"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy-
Manta rays are close relatives to sharks! Although their behaviors are different, they have similar physical traits such as their soft bones.
A manta’s wingspan can reach up to 7 meters. They can live up to 25 years, and they consume around 28kg of plankton and small fish daily by filter feeding.
Every year manta rays give birth to a single pup, or two pups that arrive looking like rolled up burritos.
Manta rays used to be called “devilfish” because of their cephalic lobes near their mouth that resemble horns.
The estimated tourism value of a single manta ray over its lifetime is $1,000,000.
It was a brief introduction. Ms. Komang Suci shook my hand before sitting down across from me. The interview’s setting was lovely: we sat next to Diving Resort Noble Bali’squaint pool; the foliage surrounding the deep blue water was damp from late afternoon rainfall.
Ms. Suci was one of the Coral Triangle Centers’ fourteen Sustainable Marine Tourism Workshop participants in Tulamben, Bali. The workshop lasted for three days, focusing on topics such as: Conservation and Tourism Policies, the Principals of Tourism, and the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
“I used to be afraid of the sea,” said Ms. Suci.
“I almost drowned in the waves. It took me a very long time to overcome my fear.”
Ms. Suci is the owner of Matahari Tulamben Resort, Dive and Spa and is in now very much in love with the sea. In recent years, her resort and diving opportunities have garnered the attention of tourists. Just a couple of meters away from the resort’s shoreline lies a coral garden beneath the inky ocean swells.
The coral garden is called Suci Place, or in English, Holy Place. Ms. Suci and her team have cultivated an underwater garden using statues. Coral plants are burgeoning on top of the statues and attracting schools of beautiful fish.
Tulamben’s USS Liberty shipwreck is the inspiration for Suci Place. Stories of the mysterious vessel intrigued Ms Suci, and in turn, encouraged her to learn how to dive. The wreck is covered in coral and seaweed - an ideal home for surrounding marine creatures.
“Tulamben used to be an agrarian society. The wreck changed that for us, and has helped generate wealth through marine tourism.”
Marine tourism has greatly benefited the community and Ms. Suci hopes that it will continue to do so. She expressed that with marine tourism comes the responsibility of protecting and preserving the ocean.
“I came to this workshop because I love the sea and want to give back to my town. If we don’t preserve what we have now and tourists leave Tulamben, what will our children have?”
Ms. Suci looks forward to telling her team and other dive operators about CTC’s workshop. She also hopes that the topics learned will spark further discussion and be shared with neighbouring towns.
