Dive in to Earth Day 2011

Story by Si Penyu
Photos by Ilyas Sapiyan and Si Penyu

When Hui Min said she needed volunteers for the “Dive in to the Earth Day 2011” programme (23-26 April), I did not hesitate to join. I wanted to meet new friends and also get first-hand experience educating school children on our environment. But, boy! I got more than that at the end of the trip!

I carpooled with Hui Min, Phoon and Fiona. We spent a night at Mersing and met the rest of the participants – Jeff, Carol, Wan Yeng, Teik Gee, Owen and Cheng Tuan at Mersing Jetty the next morning. The ferry ride took us another two hours to reach Tioman. My reaction when I saw Panuba for the first time was “wow!” 

Dive in to Earth Day participants, from L to R: Ilyas, Fiona, Carol

Hui Min and Wan Yeng

Later that afternoon, while the others geared up for their first dive, Hui Min, Phoon, Fiona, Ilyas and I headed to Sekolah Kebangsaan Tekek to conduct a half-day programme for the kids. 

Drawing his way to a 2nd prize win

Ilyas with the 1st prize art winner

Hui Min asked me to become the emcee for the event! I’ve never emceed in my life before! I was nervous at the beginning and finally gained confidence as the kids were responsive and did not disappoint me one bit! 

The programmed kick-started with a talk on “Hutan Hujan Tropika” by Ilyas. Later, there was a drawing competition themed “Haiwan dan Persekitarannya,” an environmental-themed game, tea break and a beach cleanup.

I’ve been contemplating taking up the Advanced course for a while now and finally signed up. I was assigned to Juergen Koch and got to choose three specialty dives and two compulsory dives (Deep Dive and Navigation Dive). I did three dives for the first day, including a night dive. Juergen made sure that I was comfortable with the dive site before taking me to my first night dive. He even tested me on finding my own way back beneath the bubbles before my night dive.

Deep dive safety stop. Nitrogen narcosis anyone?

The next day was the anticipated deep dive. I finally got to dive with the rest of the crew. We went to Soyak wreck. It was nerve-wrecking as we descended. It took a while before I could see the bottom. After two days and five dives, I’m now a certified Advanced Open Water Diver!

One of the most memorable dives that we did was the unintentional “Search and Rescue” dive at the Marine Park. The visibility was bad. After a while, we realised that we had lost three divers. Juergen finally decided to ascend and abandon the dive. So lesson learnt in this dive: (1) always follow the divemaster, (2) if you get lost, ascend and abandon the dive. But in our case, since our tanks weren’t even half empty and Juergen is an experienced divemaster, we descended again as soon as Juergen saw the bubbles of the missing divers underwater. We communicated through sound, by tapping on the tanks and the diving slates! We finally found them and continued the “Search and Rescue” dive and found a man with an umbrella underwater!

On the last night at Panuba, we had a BBQ. Hui Min did a great job preparing the food. Chicken, fish, potato and corn (I never knew Carrefour’s corn was so yummy!). We did another two dives the next day before heading back to Kuala Lumpur. We reached KL around 10.30pm. It was a great trip! Yes, I did meet new friends. Best of all, is that we share the same interest – diving, nature and photography! Thanks to Hui Min for organising such a great event! Hope to see you guys again in the near future!

Explore Tioman by Sea & Land

Dates: 1-4 July 2011 (Fri-Mon)
Location: Tioman Island
Cost: RM460 for members, RM530 for non-members (includes 1-year MNS membership).

MNS Marine SIG and the Nature Guides are organising a joint 4D/3N trip to Tioman Island, promising an unforgettable experience for naturalists and city slickers alike. Over a 4-day period, you will stay at Juara Mutiara Resort, enjoy two days of snorkelling, a morning trek to look for the famed Rafflesia, and a trek to a lovely waterfall. Besides that, the “night life” enthusiast will find the night spotting walk exciting indeed. What are you trying to spot at night? Well, we hope to see a mousedeer or two.

