RM 590 nett

RM 645 nett

Malaysia

Bubbles Dive Resort, Pulau Perhentian Besar, Malaysia + Pinang Seribu

3 days / 2 nights

Starts on any Friday or Saturday between April 29th and August 8th

* Clear aim - to double the 2010 sea turtle nesting population of the Perhentian Islands by 2060;
* Low tourist impact – max 6 people at Pinang Seribu at anyone time, we have started recycling in the islands and we educate tourists;
* Contribution to local community – HOPE use village boatmen and village owned restaurants and accommodation throughout the program and employ 1 villager to stay with us whilst guarding Pinang Seribu;
* Environmental and cultural conservation – we teach all participants about marine conservation and ask them to share their new knowledge. 

During the program we protect a turtle nesting beach and encourage environmentally friendly snorkelling. The islands are designated as a marine park and snorkelling is safe for both young and old. Children as well as adults are sure to have great time swimming among the wonders or marine life, including, of course, the local turtles.  If you have never snorkelled before or are even scared of the water we will ensure you are more confident snorkelling after our initial session.  We will not only teach you about some of the fish and corals you in the area but also help you to do so with minimal impact on the reef.  The tour is a must and starts at Coral Garden to the north of the Perhentian Besar.  You will then go to Turtle Bay and observe green turtles doing what they do best, eating sea grass (the sea grass turns their fat green that is why they are called green turtles).  After viewing the turtles you will go on the search for reef sharks at Shark Point.  The tour is a great way to view the marine denizens of the Perhentian Islands.

Perhentian
The Perhentian Islands are renowned as being the most beautiful islands in Malaysia and welcome droves of tourists and backpackers each year. The waters are crystal clear and turquoise whilst the forests are lush green and teeming with life.

Your 1st night will be spent in the isolated bay of Tantung Tukah, which was HOPE’s first project site, at Bubbles Dive Resort and Centre. Bubbles is a resort which wants to spread its love of nature to its tourists. The resort was started by Ronnie, Pei See and Eric Ng who still run the resort along with two Aussies - Libby and Shrimpy (Eric). The beauty and the isolation from the outside world of the bay attracted them; it is undoubtedly the most beautiful bay in the Perhentian Islands. Another attraction was the Green Turtles which can be seen nesting on the beaches from March to September, with turtles nesting most nights May until July. Turtle hatchlings are released from June to October.

The project has the backing of all four major stakeholders – the villagers, the Perhentian Islands Operators Association, Marine Park and the Department of Fisheries. Through collaborating with all the stakeholders this project is truly a sea turtle community conservation project supported by of course our volunteers and facebook fans. The local community (villagers and tourists) are the main cause for turtle declines in the Perhentian Islands and this project aims at rectifying the problems they cause to these majestic creatures.

Aim of the Perhentian Turtle conservation Project
To double the turtle nesting population by 2060 in the Perhentian Islands
Objectives:

Ensure 100% of turtle eggs being laid in the islands are incubated safely with a hatching success rate of +80% and the collect of vital sea turtle population data;

Educate the various stakeholders about sea turtle and island conservation with focus on school children and tourists;

Collaborate with all major stakeholders – Perhentian village, Perhentian Islands Operators Association, Marine Parks, the Department of Fisheries and other related NGO’s and education institutions;.

Achievements in 2010 (pilot year)

Eliminated all poaching on one turtle nesting beach in Perhentian;

Encouraged the local egg collectors working for the Department of Fisheries to use polystyrene boxes to transport turtle eggs to the government hatchery – increasing the turtle hatchling success rate;

Educated the primary school children of Perhentian during our fortnightly Turtles need Trees Clubs;

Over 4,000 facebook fans which we regularly update and educate about sea turtle conservation and topics;

What we plan for 2011

Eliminate poaching from two turtle nesting beaches in Perhentian and collecting relevant data;

Inject RM100,000 into the village economy through our Perhentian turtle conservation volunteer program – demonstrating to the villagers in Perhentian that they can make money directly from a healthy sea turtle population;

Expand the Turtles Need Trees Club to be weekly and to accommodate 100 children;

Increase awareness amongst tourists throughout the Perhentian islands and at work places and universities in Malaysia;

Establish the start of a self-help group in the Perhentian village promoting self-initiated alternative livelihoods and conservation amongst the villagers in Perhentian;

10,000 facebook fans which we regularly educate about sea turtle conservation and topics

The sea turtles of Malaysia are becoming extinct species by species.  Malaysia was once famed for its Leatherback Turtles but now the largest sea turtle species are virtually extinct from Malaysian waters, two other species of sea turtle the Olive Ridley and the Hawksbill are in a similar situation. Only the Green turtles have a significant population but have still suffered a significant population decline of 80% between 1950-2009.

