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Dive Indonesia : Triton Bay Divers Trip Report

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The Scuba Place spent January 2023 exploring four different resorts in Indonesia. This is Part Four and their Trip Report on Triton Bay Divers. Read Part One on Lembeh Resort here and Part Two on Murex Bangka here and Part Three on Murex Manado here.

“Remote, and Worth It” is the strap-line for Triton Bay Divers, this tiny island resort literally in the middle of nowhere – read on to find out if our experience agrees with this opening statement!

Most divers will have heard of the Coral Triangle – THE place to be when it comes to the best diving on the Planet. This is a bold statement we agree, and despite the arguments from the fanatical wreck or cold-water divers, in our opinion, it is pretty accurate!

The Birdshead Seascape is considered to be the epicentre of the Coral Triangle, and the three land masses that surround this area are Raja Ampat, Cenderawasih Bay and you guessed it – Triton Bay. Right in the very middle of the very best place to be – it sounds almost too good to be true!

Triton Bay is some 30 nautical miles from Kaimana, and the journey is all part of the Triton experience. A 90-minute speedboat ride through some of the most spectacular scenery you have ever seen. Speeding across some open ocean stretches, and then zipping through the channels between the islands, up close to the cliff face where the jungle competes with the rock for dominance, and the sea erodes the cliffs, making dramatic vistas in every direction. The bagan (fishing) platforms dot the horizon and are about the only hint of other people you will see.

Our crossing had us arriving right at sunset, one of the most spectacular that we have ever seen, and as we came around the final turn into Triton Bay Divers Resort, I can only say that it genuinely had an emotional impact. This place is, quite simply, breath-taking.

Imagine a mountain face, covered in jungle and palms, coming right down to the shoreline where powder-soft white sand borders the lagoon. On that beach, picture a small collection of authentic bungalows on stilts, each separated by palm trees, and each with a small terrace overlooking the bay. This could literally be the place where Bounty adverts were made! Remote – yes. Stunningly beautiful – yes to that too!

Stiff legs after the speedboat ride may have hampered the climbing out of the boat and onto the beach, and then the sand, as soft as flour straight from the mill, made our first few steps awkward, but nothing will take away the memory of arriving here! Bags are carried to your rooms, all of three to four metres away. Unload the dive kit into the crate provided, settle in, and relax. And then relax again, just to make sure you do it properly!

Each bungalow is a detached timber chalet sitting up on blocks with 4 steps (high enough to keep you dry at high tide), that lead to a timber deck – the perfect place to sit and watch the clouds float by. Inside, there is either a king bed or two single beds, a desk and ‘camera’ table, and an open wardrobe, together with a water dispenser. The four poster beds are draped with mosquito nets and a ceiling fan keeps the air moving. The rooms are very well-ventilated with double doors to the front and large windows to each side. The ensuite bathroom to the back is open-air and surrounded by a high wall ensuring total privacy.

We were a little concerned about the lack of air-conditioning, but the building design and warm breezes coming off the sea make this far less of an issue than we anticipated. Leaving the doors open all night was our approach, and this was quite magical – like sleeping in the wild – especially when joined by a snack-hunting vole!

Triton Bay offers full board with three meals a day plus snacks late in the afternoon. Breakfast is cereal or porridge, fresh fruit, toast and preserves, eggs to order, pancakes and other hot items. Tea, coffee, milk, fruit juice and water are always available from early in the morning, which we found excellent, being early risers. Lunch is typically a light meal – a main and dessert, and the evening meal is not dissimilar, but three courses. The style is very much local and authentic, and to us, absolutely delicious! Curries were mildly spiced with a separate dish of sambal always on the table for those who like it hot! Rice and noodles accompany most meals, and those with dietary preferences can be catered for if requested in advance. I ate one of the very best curries I have ever had here!

The pure beauty of this place makes you forget that you are there to dive, but three dive boats – between 6 rooms – are waiting to take you off to over 40 dive sites that can be found anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes away. You get it I am sure – you dive on your own or in very VERY small groups!

