Unit Selam UGM Mengeksplorasi Keindahan Bawah Air Bali Barat
Unit Selam UGM Mengeksplorasi Keindahan Bawah Air Bali Barat
Unit Selam UGM Mengeksplorasi Keindahan Bawah Air Bali Barat
Student Diving Unit of UGM continues with its mission, Underwater Nusantara Expedition. This time, the west side of Bali becomes the focus of expedition. For five days, the team that consists of six students explored the beauty of the underwater in several places, including Pemuteran Village and Menjangan Island.
In Pemuteran, the team explored Biorock Point and Garden of the Gods. Biorock is a coral reefs rehabilitation technology by using an electricity that is generated from a wind turbine and solar power system. The electricity has a low voltage which is only 6 Volts so that it does not electrocute the living things around it. The electric current will stimulate the growth of calcium which is needed by the coral reefs to grow.
From the depths of the ocean, the team saw the biorock clusters that have diverse formations. Some of them even formed the names of people who had contributed to the coral reefs rehabilitation program. This rehabilitation process was initiated due to the bad condition of the coral reefs in Pemuteran. In the past, Pemuteran was a fishing village that often damaged corals. Over time, the residents cleaned up and organized this area. Currently, Pemuteran Village becomes a marine tourism area as well as nature tourism.
After exploring the beauty of biorock in Pemuteran, the team continued their expedition to Menjangan Island. The island that is known for the deer and Bali starling is included in the area of West Bali National Park. The National Park is also known for its oceanic beauty which is the trajectory of Whale Shark. Diving activities in the National Park were done by the team in four spots which were First Post, Anchor Wreck, Second Post, and Eel.
The team performed a tense diving at several points on Menjangan Island. Some diving spots have a high wave characteristics. Despite the difficult characteristics, each spot has its own uniqueness and charm. Anchor Wreck, for example, has the uniqueness of a ship anchor. Many baby eel exist in the Garden Eel, Moreover, Menjangan Island offers many peculiar marine biotas. One of the coral types that dominates these four spots is the Sea Fan.
“There are lots of Sea Fans in here, they are so beautiful, this is the first time for me to see lots of sea fans,” said Rika, one of the team members, on Thursday (10/8).
Through the Underwater Nusantara Expedition, the Diving Unit of UGM tries to know the beauty of cultures and natures in Bali Island directly.