What’s included in the package?

4D/3N triple-sharing accommodation with air-con, Tioman round trip ferry ride, return land transport (Tekek – Juara – Tekek), all meals (breakfast + lunch + Dinner + BBQ Dinner), two days of snorkelling, three jungle walks, a visit to the Marine Park building area, a visit to Tekek (where you can do your duty-free shopping).

Tekek School KPA Programme

Each time the Marine SIG organises a trip to Tioman, a programme will be conducted for the Kelab Pencinta Alam at Tekek Primary School. Your trip payment will help to sponsor this programme, which includes a talk/ slide show, some arts & crafts fun, a beach clean-up, and a tea break.

To book your place, please pay a deposit of RM100 by 1 June 2011. For more information about this trip, and to register, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714, khor.hm@gmail.com). Places are limited, so book your spot soon!

Dive in to Earth Day 2011

Dates: April 23-26 (Sat-Tues)
Location: Pulau Tioman

The Marine SIG of MNS Selangor Branch is having a special programme in conjunction with Earth Day (22 April) at Panuba Bay, Tioman Island. We will be organising a PADI Open Water Course and also Advance Open Water Course. People who want to do some diving are also welcome. We will also be having a half-day programme for the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) of Tekek School.

The 4D/3N Open Water/Advanced Open Water package includes:

1. Stay at Panuba Inn Resort, Tioman Island (twin/triple sharing)
2. Ferry between Mersing & Tioman (2-way)
3. Course materials
4. Dive equipment
5. Breakfast on 24, 25 & 26 Apr
6. 1 BBQ dinner
7. 1 beach cleanup

All course participants are encouraged to bring their own masks, snorkels & fins. Divers can bring their own equipment or rent from the dive centre. For diving trip rates, please contact me. Also, your trip payment will sponsor the Tekek school programme entirely.

Travel to and from Mersing is by carpooling/bus, where the costs will be borne by each individual themselves.

OPEN WATER COURSE
Member price: RM 1240
Non-member price: RM 1310 (includes 1-year MNS membership)
Please make booking payment of RM200 by Tuesday, 7 March 2011.
Please make full payment by Tuesday, 15 March 2011.

ADVANCED OPEN WATER COURSE
Member price: RM 1140
Non-member price: RM 1210 (includes 1-year MNS membership)
Please make booking payment of RM200 by Tuesday, 7 March 2011.
Please make full payment by Tuesday, 15 March 2011.

Interested individuals are to contact Khor Hui Min (email: khor.hm@gmail.com, mobile: 017-881 7714) for booking as soon as possible, as places are limited. Email and SMS are preferred. Calls after 6pm, please.

 

 

Top dive spots closed due to coral bleaching

By EMBUN MAJID 

ALOR SETAR, July 22, 2010: Several dive sites at two of the top diving destinations in the world — the Pulau Tioman marine park in Pahang and Pulau Redang marine park in Terengganu — are temporarily off-limits to divers and snorkellers until end-October.

They are among three marine parks — the other being Pulau Payar in Kedah — which are affected by coral bleaching, a phenomenon caused by global warming that has increased sea water temperature by 2°C to between 28°C and 29°C.

Marine Park Department director-general Abd Jamal Mydin said the affected dive sites in Terengganu were Teluk Dalam, Tanjung Tukas Darat, Tanjung Tukas Laut, Teluk Air Tawar, Pulau Tenggol and Teluk Bakau; and in Pahang they were Pulau Chebeh and Batu Malang.

In Kedah the affected sites are Teluk Wangi, Pantai Damai and Coral Garden.

Three islands in the vicinity of the Tioman marine park that have been temporarily closed are Pulau Regis, Pulau Soyak and Pulau Tumok in Pahang.

“The closure means that no diving and snorkelling activities will be allowed at the sites.

“In Pulau Payar alone, the damage to coral is estimated at between 60% and 90%,” he told a press conference in Langkawi yesterday.