The vast majority of the dives are right next to the cliff faces of the small islands and pinnacles that are scattered throughout the area – you drop in on a sheer rock face and descend down to the reef, and then the sand beyond that if you fancy a critter dive – or do both! The maximum depth we hit during our trip was 28 metres – the vast majority of the dives are less than 25 metres, making for some very long dives. The guides are true experts with the keenest of eyesight – it is their backyard, and they know it well, finding subjects to order it seemed. I asked to see a Harlequin Shrimp, and they found four. Tiger Shrimp? Six. Blue-ringed Octopus – two ‘fighting’ and two more on their own, Wobbegongs? At least three – and the list goes on and on!

The reefs are immaculate and covered with huge soft and hard corals, packed to the brim with marine life. There are large rock formations, covered in colour, with overhangs and small caverns – the perfect place for a wobbegong to hide. There are reef shelves, walls, bommies and pinnacles, and then the sandy sea-bed where the critters hang out. This is, in our humble opinion, perhaps the most beautiful underwater landscape we have ever seen, totally untouched by people, and in the healthiest of conditions.

The list of stuff that we saw is endless, but it is safe to say that we saw creatures that we had never seen before on just about every dive. The Triton Bay walking shark, nudibranchs, crabs, squat lobsters, shrimp, wobbegongs, octopi and even 3 species of pygmy seahorse – we saw the lot! And it isn’t just the smaller marine life either – eagle rays, big stingrays, tuna and of course the turtles and wobbegongs, but to add to the list, whalesharks!

The whaleshark excursion is spectacular. An early start sees you navigating the bay under torchlight as you speed out in the dark to the open expanse of Triton Bay towards the fishing grounds. Here, the local bagans (boats with large platforms around them) drop their nets and light the water column, bringing in the bait fish. As the most spectacular sunrise lights up the sky for as far as you can see, pods of dolphins raced to the bagan grounds to join the whalesharks in their daily feeding. These huge animals used to damage the nets, so the fishermen keep back buckets of bait fish and sell them to the dive boats, and then throw the fish back into the water to the waiting whalesharks. To be in the water with these magnificent animals is always a pleasure, but we had our minds totally blown by having four full-size and one juvenile circling around us, feeding right in front of us, even knocking us out of the way! We had dolphins shooting through the group to grab a loose fish or two – the sound of their clicks and whistles was almost deafening!

After an adrenaline-fuelled hour, the beasties had had their fill and slowly vanished off into the distance – this was an experience of a lifetime, and we were totally lost for words on the way back – doing another dive en-route of course!

Night dives were incredibly special too – take five paces from the dive centre and you are in the water. Make five fin-cycles and you are over the reef – staghorn coral everywhere, and the home of the famous Triton Bay walking shark or epaulette shark unique to this area. A huge turtle sleeping in a coral bommie, octopi and squid hunting, and critters a plenty add to the haul, but let’s be honest – it is all about the shark! And at twilight on the house reef you can watch (and attempt to photograph) the mating of a massive school of flasher wrasse.

One of the best things we found about staying at Triton Bay Divers was the surface intervals. Not often something we get excited about, but imagine zipping along the channel to a private, totally isolated beach after your dive. The crew makes hot drinks to order, and biscuits of all sorts were yummy, but the real pleasure was being in the middle of absolutely nowhere – not another person to be seen except your buddy and the dive guides, who give you all the space you want, as it is their break too. Not another boat or plane, just you and the scenery. Our surface intervals got longer and longer each day as we spent ages snorkelling on the shallow reefs – the dive crew literally had to pull us out of the water!

I honestly do not have the words to describe how beautiful and peaceful this place is – a Jurassic landscape, covered with jungle, mountains in the distance, and the softest and whitest of sandy beaches (one is actually pink, but that is another story!) with the most spectacular underwater environment we have ever experienced.

To a certain extent, it pains me to tell this story, as it is a special place to us personally, full of memories. So special we almost don’t want other divers to discover it!!!

It is remote…. Be prepared to totally unplug – there’s no wifi, no satellite tv, and the power is turned off from 11pm to 6am. You’ll hear the birds and the bugs, even the odd small rodent found its way into our bungalow.

