It was a beautiful day in Benteng, Selayar. The long island 100 kilometers off the south coast of Bira, South Sulawesi, is known to some as peaceful and marine biodiversity hotspot with a dip, but a different way of Bali, Lombok, or Raja Ampat.
The streets of Selayar parade elevated rustic wooden houses on stilts, painted in bright colors. The air is warm most of the time with the sun, but cool and windy as the sea Landscapes display views unpretentious boats fishing serene beaches and friendly community hubs. wet markets, warungs , multifunctional soccer and diving centers.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Kampung Desa Penyu in Barugaiya, Bontomanai. Kampung Penyu, which covers about one kilometer from the west coast of Dusun Tulang, is dotted with mangroves and wetlands that lead to the black sand beach with coconut groves and the blue waters of the Flores Sea.
In the sand is this fenced area with blue labels on it. These are the grounds on which the turtle eggs are incubated, labeled with the date of hatching, the number of eggs, and the name of the person who adopted them.
Sharben Scuba divers Sileya is one of the initiators of Kampung Penyu. "It is our mission to educate residents of Kampung Penyu to keep the homeland of our ancestors and wildlife that made at home," he said.
My fellow travelers and local children instantly lightened as Sharben brought a bucket filled with chicks in water. As we gathered on the shore, Sharben showed us how to free these young turtles to the sea. "Put them on the floor with his back to the sea, and let them turn around instinctively find their way into water "instructed Sharben
My friends -. Divers Bandung and Jakarta - turned the ritual into a game by lining newborns and racing waters on the obstacles to the hand and ditches. But the stupid humans could not deceive the poor creatures, who showed smart and powerful enough to paddle their way to the sea in minutes.
In Kampung Penyu there are three species of turtles, including hawksbill turtles ( Eretmochelys imbricata ), green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) and sea turtle olive Ridley ( Lepidochelys olivacea ). Despite all the cosmopolitan species are found in tropical waters around the world, their conservation status are vulnerable to critically endangered.
The idea of Kampung Penyu was conceived in July 2012 when Sharben returned to Dusun Tulang Barugaiya in caring for the land of his family. He stayed with Datu, a relative leader and close community. Together they started a conversation about the turtle eggs, which Sharben grandfather used to consume on a daily basis when they were young.
In August 2012, Sharben, Datu and two friends Sileya Benteng Divers inspected the Tulang coast for remains of turtle nests. That was the past breeding season. Instead, the men found that beaches were strewn with marine debris by western monsoon, creating a dangerous environment for nesting sea turtles.
Since then, divers Sileya members meet regularly in Benteng to start a campaign against the sale of turtle eggs. They invited community members and banners installed on local markets in order to familiarize them with laws protecting endangered species.
In order to obtain the support of the community in the eradication of the sale of turtle eggs, Sileya divers Rp.1,000 offset by poachers egg - well above the price of Rp.800 per egg market. From February 2013, inspections were held in local markets to save turtle eggs. 85 eggs were then rescued with redemption compensations given by the Takabonerate National Park. At the end of March, three of the eggs hatch. The rest were damaged have been flushed with fresh water on the market.
After the sad incident, Sileya invited local divers in Tulang to build nesting areas protected good for turtle eggs. beach cleanups were organized to ensure that mothers turtles have safe places to lay their eggs. April 22, 2013, while celebrating Earth Day with the local government and a Makassar travel community, the project was named as "Kampung Penyu"
in early May, 102 of the 104 eggs nestled in Kampung hatched Penyu. Newborns were released into the sea the next day.
Today, Kampung Penyu is a self-funded project members Sileya divers and donors. There is currently one ongoing donor, but many opportunities for off donations through its eggs or turtle adoption program of visits in Kampung Penyu.
Kampung Penyu intends to adopt the remuneration model practiced in Derawan in 05, where the turtle eggs offsets are progressively eliminated former poachers are starting to make a living from alternative livelihood programs sustainable. In Selayar, Sileya divers are training former poachers on the farm of mangrove crabs.
"I would not have started and continued to support the project if it did not benefit the local community," said Sharben. He said he hoped that Kampung Penyu will ensure that future generations in Selayar will still get to see the turtles that call the island home.
In a quiet and relatively isolated island where local life is a love affair with the sea, it is easy to think that Selayar is now free of environmental threats to wildlife. The truth is, even the Selayar marine conservation challenges are still numerous.
The conservation of sea turtles are never only save one or a few species. Rather, it must orchestrating the protection of the entire ecosystem in which they live. With many factors beyond the control of the community - irresponsible net, fish bombing, chemical fishing, coral bleaching, marine debris from other places - there is so much more to save the turtles that hatch in safely eggs
Although Selayar. is a preserved paradise, there is still a lot of beauty in its blissful scenery and marine life zestful. And the fact that the young people of the country do something to preserve it offers hope that beauty will stay a little longer
To visit or make a donation to Kampung Penyu, Contact :.
Mobile +62 (0) 852-5525-8910
Twitter: @SSD_Selayar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sileyascubadivers. Selayar
BIS account Selayar nr. Scuba Divers 0257-01-006731-53-1 Sileya
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