YOU can help save the SEA TURTLES of Terengganu by being a turtle volunteer with HOPE in Terengganu.

Help Our Penyu, HOPE, is as of 24th of August, 2010 a registered society and non-profit organization in Malaysia (Reg. No. 2103-10-WKL) which through community-based turtle volunteer projects and outreach programs empowers Malaysians to act and save the sea turtles of Terengganu state for future generations.

Turtle conservation via turtle volunteer projects is a favoured way to protect turtles as running hatcheries are labour and fund intensive.  HOPE works in partnership with the Malaysian government providing the much needed manpower and funds to protect these special creatures

Arrive in Kuala Besut before midday, meet facilitator and travel to island. We will take you to the picture perfect bay of Tanjung Tukas where you will stay at Bubbles Dive Resort for the first night.  At Bubbles we will first show you how to watch and record data from nesting sea turtles.  Then you will cool off with a water confidence session and learn how to snorkel in an environmentally friendly manner.  In the evening you will be given a talk about the Perhentian islands and of course the sea turtles.  Later that night you patrol the 150m long beach for nesting turtles (L, D).

Snorkel tour at 9am.  We will take you to Coral Garden, Turtle Bay and Shark Point.  Here you will see colourful corals and reef fish then observe Green turtles eating sea grass.  At Shark Point you may be lucky enough to see a shark and will observe the differences in coral species due to the effects of the monsoon.  Lunch at Bubbles is followed by your assistance at our info booth, spreading environmental awareness to tourists at another popular Perhentian resort.  At the info booth you could help us run a sand turtle contest, a quiz which involves actions or a beach clean all whilst helping to spread love for the island environment.  In the evening you will go to Pinang Seribu to guard the beach with the most sea turtle nests in the Perhentian islands.  At dusk you can see bats leave their roost as the light is replaced by darkness with just the stars twinkling and moon shining down on the bay.  Fingers crossed you will get to experience a mother sea turtle coming to lay her eggs, a really humbling experience and protect them until morning. (B, L, D)

Watch the sunrise and go for a snorkel at Pinang Seribu.  We will then transfer you back to Bubbles where you can take a deserved rest before you take a midday transfer to Kuala Besut

Activity Description

- Guard a sea turtle nesting beach . The beach at Pinang Seribu is untouched by tourists however it is a favoured haunt for sea turtle egg poachers.  Pinang Seribu has around 150 sea turtle nests per year which is the most in the Perhentian Islands.  Through our presence we aspire to eliminate poaching at Pinang Seribu in the same way we have at Tanjung Tukas (Bubbles Dive Resort). The beach at Pinang Seribu is short but with over 150 turtle nests per year it is the main beach for sea turtle nestings in the Perhentian Islands.  On your second night you will guard this beach and collect data about the nesting turtles.  We are assisting the Department of Fisheries through data collection and our presence deters turtle egg poachers from landing on the beach at night.  You will be accompanied by Help Our Penyu staff and a villager and will be sleeping in tents among the rocks at the edge of the beach.  The beach is beautiful and an early morning snorkel is a must.

- Info Booth: Spreading environmental awareness amongst tourists . Use your newly gained knowledge to help spread awareness to tourists who are often unaware of their impact on turtles and other marine life. Tourists are one of the biggest problems for sea turtles in the Perhentian Islands and often do not realise the impact of their actions on sea turtles and other marine life. By educating the tourists about sea turtles and marine conservation you will help to reduce the following issues – harassing turtles (in the sea and whilst nesting), encouraging improper conduct (paying for the release of turtle hatchlings) and standing on corals.  The info booth is basic and portable so we can move to different popular bays around the island.  We engage the tourists in fun activities and competitions such as sand building contests and short quizzes.  By providing fun and engaging activities the tourists will be more interested and become more passionate about marine conservation.

- Snorkelling . You will first be taught about how to snorkel environmentally and then get the chance to visit three snorkel sites with the chance to see a healthy coral reef, turtles and sharks.