News
Bangka Island declares new Marine Protected Areas in North Sulawesi
One of the highlights of diving with Murex Dive Resorts in North Sulawesi is their stunning House Reefs. Whether you choose to stay at Murex Manado for diving in Manado Bay and the Bunaken Marine Park, Murex Bangka or discover Sulawesi’s top three locations with a Passport to Paradise (Bunaken -> Bangka -> Lembeh) you’ll have a phenomenal dive site just a step off the beach.
Murex Bangka – Beach Front Cottages.
Murex Bangka House Reef is a colorful sloping reef which is home to a plethora of marine species. As you enter the crystal clear waters from Murex Bangka’s white sand beach you’ll be immediately captivated by the shallow reef top, bommies and fields of staghorn corals which attract schools of colorful damselfish. As you venture further from the shore you’ll find the impressive sloping reef which boasts sea fans, hard coral bommies, and kaleidoscopic soft corals.
Bangka House Reef. Photo: Alex Harnisch.
The House Reef is packed with unique critters including pygmy seahorses, frogfish, stingrays, mantis shrimps, octopus, cuttlefish and a host of tropical reef fishes. Remember to keep an eye out to the blue to catch a glimpse of schooling fusiliers and passing pelagics including eagle rays, tuna, barracuda and trevally. With such a diversity of marine life inhabiting the House Reef, the local village of Lihunu were keen to protect this phenomenal site.
The local community of Lihunu village on Bangka Island understand the importance of protecting shallow reefs as both spawning areas and nurseries for juvenile fish. Earlier this year the village decreed that 35% of the shoreline in front of Lihunu village be declared a Marine Protected Area at official village level and they extended the decree to include Murex Bangka’s House Reef. The Decree was also sanctioned by the Marine and Ocean Office of North Minahasa.
Murex Bangka House Reef Protected Area.
In order to support this incredible village initiative, Murex Dive Resorts have contributed to the project by supplying the buoys and ropes which now demarcate the protected areas in front of Lihunu Village and Murex Bangka. Both protected areas are now no-fishing areas.
Diving and snorkeling continues on Murex’s House Reef and Murex are excited to see the impact that this new protection has on marine life. In the near future Murex plans to carry out coral monitoring in partnership with Ocean Gardener in order to track changes on the reef. To ensure that the Marine Protection is enforced, any fishing boats entering either protected area will be reported to the village. Lihunu village will continue to work with the local government and enforce the protection while Murex Dive Resorts will take responsibility for maintaining the boundaries of both zones.
Bangka boat trip.
Lihunu Village has also taken part in Ocean Gardener community training organized by the conservation aware Murex team to learn more about corals and coral farming. This latest development on Bangka Island is one which shows community commitment to reef protection and sustainable fishing in North Sulawesi.
Divers who would like to know more about corals, their importance to diving environments and reef systems, and how to identify different species, are encouraged to take part in an Ocean Gardener course during their stay at Murex Bangka.
Bird’s eye view of Bangka.
Are you planning your next trip to North Sulawesi? Murex Dive Resorts are the pioneers of diving in this spectacular region, are environmentally aware and offer comfortable accommodation in friendly and professional sea front resorts.
For more information or to make a reservation, contact Murex Dive Resorts on reservations@MurexDive.com or view their website: www.MurexDive.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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