We made our way to a small quiet town in northwestern Bali called Pemuteran. The town itself doesn’t have much going on except that it’s close to Menjangan Island, which is a small island in a protected marine reserve that happens to be surrounded by a ring of healthy coral reef. Pemuteran is a convenient base for boat trips out to the island for snorkeling or diving.
We did an afternoon of snorkeling and saw some beautiful ocean critters.
Pemuteran does have one interesting feature. Someone got the idea a handful of years ago to transform Pemuteran from a poor fishing and logging town, which was quickly destroying the surrounding environment, into a tourist destination where money would flow into the community because of local efforts to protect the environment. His task was to convince people that it would be more profitable to protect wildlife and encourage it’s growth than to simply extract from it until it’s gone. Personally, I find it to be an insightful approach to environmental protection. As heartbreaking as it may be, money will motivate people more than their appreciation for wildlife. One of the most valuable resources they have around Pemuteran is an extensive coral reef, which has largely been destroyed by destructive fishing practices. They’ve been on a campaign to heal their reefs and welcome nature-loving tourists.
The community’s transformation is still a work-in-progress but they have an interesting approach to rebuilding their local reef. Literally inches away from the shore along the beaches, and out into nearby shallows, they have put experimental cage-like metal structures which use some sort of mild electrical stimulation to promote the growth of corals, and with the corals come fish and other marine life. It sounds a little strange but it’s working, and where there was once a watery wasteland of dead coral there is now a budding coral reef, rich with life. This young reef is accessible for snorkeling right off the main beach in town. It still isn’t nearly as impressive as Menjangan Island but it’s a promising sight nonetheless.
jim@snorkelbandits.com