Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) diving unit will do an underwater expedition in Bali. The Underwater Nusantara expedition will start on 21 April to September 2017. It aims to reveal and document the underwater condition of the Island of Gods.
Expedition chairperson, Deta Yuli Vera, said the expedition was part of the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the diving unit. The UGM student unit will do the expedition in 30 diving spots.
“The 30 diving spots are situated in the West Bali National Park, Tulamben, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, and Padang Bay,” she said on Tuesday (18/4) on campus.
Deta said the Underwater Nusantara expedition was inspired by the spirit of Prime Minister Gadjah Mada in his Palapa Oath pledged in the14th century. This expedition started from the concerns over the rich underwater condition of Indonesia that can only be enjoyed by the more fortunate people while the young generation of Indonesia can only see them through the media without ever seeing the natural beauty directly in their own lands.
The expedition has the theme Baruna Bali Dwipa that means the guardians of Bali seas. According to Deta, this theme was chosen because behind the massive diving tourism activities in Bali, there are still guardians of culture and sea that preserve this area as model for national tourism development.
The Underwater Nusantara expedition involves 36 members of diving unit, divided into six teams.
“The first team will be dispatched on 21 April, completed with photography and videography equipment. Hopefully, the first batch will run well,” she concluded.