The island of Mabul in Semporna, Sabah is fast gaining popularity among travellers for its beauty and diverse underwater marine life.
It also revels in the limelight of its famous neighbour Sipadan island, known worldwide among the diving fraternity as one of the best diving spots in the world.
An unique thing in Mabul is divers get to see turtles up close. Unlike other famous dive spots in Peninsular Malaysia such as Perhentian, Redang and Tioman, this marine creature would instinctively swim away upon sight of bubbles from divers. However in this island, the turtles are somewhat more "diver friendly".
Swim alongside them, take a picture - they couldn't care less! Perhaps due to the attention and number of "visitors" they get daily.
They are the resident turtles of Mabul island.
"The sea turtles are an iconic marine life which divers love to see. They are an asset for Mabul island. Therefore we need to protect these creatures as they are the main attraction here. We need to preserve their natural habitats so the turtles can continue to feed here and lay their eggs on this island." said Gavin Jolis, WWF Malaysia-Semporna's species officer for sea turtles.
Conservation efforts paid off as population of turtles in Mabul island shows an increase in recruitment in a duration of 6 months.
A research conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)'s Borneo Marine Research Institute, led Dr Pushpa Palianappan, recently found 61 untagged turtles in a span of four days -- this shows a healthy growth of turtle population in Mabul.
"We found that most of the turtle we caught are actually untagged. We did the same research in May and we found some still with tags but most did not have it. This is a good sign meaning there is a recruitment of population here on this island." said Dr Pushpa.
The research was conducted as a follow-up to the first research done specifically in Mabul island in May where 43 turtles were measured and tagged to monitor the growth population of the resident turtles in the island.
"Our divers will catch the turtle using the "JS method" where we will rope the turtle's 'shoulders' and use a lifting bag to bring them to surface. Once on the surface, we will pick the turtles and on the boat, we will take 7 different pictures and measure them. Then we will tag them using these tags from Sabah Park. This whole process will take about 10 to 15 minutes before we release them back into the sea."
The research also coincides with Mabul Sea Turtle Celebration programme organized by Borneo Divers Mabul Resort to instil awareness and love for the marine creature.
"The finding on the research done by Dr Pushpa has given a lot of information as to why turtle behaviour and growth rate are patterned in such manner. Water temperature, diet, coral and underwater environment, all have an impact to its growth. We are able to identify where the turtles come from with the tag being placed by Dr Pushpa and team," said Datuk Admund Looh, the chief executive officer of Borneo Divers Mabul Resort.
Although Mabul island is not a protected marine park, Gavin sees the potential of the island to be a role model in sustainable tourism.
"The turtles usually come up to sandy beaches to lay their eggs. However, if infrastructures were built on the beach, there would be lesser space for them. If there is new development on this island, they should adhere to few guidelines. For example make sure it is 10 or 20 meters away from the shore as well as use low lights that are not sensitive to turtles. If you use white lights the turtles will not come up to lay their eggs." said Gavin who has been working for many years with turtles under WWF.
Resort owners and dive operators also play an important part in ensuring a more sustainable tourism industry. More dive operators in Mabul are doing something to give back to the environment.
"Our ocean reef and marine life actually are our bread and butter. We are generating business from the natural resource of our oceans. Therefore we need to protect the ocean like organising awareness projects, research on sea turtles and coral rehabilitation." said Admund of Borneo Divers Mabul Resort.
Scuba Junkie, another dive operator and resort on the island, has been getting the local community to be involved by recruiting them as rangers to patrol the area, who would then alert them on egg-laying turtle sightings.
Another programme is to get those who had illegally harvested turtle eggs, to pay five times the price of the egg, to the community.The locals will also inform a trained staff of the resort who will then safely relocate the eggs to its hatchery.
These are efforts from concerned individual and industry players, but what about the tourism industry as a whole?
"We should be developing some sort of sustainability index or indicator especially for this industry. The index can be a check list for every operator to see whether they are operating sustainably or not. This includes financial sustainability as we do need them to earn enough profit so they can continue the sustainability conservation effort they are doing for their surroundings." said Dr Awangku Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul, Director of EcoCampus Management Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
With Visit Malaysia 2014 just around the corner, the country's tourism sector is expected to receive a higher influx of tourists. While Malaysia has a lot to offer from beautiful islands, majestic mountains and untouched forests, question is - how sustainable is the industry?
It's not rocket science to figure out that if little is done to protect what mother nature has blessed us with, there will be nothing left in the future to attract any visitors.
Tan Su Lin
Sun Dec 01 2013
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.