauritius for so many years. So I became quite excited when I realized I could work on a project that is designed to combat these problems and help the reefs regrow. I can’t wait until we start building our own structure and then get to sink it and attach the coral. So exciting!

It goes without saying that the course will also massively benefit my university course and give me a lot of material and experience to share with others.

Where else are you going on your gap year?

I’m planning on heading back to Mauritius and I’m going to do my PADI Instructor Development Course with the dive centre where I learnt to dive. It’s like going full circle!

Once that’s completed and I’ve got some teaching experience, I’m going to go back to the British Virgin Islands as I’ve been offered a position as part of the dive staff at Action Quest.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

My dream has always been to work with the BBC on a series similar to the Blue Planet. I would love to be a research assistant on a program like that, making brilliant television while getting the chance to see nature’s wonders up close and for real. It would also be quite cool to make David Attenborough a cup of tea…

Best of luck with realizing your dream Pippa! 

If you’re interested in improving your diving skills and learning to become a PADI Divemaster or Instructor on a beautiful tropical island, get in touch with us at Trawangan Dive.

This article originally appeared on the Trawangan Dive website for PADI professional courses: www.idc-gili.com

Save the sharks - AWARE Shark Conservation Distinctive Speciality Course

Sharks are crucial to marine ecosystems. They maintain a balance in populations of prey species and keep the ocean healthy by removing ill or diseased animals. They are an important resource supporting local economies through fishing and as an attraction to dive tourists.

Speciality Instructor Sarah Best (Right) with Roxy, Jill, Sian and Tom

But sharks are in global decline. Overfishing has reduced many shark populations around the world to levels that threaten their continued existence. Shark numbers have fallen by more than 80% in many cases and the continued existence of some species is at immediate risk in some regions.

The Gili islands are no different. Numbers of black and white tip reef sharks have dwindled over recent years due to destructive fishing practices including cyanide and dynamite fishing. In an attempt to reverse this trend, recent changes in legislation have created a marine protected area around the three Gili islands. In addition, the Gili Eco Trust has reached an agreement with local fishermen to designate legal fishing areas and appropriate methods.

Sian supporting Project AWARE

Last month, a group of shark advocates came together to study the AWARE Shark Conservation Dive Distinctive Specialty. Tom, Sian, Jill and Roxy, (who won the course at the AWARE quiz night in April).

The slides were accompanied by some clips from the movie Sharkwater which together produced some horrifying facts and figures, enough to reduce some of the group to tears.  It wasn’t all harsh information though; the slides included some tips on how to identify sharks, the evolution of sharks and pictures of many different species of our aquatic friends.

The first dive of the course was to Deep Turbo.  A dive site known for its amazing formations, healthy coral and changeable currents.  It used to be famous for regular sitings of white tip reef sharks and leopard sharks.  However the group was not lucky enough to see them that day.  We used it as an excuse to clear up some debris and take photos of fishing boats spotted in the marine protected area, which were photographed and reported to the government.

The second dive of the day was to Shark Point.  Donning the shark hats, we embarked on our mission, but again, no sharks were spotted.  A sad realization where two dive sites previously notorious for being home to many sharks are now home to far less, and encounters are becoming a rare treat.

In good news though, all of the shark hats survived the current and are ready for the next course!

Sian & Jill Diving at Shark Point 

The AWARE Shark Conservation Dive Distinctive Specialty is available at Trawangan Dive on request. It’s perfectly suited to those who are passionate about the aquatic realm and who want to learn more about the threats faced by our shark friends.

100% AWARE

AWARE month is now up and running at Trawangan Dive. For every diver we certify we will be donating money to Project AWARE, and each of our divers will recieve a free Project AWARE card! We are also running events through out the month of April making our customers 100% AWARE. 

Keep up to date with all the latest right here:

James teaching

Event Guide for April

Events during April

Supporting the cause

Instructor James!

Trawangan Dive Team!!

Biorock Reef Restoration project with Gili Eco Trust

Since 2004 Trawangan Dive has run a Biorock® Specialty course as well as gaining further knowledge and experience in reef survey techniques and coral gardening. Certain areas of shallow water corals around the Gili Islands have suffered damage by combinations of coral heatstroke, disease, land-based sewage, global sea level rising, over-fishing and direct physical damage. A revolutionary new technology called Biorock® can make this possible.

Gili Eco Trust

The reef restoration project is coordinated by the Gili Eco Trust which works closely with the DKP (Indonesian Marine Conservation and Fisheries). Head of the Gili Eco Trust is Delphine Robbe who oversees the Biorock project around the Gili Islands and here at Trawangan Dive for more information visit www.giliecotrust.com. Since 2004 when the first Biorock® reef was installed many development and research students from Indonesian and other Universities around the world have come to study the Biorock® reef restoration project as part of their Thesis or Masters Degree.




 The Biorock® Process involves a submerged steel structure that applies a safe low-voltage electrical current. Small pieces of live broken coral are then strapped to the structure and have been shown to grow at 3-5 times the normal rate while coral survival under higher water temperatures and pollution increased by 16 to 50 times. The Gili Islands are the second largest Biorock® site in the world, currently home to 63 Biorock® structures and have hosted International Reef Restoration Training Workshops. 

Attaching live broken coral

Our hope is to continue these projects and make the Gili Islands a global centre for coral research and re-growth. This course is currently taking place right now with five students from around the world. The course itself takes 2 weeks to complete. During their training they would learn about coral biology and environmental threats, be trained how to coral garden, survey, conserve, maintain the exciting Biorock® and finally design, weld and submerge their own Biorock® structure to place around the Gili Isles. This program is tailored to you allowing you, it allows you to chose the time frame and the PADI courses you want to do. This can be from the Open Water course through to the Instructor levels as well as a multitude of other specialities. If this is something you are interested in or for further information please email us at info@trawangandive.com we'd love to hear from you! 2012 Program dates: 1st-15th April 1st-15th July 1st-15th October.

Moving the BioRock into the water

Collecting live broken coral

BioRock Shaped as a Turtle

Growth after one year!