Bali, Indonesia Conservation Internship
When divers think of Bali there are a few things that come to mind:
Mola Mola – the iconic “Mola Mola” or Bali Sunfish is a unique looking animal that has captivated divers for years. Their elusiveness and weird features make them a “must” on most divers bucket list of animals to see when diving.
Coral – Bali, Nusa Penida and Lembongan are home to some of the most diverse and healthy coral colonies in the world. Being situated in the coral triangle which is home to more than 600 species of coral, 2000 species of fish and six of the worlds seven species of turtle.
Bali is also blessed with waters cooled from the depths which means that the areas around Bali has not suffered from coral bleaching in the way that many other areas around the world have.
Conservation Divemaster Internship, Bali
Crystal Divers Bali was the first Career Development Centre in Indonesia and as such is passionate and dedicated to preserving the underwater world and have long been a supporter of PADI’s Project AWARE foundation. Now we want to push on and innovate to offer our professional level interns a unique conservation internship that focuses on two of these iconic animals of Bali.
We have teamed up with the Ocean Gardener, which is an NGO founded in 2016, and dedicated to coral reef restoration and coral education. With 20 years of sustainable coral farming experience in Indonesia, working in compliance with all local laws and international regulations, alongside village communities and fisherman associations, Ocean Gardener has a solid foundation that has already provided an alternative livelihood to thousands of coastal families around Indonesia bringing them income as well as preserving and restoring their reefs. They have planted tens of thousands of corals, and want to level up the speed of restoration, by using all the different restoration methods adapted to the different environments and species of corals.
What is Sustainable Coral Farming
Sustainable coral farming is the practice of farming using the principles of ecology, the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment. Using this knowledge Ocean Gardener is able to farm the right species in the right environment giving it the best possible chance not just to survive, but to thrive.
After developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for corals the course moves on to looking at the threats that corals face and the ways we can help. As part of the course you will visit the Ocean Gardener coral farm in Sanur, help to fragment corals and then transplant some corals from the farm onto our house reef in Sanur. Becoming an Ocean Gardener Coral Diver will not only change your perception of corals but all your dives will have an entirely new element to them, giving you a whole new diving experience.
PADI Instructor Internship Bali, Indonesia
Working with Corals alone is not enough we wanted to combine this element with our other passion for our weird looking buddy the Bali Sunfish:
Ocean Sunfish Research is a project that has arisen from the PhD research of Dr. Marianne Nyegaard. Marianne’s research area spanned New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia and she spent 3 consecutive seasons in Bali (2013-2015) as part of her field work to study the incredible phenomenon found here – the annual aggregation of Ocean Sunfish on the relatively shallow reefs around the island.
The Bali Sunfish Photo Identification Catalogue collects photos of sunfish from divers (and sometimes snorkelers), along with the data from that dive, and looks at the unique markings on the sides of the sunfish to identify individuals. This is used to look at such things as resightings, but it has also been incredibly useful over the years for species identification and has spanned across the world, with photos being sent in from USA, Spain, South Africa, Maldives, The Philippines and all across Indonesia to name a few. It was even thanks to the photo catalogue that Marianne was eventually able to confirm that the Bali Sunfish, known famously as Mola mola, is not in fact a Mola mola at all!
In taking this course you will be contributing directly to Ocean Sunfish Research’s ongoing data sets to develop a deeper understanding of the unique phenomenon that happens here in Bali, an understanding that ultimately highlights the importance of sustainable tourism practices and the significance of individual choices.
You will also learn about certain behaviours, recent findings as well as new questions that have arisen from the research so far. You will learn how to identify individual fish, how to take a good photo for identification purposes and help to process photos of sunfish for Ocean Sunfish Research. If you’re lucky you will be able to process your own photos of sunfish and check to see if your fish has been seen before!
These elements are now combined into both our PADI Divemaster Internships and PADI Instructor Course Internships to allow you as the dive professional a way to support these two unique programs specific to Bali. And will enhance your skills and knowledge as an ambassador for the underwater world.
Get in touch with us to find out more about our conservation Divemaster and conservation IDC internships.
