The North Sulawesi Sea eagerly licks the sides of the boat as the guide explains how to breathe through the snorkel. Sliding into the water, fitted with flippers, a life jacket and snorkel, the only motivation for a borderline aquaphobe to do the daring act is the promised world that teems beneath. Encouragement had come in many words: “You should not miss it. Not even if you die”; “This is how you slay the demons in your head.” It seemed that the whole of life would be a meaningless oblong if one didn’t rise to the challenge.
After the first-timer’s cough and splutter, the blue rushed in — a flawless, spectacular copper sulphate blue. And a curious tapestry of corals and fish began to unfurl. Bahoi may not be on the tourist map just yet, but with its secluded seas and serene mangroves, it holds immense potential for experiential travel.
Twenty-four kilometres from picturesque Manado, the capital city of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, the road to Bahoi is uneven and cushioned on either side by emerald-topped trees. Far removed from touristy cacophony, Bahoi looks as though it has just been transported out of a travel magazine. The sea curves around it on one side and the mountains stand guard over it on the other. And towards the shore, mangrove trees sprawl in meditative solitude.
A kayak tour of the mangroves is balm for the soul, especially after one has “survived” snorkelling. Navigating the calm waters under a benevolent sky, weaving through knots of mangrove roots, the guide says in Bahasa-flavoured English: “These are young trees. But some others here are as old as 200 years.”
In the centre of the Sulu-Sulawesi marine region, also known as the ‘coral triangle’, Bahoi nurses a delicate eco-system. Of the 33 genera of mangroves that Indonesia has, 12 are in Bahoi. Over the years, however, its ecological stability has diminished owing to unscientific fishing methods and aquaculture activities, especially shrimp farming. The fact that the local community is wholly dependent on the sea for its livelihood only made things worse.
NGOs working in Bahoi have helped it evolve a sustainable model of development. By involving the local community, they have set in motion a consecrated move towards mangrove conservation. Protection of other marine life has also been part of the programme. Volunteers of the NGOs say Indonesia, with over four million hectares of mangroves, has the largest area of mangroves in Asia, but half of it has been destroyed since the 1970s.
“We are training the local community to plant mangrove saplings and we are also teaching children the importance of mangroves in their lives. They are a sanctuary for hundreds of marine species; they prevent coastal erosion and limit sedimentation that damages sea-grass beds and corals,” says Akbar Digao of Yapaka, a national-level NGO working in Bahoi. “Since mangrove trees can withstand salinity, they were felled extensively for timber,” he adds. Parts of the tree are also used to make cosmetics, textile dyes and even food flavours.
For the past three years, Good Planet Foundation, an international organisation founded by French photographer, journalist, filmmaker and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and Omega Watches have collaborated with the NGOs in Indonesia’s North and South Sulawesi regions to help bring about awareness on mangrove conservation. Their activities include restoration and preservation of the delicate eco-systems and educating the local population, too.
Today, the villagers are better aware of the need for a sustainable way of life. The men, who venture out into the sea for fishing also bring back plastic water bottles to the village, where they are cleaned and preserved. These are later used in the cultivation of sea-grass beds. Sea-grass beds are submarine prairies situated between the mangrove forests and the coral reefs. The locals say these are home to several marine creatures. Jumping off the boat and wading through the shallow waters, one has to be careful not to tread on an unsuspecting starfish. They are in plenty, disguised as pretty, muddy stars in the slush. The village of Bahoi is neat with cobbled streets. Every house has a near-perfect garden. The street lamps have shades made of throw-away ice-cream spoons. Women and men use coconut-shell charcoal for fuel. Charcoal ash is also used to make pots and other artefacts. The children are schooled and the young men are being trained as professional diving and kayaking instructors. “This place has so much to offer those who love to savour nature. The idea is to promote eco-tourism,” says Sonny Tasidjawa, of Celebio, a local-level NGO working in Bahoi for the last ten years. Taking Bahoi as a model, the NGOs aim to bring together the communities of the nearby villages of Talise, Lihunu, Serei, Kinabuhutan and Kahuku to create a network of ‘Marine Protected Areas’ managed by the local communities.
In Bahoi, the concept of a home-stay is also just evolving. A humble, neat, two-bedroom house with peppermint pink walls and heavy curtains offers affordable accommodation (one room with a bed, may be two). It is adjoined by a spacious kitchen and an old-fashioned parlour. The stay ensures delicious home-cooked meals — mostly fresh fish cooked in fragrant lemongrass oil and garnished with love. And, of course, lots of banana and coconut-filled snacks.
As night falls over Bahoi and the chill in the air sweetens, the only sounds are those from the ocean’s waves and the chatter of the village women. Bahoi may not be on a glitzy tour brochure, but it leaves one with a few spectacular snapshots to cherish.
(Established as “Time for the Planet”, the projects for the conservation of mangroves and sea-grass beds are run by the proceeds generated from the sale of OMEGA’s Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M GoodPlanet GMT wristwatches.)