But it is so special. Triton Bay Divers delivers not only fabulous diving but an emotional impact. It is truly breathtaking, and I am genuinely thankful that I had the opportunity to experience such a place.

Remote… but Definitely Worth It!

Note: We’ve received an exciting update from Leeza, the owner of Triton Bay Divers. They are currently building two new Garden View guest rooms, a camera room and a compressor room, as well as adding a larger faster speedboat to transport guests to the resort in more comfort. All these new additions are expected to be in place for October 2023!

Key Facts :

  • Getting there : Flights with Emirates Airlines to Manado depart from any major UK airport via Dubai and Jakarta or Singapore Airlines via Singapore and Jakarta. On Emirates from London Heathrow it was a 7-hour flight with a quick two-hour layover in Dubai followed by an 8-hour flight to Jakarta. We had a longer layover in Jakarta so we booked a room at FM7 Hotel, a quick 20 minutes from the airport for a much-needed shower and a kip. The comfortable double room was £36 and offers a free shuttle to and from the airport. We visited Sulawesi before heading to Triton Bay. We flew from Manado to Sorong and on to Kaimana. If you’re headed straight to Triton Bay you can fly from Jakarta to Kaimana. We were picked up at the airport by Triton Bay staff and after a quick drive we hopped on the resort boat for the two hour crossing.
  • Air temperature : Tropical – average daily temperature throughout the year is 28-30°C, with the humidity at 85-90%. The area has two main seasons, and it is best to visit during the dryer months from October to early June.
  • Water temperature : 26-29°C. A 1-3mm full suit or shorty will suit most.
  • Visa requirement : Tourist visa is purchased on arrival or online for £30 or IDR 500,000 and is valid for 30 days.
  • Health protocols : When we travelled, visitors were mandated to download an app “Pedulilindungi”. This required us to upload our proof of COVID vaccination and booster and approval was received within 24 hours. Upon arrival, we provided a QR code generated by the app, had our temperature taken and then we were off.
  • Currency : Indonesian rupiah, US dollars or Euros on resort. We often find the exchange rate is better at the destination country. ATMs and exchange desks are available at the larger airports. There is no card machine (no wifi) so make sure you have adequate cash on hand.
  • Electricity : 230V with European style (round pin) two-prong plugs. Our adaptor worked without issue, and remember the power is turned off every night.
  • Internet and Wi-Fi : There is little to no wifi at the resort. It’s the best place to totally unplug.

Price Guide: Expect from £4200 per person based on two sharing a Seaview Deluxe bungalow for a 10-night itinerary with full board and 24 dives. Return flights and transfers are included. A marine park fee of 1,000,000Rp (£60) is payable at resort. Other extras include soft drinks, beer and wine, purchased snacks and extra dives.

 Our Advice: With a long travel time consider the adding additional destinations in Indonesia to your trip. We visited Sulawesi prior to Triton Bay which made for an amazing and varied diving holiday. Let us help you design your dream dive holiday.

Packing tips :

  • Insect repellent : being this close to the water and with the jungle just steps away the mozzies came out at dawn and dusk. There’s always some spray at the bar for guests, but we were happy to have some in our bungalow as well.
  • Rechargeable fan(s) : the resort shuts off the power generator at 11pm each night until 6am (or 4am if anyone is headed out to find the whalesharks) so a rechargeable fan or two was a necessity. They were also useful on domestic flights! Amazon has lots of options!
  • Snorkel : make sure you tuck your snorkel into your dive bag and take it with you daily! We spent so many surface intervals with our faces in the water! There was always something to see!

Snacks : we grabbed a few snacks at the local airport and the resort was happy to keep the bar fridge for us. Perfect for when that craving hit.

The Scuba Place designs and builds custom scuba diving holidays.  With personal knowledge and experience diving in many of our destinations, there is no one better to help build your dream dive holiday.  Come Dive with Us!

Call us at 020 3515 9955 or email at reservations@thescubaplace.co.uk

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Can reef conservation be both enjoyable and profitable?

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wakatobi

At Wakatobi Dive Resort, guests are always thanked for coming to enjoy this special place, as it is their presence that creates the magic making ongoing reef conservation efforts a reality. “The more you know, the more you notice,” says in-house marine biologist Julia Mellers. “And what better place to learn about reef biodiversity and custodianship than in Wakatobi.”

