We pull out of Denpasar terminal in a creaky old bus and head for the hills. The urban chaos is soon replaced by the Bali of picture postcards; lush valleys terraced with rice paddys, fields of ripening corn, and dense forests. The air is clear and cool, so cool that for the first time in months I put a jacket on. After a couple of hours we reach a ridge that offers panoramic views of mountains tumbling to the sea, the road descends rapidly and drops us on the steaming coast of Northern Bali. The beaches here have black volcanic sand and are dotted with palm trees, fishing boats and small coastal communities. Pearl, fish and seaweed farms fill the shallow inlets.
It is dusk by the time we arrive in Pemuteran. The sun has set behind the mountains and streaks of pink and crimson shoot out from the craggy peaks. A waxing moon slowly rises over the tranquil sea casting a soft shimmering light. The incoming tide brings gentle ripples to the waters edge in a scene that is infinitely calm and peaceful. A smattering of resorts are strung along the beach and candle lit tables are placed on the waters edge.
Pemuteran Bay is pretty in a humble kind of way, but it’s unassuming appearance belies the fact that just meters off shore lies one of the biggest and most ambitious coral reef restoration projects in the world. Ancient reefs that had been battered by man and by nature have been revived with a revolutionary technology called Bio-Rock which uses low level DC currents rigged to metal structures to stimulate coral growth. Kerang Lestari (Everlasting coral reef project) is made up of 45 structures stretching over 1000 feet in front of the Taman Sari Resort.
Early the next day I rent a mask and snorkel, wade through the shallows and am soon immersed in a futuristic underwater wonderland. There is a giant caterpillar, an igloo, a whale, a seahorse all covered in a profusion of hard and soft corals with colours ranging from muted pastels to vivid reds and purples. Trigger fish flitter, dense schools of snapper swim en masse through the structures and hundreds of clown fish play in the soft corals that sway with the current. I see blue starfish, pretty lionfish and slimy Moray eels. It is not just the Bio-Rock that is thriving, but also the reef surrounding it, the table corals in particular are magnificent. Up to 150 species of coral have been documented here and the protected reef acts as a breeding ground for fish thus replenishing stock on the outer reefs.
I chat with Rani one of the project founders, and its diligent archivist, she tells me of their plan to become more eco friendly by using wind and solar power for future Bio-Rock installations. She leads me through the tropical gardens of Taman Sari and shows me a beautiful structure with a Goddess sitting atop a lotus which is awaiting sponsorship. Acting independently Chris Brown of Reef Seen Aquatics Dive Centre has already installed a couple of naturally powered Bio-Rock structures further out in the bay. He also founded the Reef Gardeners and I visit their information hut on the beach to learn more and to organize a boat. The Reef Gardeners program is a fabulous initiative that recruits young people from the fishing community and trains them to maintain and protect the reefs, (as opposed to using and abusing.) Their enthusiasm and dedication is infectious and Kadek, the head gardener tells me that he loves his job and the fact that he is “Protecting the coral for his family and for the future.” We climb onto a small outrigger for the short trip to the outer dive site which is powered by solar panels. It is late afternoon and dark clouds are slung low over the mountains creating a moody backdrop. We reach the platform and are soon exploring a magnificent bommie that is teeming with life and is apparently the biggest in Bali. Crouching on the sea floor is a giant turtle structure, it was placed in the water a year ago and the coral fragments are just starting to bloom. Nearby is the Bio Wreck that was sunk five years ago and is already flourishing with life.
Of course nothing can compare to snorkeling or diving on a pristine natural reef, but it is fascinating, and fun to explore the Bio-Rock structures and heartening to see reefs that have been so vividly brought back to life. Only ten years ago this fragile marine environment had been left devastated by cyanide and dynamite fishing, an invasion of crown of thorn starfish, and coral bleaching caused by El Nino. When coral reefs die the fish disappear, livelihoods are threatened and beaches and shoreline are prone to erosion due to destruction from the waves. Without the reefs, there is little of interest to divers and tourism slows to a trickle.
Pemuteran was saved by far sighted village leadership and a group of dedicated residents: Pak Agung, owner of Taman Sari resort is a Balinese nobleman with an environmental streak, and worked tirelessly with long term resident Chris Brown, to educate the community about the need for sustainability, and slowly but surely the fishermen understood. Adat (traditional law) was applied to create a no fishing zone, the cyanide fishermen were chased off, and a marine security force was put in place. Yos of Yos Divers then invited Professor Wolf Hilbertz who had discovered Bio-Rock and his organization, the Coral Reef Alliance to become involved. The Alliance was impressed by community efforts to conserve the reef, and donated their time, energy and knowledge, and the first Bio-Rock structures were placed in the sea in 2000. Using a process known as Mineral Accretion technology, coral fragments are planted onto the metal structures which are rigged to low voltage electric currents. Minerals are attracted to the coral, the coral adheres to the structures and grows at an accelerated rate of up to five times. It also produces a veritable super coral that is hardier and more resistant to changing water temperatures and pollution.
Reef revival is just the tip of the ice burg in Pemuteran. With it came social and economic rejuvenation and the growth of eco tourism, not in terms of solar panels, compost toilets or recycling water, but eco tourism in the sense that a number of projects are in place that protect the environment and give visitors the chance to become involved in grassroots conservation. Kerang Lestari has won numerous environmental awards but is funded entirely by private donations and operates on the tightest of shoestring budgets. You can help the project and ‘Sponsor a baby coral’, or sponsor an entire structure, while divers are encouraged to make a voluntary donation of RP 20,000 (or more) to PET (Pemuteran Environment and Community Trust).
Back on land I visit the Turtle Hatchery at Reef Seen. Project Penyu aims to protect living sea turtles, and also those not yet born, by buying eggs which would otherwise have been eaten, and protecting them until they hatch. Visitors can sponsor and release a juvenile turtle and experience the joy of carrying it to the waters edge and watching it swim to freedom. Chris also sponsors a local dance group and you can watch the girls rehearsing the ‘Spirit of the Turtle dance’ at Reef Seen and see their live performance on Saturday nights.
Pemuteran makes an ideal base for exploring the Bali Barat National park which covers 77,000 hectares. The park is popular with hikers due to its pristine forests and coastal savannah, it also incorporates the nearby island of Menjanagan, a place of thick mangroves, desert beaches, forests and prolific bird life. The reefs that surround the island provide the most magnificent dives sites in Bali, with dramatic vertical walls, grottos and soft coral formations.
While underwater pursuits are the biggest draw card, Pemuteran also makes a really pleasant escape from Bali’s southern sprawl and provides a very different island experience. Beach sellers are not permitted so you can chill out on a deck chair, and get through a meal without being pestered to buy a DVD or a wood carving. Beach side resorts such as Taman Sari provide comfortable and well priced accommodation, and small guesthouses can also be found on the main road. Follow a track through groves of coconut palms and into the village where life is gentle and unhurried, or take a sunset stroll and weave through the beautiful wooden fishing boats that rest on the sand. You can also visit the biggest temple in northern Bali, or soak in natural hot springs.
As much as I enjoy the ambience and the scenery, for me the real magic of Pemuteran is experiencing first hand the way a community can rally together and actually make a difference. For more information or to make a donation check the following websites, or take a trip to Pemuteran and see for yourself….