The department said it would limit the number of visitors to Pulau Payar from 400 to 200 daily during the closure.

Abd Jamal said it was necessary to close marine parks and islands to protect the coral reefs which had turned white.

“We are monitoring the extent of coral bleaching at all marine parks in the country. In the meantime, we are building artificial reefs and coral transplants,” he said.

Each year about 500,000 tourists, including foreigners, visit each of the marine parks.

Reef Check Malaysia general manager Julian Hyde welcomed the temporary closure of the marine parks, saying the corals needed time to recover.

“Corals are like the human body, Although the body can recover from a disease, it still needs time to rest,” he said.

Current climatic conditions have caused water temperatures to rise, thus affecting the corals, making them vulnerable to predators and disease, he said.

“Human activities will also have an impact on the reefs,” he added.

Malaysian Nature Society’s head of conservation Yeap Chin Aik said the department should actively get local universities and experts involved in saving the reefs.

 

Source: The Star Online 

Tioman airport extension off

For many years, MNS has been engaged in an on and off campaign to conserve Tioman’s rich biodiversity from being threatened by over-development. Projects such as the marina in Kg. Tekek was objected to by MNS and other enviromentalists but we lost and it was built. The ‘house reef’ at Tekek is still there today, but it is just a shadow of its former ecological glory.

On March 8th 2009, the Ministry of Transport announced that the Tioman Airport Extension project has been cancelled, bringing (hopefully) to an end, a project that would have brought negative environmental impacts to Tioman. It is good news to us all and we thank all members, fellow environmentalists and nature lovers who have given their unflagging support on this issue over the years.

MNS will continue to keep its eye on Tioman and still push for the island to be managed sustainably and this approach must be taken for all marine park islands in Malaysia.

We hope that all members will continue to assist the secretariat in being our eyes and ears and inform us of activities on these islands that are contrary to the spirit of conservation of our marine eco systems and heritage.

The fight is not over, we need to still do more but, for now, thank you for your continued support and congrats to us all. How you can help further the cause is by rallying more members into MNS so that our conservation voice gets louder and more effective – please sign up at http://www.mns.org.my.

Tioman – A Trip to Remember

Story by Malini Madiyazhagan
Photos by Khor Hui Min and Gary Phong

We were fortunate to see this Rafflesia – Khor Hui Min

I do not think 500 words will be enough to describe to you the adventures I experienced on this 4-day 3-nights trip (11-14 April 2009) to Pulau Tioman. What enticed me at first was the desperate need for a getaway in order to temporarily remove myself from the daily routine of work, work and more work. I chanced upon Hui Min’s invite for this trip – the phrase “promising an unforgettable experience for naturalists and city slickers alike” enticed me and I signed up straight away.

The trip began on a Friday night by bus en route to Mersing. The journey (all 10 hours or so in total) to Tioman was long but anticipated. We had to take a ferry ride from Mersing to Tioman Island, and then a 4-wheel drive ride from our stop at Tekek to Juara, on the other side of the island . It was the 4-wheel drive OR a 3-hour trek to Juara. Obviously, the decision was unanimous for the former. Thank goodness, as we had to conserve our energy for what was coming next!

Our activities for the next few days ranged from sea adventures to land adventures. The afternoon of our arrival, we received a complimentary crash course by our very own Wee Liem on snorkelling. I had never snorkelled before the trip, and Wee Liem’s do’s and don’ts were much appreciated. All were on board for the test snorkelling in the water that afternoon, and I speak for everyone on the trip when I say we could not get enough of it! The underwater world is one that is truly magical. While we were busy learning snorkeling, Hui Min, Lee Sah, Wong, Yong and Haryati went to Tekek School for the annual Marine SIG Kelab Pencinta Alam programme there. The kids truly enjoyed the entertaining talk on birdwatching by Haryati, besides the poster-drawing competition, tea break and beach cleanup.