“My main project for the first year is to establish a way of monitoring the health of Wakatobi’s reef ecosystem,” Julia says. “This will allow us to provide hard scientific proof that Wakatobi’s conservation model measurably benefits reef health. Holding a finger to the pulse of the reef will also assist management decisions, such as identifying priority areas for increased protection.”

Modern methods for reef management

The Wakatobi Reef Health Assessment program utilizes a customized set of modern imaging and data analysis techniques that provide a comprehensive indication of the state of a reef ecosystem. “We use the latest ecological theory, technology, and artificial intelligence to develop a novel package to efficiently and robustly measure reef health,” Julia says. “This will enable us to monitor how Wakatobi’s reefs are faring throughout the protected area without significantly diverting resources from protecting the reefs.”

The process begins in the water, capturing the reef’s sights, sounds, and landscape. Above water, Julia is developing and implementing analysis methods and training machine learning models to extract measures of reef health from captured data. When not on the island, she will research new approaches and ideas for coral reef assessment and help spread the word about Wakatobi’s scientific initiative.

“It’s an absolute privilege to work within a system that benefits both the reefs and the local people,” says Julia. “It also gives us a unique opportunity to assess and document reef health and dynamics within an ecosystem that is actually getting healthier. In stark contrast to declines in coral health recorded elsewhere, our scientific data is already beginning to demonstrate Wakatobi’s astonishing biodiversity – which is evident to anyone who ventures underwater at the resort.”

The program focuses on three indicators of reef health: the diversity of the reef community, which measures the variety and abundance of living organisms colonizing the reef surface; structural complexity, describing the degree to which the reefs incorporate elaborate details; and reef soundscapes, recording the noise a reef’s inhabitants make, including the snapping of shrimp and the feeding sounds of fish. By measuring these elements, it is possible to estimate how much life the habitat supports.

“Luckily, we don’t have to work all that out manually,” Julia says. Artificial intelligence plays a vital role. “I train machine learning models to identify signals of reef functioning that would otherwise be undetectable. For example, a model can be trained to recognize the sounds that characterize a healthy reef. This allows us to monitor the reefs at a scale, and with a thoroughness that would otherwise be inconceivable.”

Julia and the dive team have also started an eDNA survey of the reefs. ”This involves taking seawater samples near the reef at different depths and filtering them to trap environmental DNA (eDNA) that organisms shed into the water,” Julia explains. “The samples are now in a lab, where the DNA is labeled using probes and sequenced to identify which species are around. Using this technique, we should be able to detect hundreds of species from just a single litre of seawater. It’s a very cool process!”

wakatobi

A Wakatobi welcome

Julia says the Wakatobi team has been exceptionally supportive and welcoming. “They are able to maintain a totally laid-back atmosphere while coordinating an exceptionally professional operation.” She adds that Wakatobi feels remote in the best ways, with pristine reefs, peace, and quiet, while also being an extremely comfortable and well-connected place to work.

“Working within a system that works for the reefs because it works for the people is an absolute privilege,” she says. “It also gives us a unique opportunity to unpick reef health and dynamics within an ecosystem that is actually getting healthier. In stark contrast to declines recorded elsewhere, our scientific data is already beginning to demonstrate the astonishing biodiversity evident to anyone who ventures underwater at Wakatobi.”

The Wakatobi team has also proven to be an invaluable source of knowledge about the local ecosystem,” Julia says. “Wakatobi makes the perfect scientific laboratory. Being able to go from library to laptop to reef, all in the space of a hundred meters, is the perfect recipe for generating new ideas and trying them out. It is so exciting to work with open-minded innovators keen to try novel approaches and look at things from different angles.”

“Having such a dynamic team has meant that we’ve made progress quickly,” Julia says. “So far, we have a highly accurate machine learning model that classifies the reef community, a method to analyze the sounds that reef critters make, and a fully automatic way of measuring fish abundance. We are also in a position to add to this repertoire, trialing different techniques to quantify the complex 3D structure that corals make. We have added DNA analysis to the arsenal, which enables us to detect biodiversity invisible to the naked eye.”

