The past week has been a busy one. Curtis and I finalized the application for Uluwatu to become Indonesia’s first World Surfing Reserve; Tom Margules and Conservation International (CI) and I finalized the questionnaire that we will be distributing in Suluban Beach (the surf spot known as Uluwatu). Uluwatu has essentially 5 different breaks in itself known as Racetracks, Inside Corner, Outside Corner, Temples, and Secrets. All of these breaks are accessed through Suluban Beach, which is not really a beach at high tide, but a gushing tide system into the famous cave at Uluwatu. I also did some webpage developing and set up a merchandise shop for Project Clean Uluwatu hats on our website, and on facebook ( http://www.projectcleanuluwatu.com/#/pcu-gear/4578493093) The shop does not currently ship abroad (or at all for that matter), but hopefully we will get there someday. My web designing skills are growing, but let’s just say my knowledge is basic…
I also got some time to surf, and do a little traveling to see a little more of the island I live on, where I went to Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu to do some surfing and sightseeing. During this time we had a 24 hour 8 foot swell, which was producing easily double and almost triple overhead waves at Uluwatu, and some amazing barrels at Padang Padang. When the swell is that large, it’s funny to see the normally crowded lineups disperse to a handful of adrenaline junkies waiting for one of the rides of their lives.
On the business front, I’ve finally got access to this nifty little office (but only on certain days, becasue it’s used to manage a Uluwatu Cliff Villas most of the week.
Curtis, the manager of Project Clean Uluwatu.
Yes. That is a zoomable and pan-able surf cam in the background, so we can know when we shouldn’t be working. Working in the office here is actually a nice break from the sun, and it’s fun working with like-minded individuals who love to surf and enjoy the nature they are striving to protect. It’s like being back in Save The Waves’ headquarters. I have to talk STW into installing one of these handy cameras.
While the survey goes back and forth between Indonesia, USA, and Bali in its final steps of preparation, I took a step out to see the island, and got to see some other environmental issues around the island. Here’s some beach development near Canggu.
Some more trash buring.
The below picture is probably the scariest of ocean environmental problem currently in Bali. What do you think it is?
While it looks like a town in the distance, well, I guess it is, sort of. It’s a town of fishing boats of the Uluwatu shores. Bali’s sea life is notoriously over-fished, and in a 350 hour survey of diving around 35 dive sites in Bali, CI only sighted 3 total sharks, none on the main Balinese Island. Apparently these boats are fishing for Octopus. As we fish our way down the food chain, pretty soon these boats will be fishing for jellyfish for some good old-fashioned Jellyfish hamburgers. But we gotta start somewhere, so get one of these hats to help the Uluwatu cause!
These hats, as well as donations from the fundraiser, and generous online donors, are helping fund this 18 cubic meter biowaste septic facility. The rains have finally slowed long enough that the Balinese workers have made some pretty good progress.