Most exciting game of scrabble or vocable ever – Khor Hui Min

Some of us spent our first night on the island night-trekking in search of mousedeer. I believe this was the most talked about activity on the whole trip, and one to never forget about. The trek began at the resort, where we had to climb 4 (very steep) hills to an entrance in the forest. This trek lasted close to 2 hours. Then we began our 1.5 hour journey into the forest with 5 very able guides in search of mousedeer. We must have been a very lucky lot as we managed to see many other animals besides the mousedeer – from snakes and forest rats, to a chameleon and semut api (fire ants), which we painfully could not avoid. The only thing which we anticipated to find, but thankfully did not have to encounter were the leeches. But we were prepared in advance with our leech socks pulled up high and tucked into our dependable adidas kampung shoes. (Thank you Gary on your insight on this!) The trek left us thinner and exhausted, but very satisfied with ourselves. One accomplishment in this lifetime accounted for!

The second day was an all-day snorkelling agenda. We started the day with a beach cleanup and duty free shopping at Tekek, after which we hopped from the marine park to coral island, despite a gloomy rainy day, and braved the drizzle by swimming amongst the corals and fish in the sea. Our night activities were pleasantly memorable – 30 people dominating a beach front hall with lots of booze and board games at hand – I shall leave the rest to your imagination due to my word limit constraint.

The third day heralded a trek to a waterfall in Kampung Asah and the much awaited Rafflesia walk. This final trek in search of the Rafflesia was easy in comparison to the night trek on the first day. Our advantage was that we had daylight and a 4-wheel drive to take us to the entrance into the forest! We ended our final night at Juara with a BBQ and karaoke session. A perfect conclusion to a memorable adventure.

The final day of the holiday was spent mostly travelling back to the mainland. By this time, I had made 29 new friends, learnt more about the sea and land and couldn’t wait for the next MNS getaway! Tioman, to me, was truly a trip to remember.

Thirty enthusiastic and friendly people – Gary Phong

 

 

 

 

 

 

PADI Open Water Course (4D/3N)

Dates: Aug 15-18 (Sat-Tues)
Locations: Sri Hartamas (theory) Tioman Island (practical)
Course fees: Member price: RM 1,200 Non-member price: RM 1,270 (includes 1-year MNS membership)

In view of the popularity of the PADI Open Water Course we organised in April 2008, the Marine SIG is having a similar course in August 2009. As usual, the payment collections from the trip costs will fund our programmes with the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) activities at Tekek School, which the children look forward to every year.

This trip package includes:

1. Theory classes at Sri Hartamas, from early July to early August, prior to trip
2. Course materials
3. Stay at Panuba Resort, Tioman Island
4. Speedboat from Mersing to Tioman, and from Tioman to Mersing
5. Dive equipment (encouraged to bring own mask, snorkel & fins)
6. Breakfast on 16, 17 & 18 Aug
7. 1 BBQ dinner
8. 1 beach cleanup

Travel to and from Mersing is by carpooling/bus, where the costs will be borne by each individual.

Please make booking payment of RM200 by Wednesday, 1 July 2009.
Please make full payment by Wednesday, 15 July 2009.

Interested individuals are to contact Khor Hui Min (mobile: 017-881 7714, e-mail: khor.hm@gmail.com) for booking as soon as possible, as places are limited.

Explore Tioman by sea & land

Dates: 11 – 14 April 2009 (Sat – Tues)
Location: Tioman Island, Pahang
Price: RM360 for members, RM430 for non-members (includes 1-year MNS membership)

The Marine SIG and the Nature Guides are organising a joint 4D/3N trip to Tioman Island, from Saturday, 11 April to Tuesday, 14 April 2009, promising an unforgettable experience for naturalists and city slickers alike. Over a 4-day period, you will stay at the Juara Mutiara Resort, enjoy 2 days of snorkelling, a morning trek to look for the famed Rafflesia, and a trek to a lovely waterfall. Besides that, the ‘night life’ enthusiast will find the night spotting walk exciting indeed. What are you trying to spot at night? Well, we hope to see a mousedeer or two!

