Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: Downbelow recently spent a wonderful day diving with students and teachers from the Kinabalu International School (KIS) here in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Downbelow loves highlighting the environmental element of diving, educating divers about all matters ocean and in line with Project AWARE’s aims for this year, we focus on sharks in peril, as well as marine debris.
These 2 causes are well relevant to our PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre on Gaya Island. For one, we have been spotting black tip reef sharks, more of them and more often, recently.
Sabah Parks’ successful policing of destructive fishing pactices such as fish-boming and cyanide poison fishing, have given the corals and other habitats in the park a chance to recover and thrive.
As a result all manner of critters, big and small, are returning to enjoy the healthy environment and be a link in the food chain.
Closely related is the issue of marine debris, which often starts out as trash discarded on land, which washes seawards and clogs beaches, reefs and mangroves.
To foster awareness of our marine environment and how our actions can help or hurt it, Downbelow and KIS is teaming up for a conservation program.
Together we will construct a new reef with suitable materials collected during our Project AWARE Beach Cleanups of recent months.
There will then be an ongoing program of planting coral and monitoring the reef, which will actively engage the school in environmental conservation.
If you are at Kinabalu International School, get in touch with teachers Mr. Pearson or Mr. Harron and find out how you can get involved.
