Description

The Bubbles bay aka Tanjung Tukas is one of the most beautiful bays in Malaysia. The bay is located on the big island in the Perhentian Islands with only one resort and a tree lined beach this is straight from the scenes of Robinson Crusoe.

The bay is blessed with nature in abundance with a coral reef just metres from the beach and nesting turtles at night. This is a nature lovers paradise.

Aim
to conserve the bay of Tanjung Tukas and all its natural beauty.

Objectives
* Through encouraging people to dive they will be more sympathetic to the threats of coral reefs.
* Reef Check surveys help to establish baseline data about the health of coral reefs.
* To replenish the house reef with healthy living coral.
* To protect nesting sea turtles at night and incubate a proportion of their eggs in the hatchery.

How is this trip responsible?
* Clear aim
To conserve the bay of Tanjung Tukas and all its natural beauty.

* Low tourist impact
The Bubbles resort is the only resort in the bay. Tourists are educated about corals and turtles.

* Contribution to local community
Through protecting the bay of Tanjung Tukas and its turtles this project will help to replenish the sea turtle populations of the entire islands.

* Environmental and cultural conservation
Volunteers are taught peak performance buoyancy and if they stay for 3 weeks they will be taught the Eco Diver course. All tourists are educated about sea turtles and the coral reefs.

Do you want to do more for the turtles and corals whilst in the Perhentian Islands. Spend anything from 3 days to 3 months at the Ecoteer House, running environmental and english school clubs. The children of the Perhentian's are the future and play your part to help raise environmental awareness further helping the turtles and coral. The Ecoteer House Project is the perfect compliment. Join the Ecoteer House Project and discover the other side to Perhentian!.

Highlights

Learning to dive will change your life! You will go through three dive courses from beginner, advanced to official Reef Check Surveyor.

You will spend your evenings helping to protect nesting sea turtles.

Open water Scuba Diver The PADI Open Water Diver is a 4-day course and once complete divers will be allowed to dive anywhere in the world to a max depth of 18m.

* You will be taught about the equipment and how to use them.
* You will learn how to hover motionless in the water.
* You will fall in love when you take your first breath under water.

Turtle Duties
Turtles nest throughout the night at Tanjung Tukas. The
volunteers are split into two groups with one group patrolling the beach from 8pm til 3am and the second group from 3am til 8am. If a turtle is found nesting, you will guard her from any poachers and inform tourists how to view the turtle without disturbing her. In the morning, the government officials will come from the Department of Fisheries to collect any eggs that were laid the previous night. A proportion of the eggs will be translocated into the Bubbles hatchery. Volunteers will be expected to clean the hatchery on a daily basis. If you come from June onwards you may get the chance to help release turtle hatchlings.

Advanced Open water Scuba Diver & Peak Performance Buoyancy
The second level of scuba diving is the Advanced Open Water. This is a series of 5 dives designed to hone your skills. You will learn how to go on a deep dive, navigate underwater, experience diving at night, learn about identification of fish and dive on a local wreck. After this your buoyancy skills will be put to the test during the Peak Performance Buoyancy dive. Buoyancy is very important because divers with bad buoyancy may cause significant damage to the coral reef.

Coral Transplanting
On the fringing House reef at Tanjung Tukas many corals have suffered due to climate change and damage from snorkellers. Coral fragments which have been broken off will be collected and cemented into concrete plugs and kept at the underwater nursery. These corals need regular attention and cleaning. When the corals are healthy enough they will be transplanting onto the house reef.

Eco Diver course & Reef Check Surveys
The Eco Diver Course was designed by Reef Check. Reef Check is a global standard for coral reef surveys and anybody participating in an official Reef Check survey must have passed the course. The course will introduce you to the basic methodology, fish, coral substrate and invertebrate identification. Once completed you will be able to help the Bubbles dive team with official Reef Check surveys and help gather data from coral reefs around the Perhentian islands. Do you want to do more for the turtles and corals whilst in the Perhentian Islands.

Travel Types

• Eco Tours
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Scuba
• Volunteering

Qualifications

All volunteers need a willing to help sea turtles and coral reef. They must also want to learn to scuba dive.

Languages

• English
• Malaysian

Cost in US$:

from USD600

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad

Program Fees Include:

Includes

Return ferry transfer
Fan twin share ensuite rooms
Three meals per day
1 dive course per week
Turtle conservation at nights

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

12 to 80

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Other

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 4-5

Application Process Involves

• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

3 weeks

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Ecoteer's Mission Statement

To help locally run grass root organisations to achieve their aims via attracting paying volunteers and tourists. Plus we personally help develop and improve the projects we work with to help them to achieve their objectives.

Year Founded

2005