What’s included in the package?
Dorm accommodation, Tioman round-trip ferry ride, all meals including a BBQ, 2 days of snorkelling, 3 walks, a visit to the Marine Park information centre area, and a visit to Tekek (where you can do your duty free shopping).

Tekek School KPA Programme
Each time the Marine SIG organises a trip to Tioman, a programme will be conducted for the Kelab Pencinta Alam at the Tekek Primary School. Your trip payment will sponsor this programme. This year’s programme will include a talk and slide show by the Nature Guides, some arts and craft fun, a beach clean-up and a tea break. And don’t worry, because we’ll somehow manage to find time for a beach clean-up for the adults too.

For more information about this trip and to register, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714). This trip is also listed in the Calendar of Activities section. Places are limited, so book your spot soon!

Bookmark this trip!

Dive in to Earth Day 2008: Tekek children’s programme

By Khor Hui Min

The Marine SIG has a fondness for the children of the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) of Sekolah Kebangsaan Tekek, for which we try to conduct activities annually. I conducted the half-day children’s programme on 19 April, a last-minute switch requested by the school’s teacher advisor.

But because the speaker was delayed by her transport, we started the programme with the T-shirt design competition. The teachers helped with the judging. The winners were delighted when they received chocolates as prizes. The winning design would be printed on new Marine SIG children’s T-shirts.

After the tea break, we all set out to Tekek beach, where the children were divided into groups, with a few black garbage bags each. In half an hour, they collected a large amount of rubbish, while the tourists sunning themselves in front of their small hotels and resorts looked on. Teacher Khairul persuaded me to give a speech, which ended the successful school children programme.

Dive in to Earth Day 2008: Dive trip

By Hew Er-Win

I had my concerns when I signed up for the “Dive in to Earth Day” event as I was totally foreign to MNS and only got to know about it via my friend June. After I googled MNS, I soon found myself driving down to Mersing. Reaching the island, I was tired and to further add salt to the wound, it was a dark and gloomy morning, an almost sure sign that it was about to rain.

But with a twist of luck, and after a nap, things started to look better (that or I was less of a grouch!). The sun was up, the ocean was calm, and we all enthusiastically got geared up to dive. Struggling to set my BCD and regulators to the air tank, I was feeling a tad bit embarrassed, as it has been almost a year since my last dive. But I eventually got my act together and my dive gear was ready to be carried to the boat. It was then that I found out that there were tanks on the boat and we could use them. Saves the trouble of carrying the heavy tanks back and forth. Lesson learnt that day – always pay attention to the divemaster!

The boat ride was most relaxing and upon reaching our dive site, Greg, our divemaster, gave a quick explanation on what we would be seeing underwater and a reminder on hand signals (which is important, because if you tried saying “OK” with a thumbs up sign underwater, you are literally telling someone that you need to go up to the surface!).

Finally underwater, all the hassle of travelling and gearing up was forgotten. The view underwater was definitely beyond words. We were very lucky as the visibility underwater was really good. We had good sightings of underwater creatures, such as common coral fishes, turtles, bat fishes, moray eels, puffer fishes, black-tip sharks, baby barracudas, cuttlefish and the list goes on. Sadly, another group spotted manta rays at the exact dive spot we were diving at, but we missed them. We even tried diving at the same area the next day, but alas, we were not as lucky.

As for me, my favourite dive area would be Batu Malang, where there’s an amazing cluster of potato reefs. The whole area looked like someone dumped a truckload of potatoes into the ocean! And to add on to the masterpiece, one could easily spot fan coral, tabletop coral, cabbage coral (which someone commented looked more like cauliflower) and much more. If you looked closely, you could also spot colourful nudibranchs.

It was a trip to remember and I definitely miss the island. Amazingly, throughout the dives, there was so little rubbish to pick up that we couldn’t even fill up a bag. Picking up rubbish from the coral reefs was supposed to be one of the activities during this event.