Cargo ship and Marine Polution in Madura Strait of Surabaya port

The ship that we see in the following picture was in Port of Surabaya. The port is located in Madura strait. One of the busiest waters in Indonesia. Every day hundreds of cargo ships, passenger ships, tankers and bulk carrier arrive and leave port of Surabaya. As the second largest city in Indonesia with millions of city dwellers, Surabaya exports and imports various kinds of goods that are transported by the ships. Day by day, the number of ships that sail through the Madura strait is increasing. When I was on a boat in the middle of the strait several years ago, I saw that the color of the sea water was not clear blue anymore. The Madura strait has been heavily polluted by wastes from these ships and from the industrial and domestic wastes that flow to the strait both from Madura island and Surabaya. 

No wonder the quality of marine life in the strait is low. Efforts to clean the strait should be done to improve the water quality in the strait so that marine life can live in the area again. Also read:
Port of Tanjung Perak Surabaya,
Ship displacement and capacity limitation.

Ship and coral reef

Ships are important vehicles that transport cargoes and people. Today, modern ships have bigger size and capacity. In the marine tourism world, cruise ship carries thousands of passengers. It is more like a floating city. The higher the capacity of a ship in carrying passengers or cargoes the better will be its efficiency. However, larger ships with higher number of passengers tend to produce higher amount of wastes. Wastes have three basic forms such as, gas, liquid and solid.
Although there are wastes processing machines in most modern ships at the moment, wastes are still dumped into the sea. These wastes directly cause massive damage in coral reef. Ships also have to avoid mooring in coral reef areas. Their anchors can cause serious damages on coral reef. Please read my post about this matter on an article entitled: Damage in coral reefs caused by anchoring.
I should emphasize that ships are not the only producers of wastes. Coastal towns and cities are the biggest producers of wastes. If we can stop dumping wastes both from the ships and the coastal towns and cities, more coral reef areas can be saved. Our marine environment will be better if millions of tons of wastes that are now floating at the surface of the seas or oceans can be removed.
Also read: Stop throwing plastic wastes into the sea!

The real Oasis of the seas - the coral reef of Manem island and some snorkeling photographs

Only coral reef that should be considered as the real oasis of the seas. Coral reef is the source of food for various species of marine animals. The biodiversity of coral reef makes it richer than the biodiversity of tropical rainforest. We must know that marine tourism is not only about traveling aboard a luxurious cruise ship but also about how we can explore the beauty of the underwater world of coral reef that is home to thousands of species of marine wildlife.  In recent years, coral reefs are suffering massive damages caused by global warming, wastes and destructive fishing. To stop the destruction of coral reef, all ships have to stop throwing wastes into the sea. They also have to avoid sailing over coral reefs that cover the sea bed of shallow waters. 

On July 1 2011, I accompanied two tourists from Finland on a snorkeling trip to Manem island. This small tropical island is located in the Geelvink bay New Guinea. Coral reef that thrive along the shallow waters of the islet is rich of ornamental fish. Some of them were the Orange-Finned Anemonefish (Amphiprion Chrysopterus). These tropical fish would chase the snorkelers if they moved to close to the anemone where the fish lived. 

I used to see dolphins near the waters of the island. They have been the source of food for the islanders. Now, with the coming of tourists who want to snorkel around the island, the preservation of the coral reef should be carried out more seriously. As oasis of the seas, coral reef of Manem island can improve the living condition of the villagers who live along the eastern coast of the Numfor island. It provides food and also additional income to fishermen through eco-tourism scheme.

Also read: Snorkeling in tropical island of Manem in Indonesia

Snorkeling in tropical island of Numfor near Amberimasi village

The tropical island of Numfor in the Republic of Indonesia has several nice places that are covered with pristine coral reef. One of them is the sea area of Amberimasi village. Snorkeling on a budget can be done here. When the weather is bright, tourists only need to walk for around 300 meters to the beach where the coral reef thrive. Beautiful tropical fish live in the coral reef that covers the sea floor in the south of Numpuri islet. When the tide is high, local fishermen spread their nets. They will pull it out of the water when the tide is low catching fish for their daily consumption. 

I see that the islanders in Numfor island already know the importance of coral reef as home to the reef fish that live in it. From my conversations with them, I know that they only use kalawai (fishing spear), hook and line, and net to catch the fish which they want to eat. The impact of this traditional fish catching method is little. Sometimes, I ask boys in Amberimasi village to bring tourists for snorkeling in the area by their wooden canoes. Small financial contribution for their service can help the boys understand the economic values of the coral reef that come from eco-tourism program that I am now promoting for the tropical island of Numfor. Because the coral reef is the source of food, the fish that tourists eat is usually caught from the sea area in Amberimasi village where the coral reef is located.

During my last visit to Amberimasi between 1 and 2 July 2011, I saw the reforestation of tidal area in Warido, Amberimasi and Baruki villages with mangrove forest was not as successful as the one that had been carried out in Kornasoren, Yemburwo and Syoribo villages in the northern coast of Numfor. I hope that villagers will be more serious in reforesting their tidal area to protect their villages from Tsunami that may occur anytime in the future.

The panoramic view of Amberimasi beach with its mirror effect is really fantastic. The water looks still nearly with no ripples at all. When I was traveling with two Dutch volunteers, Jettie and Monique in November 2010, I was able to take some pictures of the still water panorama. Here is one of them.

Numfor island is relatively accessible from Manokwari - the capital of West Papua province in the Republic of Indonesia. By ferry boat, it is around 5 hours and by airplane it is only 20 minutes. Traveling on a budget around Numfor island is possible to be done especially if it is carried out by bicycle. Don't forget to bring your own snorkeling gear and pocket camera that is equipped with waterproof case (check Amazon.com for flexible waterhousing for your camera manufactured by dicapac.com) if you want to explore the beauty of the coral reef in Numfor island by snorkeling and taking picture of it. 

If you are interested in visiting Numfor island and need me as a tourist guide for you, please, contact me at charlesroring@gmail.com.

Also read: Snorkeling and Birdwatching in Dorey bay of Manokwari

Snorkeling and Coral reef preservation in Dorey bay

Raimuti is a tiny islet in Dorey bay of Manokwari. It is surrounded by coral reef that extends in parallel with the coast line of Arfai area of Manokwari. I often bring foreign tourists to the region for some snorkeling activities over the coral reef. Most of the city dwellers in Manokwari do not realize that the marine environment in Dorey bay is very beautiful. The presence of foreign tourists in the coral reef really attracts the attention of the people who live in Arfai region. When the city dwellers see that their coral reef is an important tourist destination, they stop throwing their domestic wastes into the sea.

So, snorkeling as a way to raise awareness among the citizens of Manokwari about the importance of preserving the coral reef environment should be seen as an alternative solution that also brings economic benefits to people in Arfai and Mansinam island areas where this precious underwater world exists. Tourists or snorkelers must also practice safe snorkeling techniques by not standing on the corals.

In recent years, I see rapid physical development on the Arfai hill. Government are now constructing office buildings in the region. Thousands of houses for government employees will also be built on the hill. This development will directly threaten the coral reef due to the increasing amount of waste that will flow to the sea from those houses and office building. I can only pray that the local government of West Papua province will give serious attention to this matter and establish a comprehensive garbage collection and waste management program to preserve this coral reef and protect the marine tourism industry in Manokwari bay.
Also read:
Snorkeling Trip in Manokwari bay of Indonesia
Coral reef fish in the bay of Manokwari