From frogs to frogfish

Julia acquired her love of nature and biology from her parents, whom she describes as eco-friendly before the concept became trendy. “Camping, compost heaps, and Attenborough documentaries were features of a nature-centric English childhood. I raised pond-dwelling critters, peered down microscopes, and became transfixed by cephalopods.” Biology was an inevitable choice, she says, and the sea came into her life at a young age. “Having long been a sailor, with a family of sailors, I am at home at sea,” she says. “I took my first sip of compressed air at the bottom of a swimming pool in London and have spent as much time as possible eye-to-eye with octopuses since.”

After completing an undergraduate degree in biology at Oxford University, Julia shifted her Master’s focus to marine biology. It was a move she describes as swapping frogs for frogfish. “I went into marine biology because I see marine biological research as a powerful tool to connect people with the planet,” she says. “Of course, nature should be worth more to us preserved than destroyed – but if you can’t put a price on it, no one pays. Wakatobi has created an economic engine that financially incentivizes reef custodianship. This leads to an ideal scientific setting – demonstrably vibrant reefs linked to genuine socio-economic fairness.“

Julia’s Master’s project was done in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science and investigated mysterious bare rings of sand that surround reef patches within algal meadows. “We think these ‘reef halos’ form because foraging fish will only venture a short way from the shelter of a coral patch if they are under threat from patrolling sharks,” she says. “Since you can spot these halos from satellite images, they could be a neat way of keeping an eye on shark populations from space… and a possible addition to Wakatobi’s monitoring program”!

As the Reef Health Assessment program progresses, Julia will create new learning and participation opportunities for guests to enhance the depth and enjoyment of their Wakatobi experience. Wakatobi Dive Resort will also continue to provide updates and insights on the important work Julia and the rest of the Wakatobi team are doing to understand and protect some of the world’s most pristine and spectacular coral reefs.

Many thanks go to Wakatobi’s guests, whose continued enjoyment of the marine preserve helps keep ongoing reef protection efforts a reality!

Contact the team at office@wakatobi.com or enquire >here.
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View Wakatobi videos on the YouTube Channel.

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Get ready for the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean this month

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Great British Beach Clean

The programme is one of the largest marine citizen science activities of its kind in the UK. Volunteers taking part will not only be clearing our beaches of litter, but help the Marine Conservation Society, the UK’s leading ocean membership charity, to gather vital data to create change for cleaner and healthier seas.

This year’s Great British Beach Clean is being sponsored by Ireland’s leading soup brand, Cully & Sully Soup, whose support is helping to raise awareness of marine litter and protect UK beaches from pollution.

To sign up for a beach clean, or organise your own, simply visit the charity’s website.

Great British Beach Clean

Key stats and facts

  • At last year’s Great British Beach Clean, 5,416 volunteers conducted 428 beach cleans over 10 days, surveying 64,139 metres of coastline. A total of 129,391 pieces of litter were collected, filling 1,426 bags and weighing 7,476 kg.
  • The Marine Conservation Society has recorded an average drop of 80% in carrier bags found on UK beaches since charges were introduced, showing that policies to reduce plastic work.
  • Data collected during the Great British Beach Clean contributes toward the charity’s annual State of our Beaches report. Last year’s report recorded a 14% increase in drinks-related litter.
  • The report also showed that nine out of 10 beach litter items found on beaches by Marine Conservation Society volunteers last year were made from plastic.
  • Sewage plays a large part in the pollution problem. In 2023, over 29,500 sewage-related items, including more than 21,000 wet wipes, were recorded across the UK and Channel Islands, with sewage-related items present on 72% of surveyed beaches.
  • Data from the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean contributes to a global database, International Coastal Cleanup.

