15Mar

Mantanani and Darvel Bay move

SEMPORNA: The Sabah Parks will gazette two areas, namely Pulau Mantanani Complex in Kota Belud and Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu, as marine protected areas before 2023.SP Director Dr Jamili Nais said the move was in line with the SP sketch map whereby 10 of the waters of Sabah would have been gazetted by 2023. As such, he said currently, the 100,000ha Darvel Bay encompassing 50 surrounding islands has the potential to be gazetted earlier.‘’If we look at the current situation, in terms of timeline, the process has started and maybe (gazette) at the end of this year or early 2020, but most probably we gazette in the first quarter of 2020,’’ he said. Subsequently, Jamili said the Pulau Mantanani Complex would be gazetted in two years. In a scientific expedition organised by the Sabah Foundation in February, researchers found numerous interesting and unique marine data in Darvel Bay, Lahad Datu, which could be conserved and used for international tourism. Among the findings were several iconic diving sites, including blue holes (underwater sinkholes) and marine resources such as wild turtles and healthy corals. Quoting a local news portal, the operator of a diving centre Pirate Divers Glen Hapirulla, who is a native of Lahad Datu and an experienced diver, said 55 diving sites had been explored, including blue holes, in the waters of Silam since 2009. The Pulau Mantanani Complex is a resort area which is becoming increasingly popular as a diving recreational site among international tourists. Meanwhile, Sabah Parks is exploring the need for porters or mountain guides to accompany visitors up Pulau Bohey Dulang’s 700m high peak, just like in the Gunung Kinabalu National Park.“Bohey Dulang allows three times more climbers up its mountain compared to Gunung Kinabalu which allows just 135 people,” said Sabah Parks Board of Trustees Chairman, Mohd Amin Abd Mem.“At the moment, there are 250 guides and 100 porters registered with Sabah Parks who are able to go with climbers up Gunung Kinabalu to look out for their safety and bring their belongings.“So like the local community there, becoming a guide on Bohey Dulang would improve the income of the people here who could make RM230 per visitor on a two-day, one-night hike,” he said. On Tuesday, a new hiking route was opened for visitors to the island which is a 30-minute boat ride from Semporna town on the mainland. Sabah Parks worker, Ali Hassan, said 300 to 700 people, especially tourists from China, visit a day. Source: Daily Express
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14Mar

Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu to be gazetted in 2020

SEMPORNA: The Sabah Parks (SP) will gazette two areas, namely, Pulau Mantanani Complex in Kota Belud and Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu as marine protected areas before 2023. SP director Dr Jamili Nais said the move was in line with the SP sketch map whereby 10 of the waters of Sabah would have been gazetted by 2023. As such, he said that currently, the 100,000 ha Darvel Bay encompassing 50 surrounding islands had the potential to be gazetted earlier. ‘’If we look at the current situation, in terms of timeline, the process has started and maybe (gazette) at the end of this year or early 2020, but most probably we gazette in the first quarter of 2020,’’ he said. He said this when met after a programme to clear rubbish from the sea bottom and beaches of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park here. Subsequently, Jamili said the Pulau Mantanani Complex would be gazetted in two years. In a scientific expedition organised by the Sabah Foundation in February, researchers found numerous interesting and unique marine data in Darvel Bay, Lahad Datu which could be conserved and used for international tourism. Among the findings were several iconic diving sites including blue holes (underwater sinkholes) and marine resources such as wild turtles and healthy corals. Quoting a local news portal, the operator of a diving centre Pirate Divers Glen Hapirulla, who is a native of Lahad Datu and an experienced diver, said 55 diving sites had been explored including blue holes in the waters of Silam since 2009. The Pulau Mantanani Complex is a resort area which is becoming increasingly popular as a diving recreational site among international tourists. – Bernama Source: New Straits Times
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14Mar

‘Blue holes’: Proper planning needed for Darvel Bay to be made tourist attraction

LAHAD DATU: There is a need to have proper planning and sustainable management of Darvel Bay should the area be commercialised in the future. This follows a statement from Sabah Parks, which conducted a scientific expedition at the bay, and reported to media about Malaysia’s only known “blue holes” off Silam waters, here. Local dive instructor Glen Hapirulla, 56, who is also the owner of a dive site Pirate Divers, had led his team to discover and map 60 sites to date including the blue holes in 2017 which they named the Blue Ring reefs. “Since news of the discovery has been shared widely in social media, I have been receiving many inquiries to come and dive at the Blue Ring,” he said, adding that previously people had been sceptical about safety in Lahad Datu due to the history of piracy and the intrusion by armed men from the southern Philippines in 2013. Pirate Divers, being the sole dive operator here, normally sets a limit of eight divers daily at Blue Ring, which is known as “Pakat Tenggiri” among locals as its near fishing grounds for them. “Both holes of the Blue Ring are not connected and the depth is between 14m and 18m, depending on the tide. Hole One has less than 30 per cent that can be explored while Hole Two is more special as it has (what we named) ‘Journalist reef’, which has magnificent corals of different types,” he said, adding that the reef was so named to acknowledge the media’s contribution in promoting Lahad Datu dive sites and conservation efforts. Glen, who is aware of the state government’s efforts to gazette Darvel Bay, said Lahad Datu’s untouched “gems” must not be subjected to “overcrowding” by tourists or it would become a “second Semporna”. “There should not be resorts or (anything else) built mid sea off Lahad Datu waters as it would damage the natural state of underwater life, especially corals. “Divers and visitors should also be screened through ‘one-door’ so that there would be proper monitoring and control of their activities,” he said, adding that the authorities must have strict enforcement of regulations, with a systematic arrangement of visitors’ movements. Glen added that any development should always prioritise locals in terms of employment and affordability in visiting the area. “It would be sad, if, in future, our locals can only see others diving here as they can no longer afford to pay exorbitant prices, just like what is happening in Sipadan island,” he said. Meanwhile, Tungku assemblyman Assafal Alian said the scientific expedition by Sabah Parks was part of the efforts for gazettement. “The whole of Darvel Bay is expected to be gazetted as a protected marine park. It is still in the process, but we hope it will be completed by year-end,” said Assafal, who is also assistant tourism, culture and environment minister. Source: New Straits Times  
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13Mar

‘Blue holes’ in Silam waters discovered before by local diver

LAHAD DATU: The so-called ‘blue holes’ that were allegedly discovered by researchers off Silam waters this year was actually discovered much earlier by a Lahad Datu-born diver back in 2017. Lahad Datu Pirate Divers operator Glen Hapirulla made the discovery with his team some two years ago while exploring new dive sites in Silam waters. The dive site was sketched, mapped and named ‘Blue Rings Reef’ by Glen and Pirate Divers back then, instead of the blue holes as reported. It was reported that on Feb 14 this year, a team of researchers from the Sabah Parks (TTS) allegedly discovered the dive sites, as part of a scientific expedition to collect marine data at Darvel Bay, and described them as the only known ‘blue holes’ in Malaysia. The report of the findings have raised much concern among local divers who are familiar with Pirate Divers’ constant work in exploring new dive sites and actively promoting Lahad Datu as a tourism destination. Some local divers took to social media to vent their frustration, claiming that Glen and Pirate Divers were not given any recognition for their hard work. But according to Glen, Sabah Parks (TTS) had invited him for the scientific expedition on that day but he was unable to participate due to other commitments. Glen said the dive site cannot be named as such as it did not fulfil the criteria of a ‘blue hole’. Blue holes are roughly circular, steep-walled depressions, and so named for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. “But this dive site is not interconnected, but instead each is a different large hole,” said the local-born dive instructor, who has discovered more than 50 dive sites in Silam waters since 2009. Glen added that since the discovery of the Blue Rings Reef, the operator has been bringing divers to the area, which he divided into three dive sites- namely Blue Ring Reef Hole 1, Blue Ring Reef Hole 2 and Outer Ring of Blue Ring Reef. Source: Borneo Post Online
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