Great British Beach Clean

Key messages:

  • Data collected by volunteers during the Great British Beach Clean shows the positive result of policies like carrier bag charges, and how they work to reduce litter on our beaches.
  • Plastic still remains the most common form of beach pollution – highlighting the urgent need for further action to tackle the single-use plastic problem such as charges, bans and deposit return schemes.
  • The Marine Conservation Society is calling for governments across the UK implement world-class deposit return schemes for drinks containers including glass, plastic, and cans, without any further delay. Currently the proposed scheme is set to start in October 2027, but with Wales being the only country to include glass.
  • The charity hopes that the recent bans on single-use plastics, such as cutlery, will lead to a noticeable reduction in the amount of single-use plastic cutlery polluting our beaches, much like the positive impact of the carrier bag charge.
  • Sewage-related pollution, such as period products and wet wipes, are still prevalent on our beaches. Governments of the UK must turn the tide on pollution and end untreated sewage damaging our marine environment.
  • You can support the charity by helping to clean up the UK’s beaches and collecting valuable data that supports efforts to address sewage pollution effectively.

Great British Beach Clean

ON THE DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME:

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society: “It’s fantastic to see real-world evidence of the effectiveness of policies such as carrier bag charges in tackling pollution from single-use plastics. There’s no denying that these measures have helped to reduce litter on our beaches. However, we cannot afford to become complacent.

“Drinks-related litter, such as bottles and cans, were found on 97% of UK beaches surveyed last year. We need wider policies such as charges, bans, or deposits on more single-use items where possible, including the proposed deposit return schemes for plastic bottles, cans, and glass. We must keep moving towards a society that repairs, reuses, and recycles.”

Great British Beach Clean

ON SEWAGE POLLUTION:

Rachel Wyatt, the Marine Conservation Society’s Water Quality Policy & Advocacy Manager:

“Our seas cannot sustain the deluge of sewage that is being dumped into our waterways on a weekly basis. Our beach clean volunteers find thousands of sewage-related litter items washed up on the beaches every year, but it’s not just physical pollution that is harmful to us and marine life. Raw sewage contains a cocktail of bacteria, viruses, harmful chemicals, and microplastics which is a disaster for our ocean. Governments of the UK must turn the tide on pollution and end untreated sewage damaging our marine environment, so that we can all enjoy sewage-free seas.”

Great British Beach Clean

ON VOLUNTEERING:

Clare Trotman, Beachwatch Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “The work we do at the Marine Conservation Society simply wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, who help gather crucial beach litter data. This information is invaluable in shaping scientific understanding and driving the changes needed to protect our precious marine environment.

“With beach cleans taking place all over the UK and Channel Islands, there are countless opportunities to get involved and support us this year. And if you can’t make it to the beach, you can still contribute by organising a local litter pick and survey in your area.”

Cully Allen from Great British Beach Clean sponsor, Cully & Sully Soup, said: “We are excited to be part of the UK’s biggest beach clean initiative for a third year. As a B Corp, doing good is at the core of what we do. We are always striving to do better internally as a business, but we really enjoy when we get to encourage and join our customers in doing good. We are looking forward to getting stuck into the beach cleans again this year, serving up our soup to the SOUPer volunteers and taking direct action on marine litter.”

Great British Beach Clean

The following beach cleans are currently set to take place:

Date Region County Beach & link
20/09/2024 Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset, England Uphill Beach
20/09/2024 Wirral Cheshire, England West Kirby Beach
21/09/2024 Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset, England Sand Bay Beach
21/09/2024 Cramond Edinburgh, Scotland Cramond Beach
21/09/2024 Aberdeen Aberdeenshire, Scotland Aberdeen City Beach
22/09/2024 Formby Merseyside, England Formby Beach
23/09/2024 Portsmouth Hampshire, England Southsea Beach
25/09/2024 Littlehampton West Sussex, England Littlehampton East Beach
27/09/2024 Swansea Glamorgan, Wales Swansea Beach
27/09/2024 Portstewart Londonderry, N. Ireland Portstewart Beach
27/09/2024 Cleethorpes Lincolnshire, England Cleethorpes Beach
27/09/2024 Brixham Devon, England St Mary’s Beach
28/09/2024 Rhoscolyn Isle of Anglesey, Wales Borth Wen Beach
28/09/2024 Charmouth Dorset, England Charmouth Beach
29/09/2024 Wallasey Merseyside, England New Brighton Beach

Find more information about the Marine Conservation Society at www.mcsuk.org.

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