Sustainable Tourism

Blue Marlin Dive, now in its 27th year of operation, has seen multiple small, remote locations becoming booming holiday destinations over the years. As a part of that development, we feel it is imperative to operate in a way that is sustainable and responsible towards the communities and environments around us. Over the years, issues facing the local community and environment have evolved but so has our growth as a business and thusly our ability to give back to the local ecosystem that supports us. Through deliberate action and education, we can help make a difference – one dive at a time.

WE SUPPORT


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Blue Marlin’s Contributions to Sustainable Tourism

LOCAL CLEAN-UPS

LOCAL CLEAN-UPS

Each Blue Marlin participates in regular local clean-ups. BM Gili Trawangan takes turns hosting weekly Friday clean-ups in partnership with GIDA. BM Gili Meno and BM Komodo work closely with Trash Hero to hold clean-ups on Mondays and Fridays, respectively. BM Gili Air hosts the north side of Gili Air's only weekly clean-up. BM Komodo also supports Clean Up the World with more than 320 kids from local schools participating in the last event.

GUEST LECTURES

GUEST LECTURES

Blue Marlin is proud to host regular presentations from organisations we support. BM Komodo hosts Marine Megafauna's manta lectures every other week, BM Gili Trawangan welcomes Shark Guardian for shark presentations and BM Gili Meno's resident instructor, Tamar, can even be convinced to give her wonderful turtle seminar (despite her paralysing fear of public speaking, cheer her on everyone!).

GIDA & THE GILI ECO TRUST

GIDA & THE GILI ECO TRUST

Blue Marlin is a founding member of the Gili Island Dive Association (GIDA) and the Gili Eco Trust (GET). GIDA is a non-profit organisation striving for regulated diving professionalism and safety with only a select few dive centres being members. The Gili Eco Trust was founded by the original 7 dive shops on the island, Anna Walker and a local NGO to protect Gili Trawangan's reefs. After successfully stopping destructive fishing practices, GET now focuses on projects such as BioRocks. We ask each diver to pay a one-time 'reef tax' to fund various eco-projects.

DIVE OPERATORS COMMUNITY KOMODO

DIVE OPERATORS COMMUNITY KOMODO

BM Komodo is a founding member of Dive Operators Community Komodo (DOCK). DOCK works towards sustainable development inclusive of environmental responsibility, professionalism, service and safety while looking past personal interests to engage the government and local community.By choosing a DOCK dive operator you can be assured of strict safety standards as well environmentally responsible practices.

DATA COLLECTION

DATA COLLECTION

Blue Marlin Dive works closely with Reef Check Indonesia by sponsoring and participating in reef surveys. We also support both Manta Watch and Shark Guardian by routinely compiling our data of sightings of key species on dive trips. Each of these organisations are active in the education and further research of these threatened species.

MANTA ADOPTION

MANTA ADOPTION

BM Komodo has adopted a Manta ray, Ariane, to support cutting-edge manta research through MantaMatcher. We love to receive email updates each time she's spotted, most recently in January 2017. Funds raised by manta adoptions are used to offset the costs of maintaining a global manta library and to support new and existing research projects for the species. Help us by sending any underbelly Manta shots to MantaMatcher's database!

WASTE REDUCTION

WASTE REDUCTION

Microplastics are the biggest threat to marine wildlife and a growing concern for human health. In an effort to do our part, each Blue Marlin has taken steps to reduce and, eventually, eliminate one-use plastics. You'll find straws made of alternative materials such as bamboo, water refill stations and toiletries purchased in bulk throughout our resorts.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Blue Marlin is proud to support local communities and open their eyes to the underwater wonders of their country. We endeavour to introduce all of our local staff to diving through discovery dives and even sponsor divemaster and instructor training for those who choose to pursue diving further. Blue Marlin also works with local tourism schools by offering job training internships within our company. We also support the Misool Foundation by sponsoring the Open Water Course for their Indonesian interns.

PROJECT A.W.A.R.E.

PROJECT A.W.A.R.E.

BM Komodo is a 100% AWARE dive centre, meaning that for every course taken, we will donate $10 in your name to Project A.W.A.R.E. Donations support protection of threatened shark species and the removal and prevention of marine debris. In return, our students receive the Project AWARE PADI certification cards featuring a Manta ray. Other Blue Marlins support Project A.W.A.R.E. through regular Dives Against Debris.

GOING DIGITAL

GOING DIGITAL

Did you know that recycling 1 tonne of paper saves around 682.5 gallons of oil, 26,500 litres of water and 17 trees? It's time to begin cutting out paper. Riding PADI’s green initiatives, our students are sent digital copies of course manuals. While we do have paper copies at the shop, we can be sure they get well over one use per print. At BM Gili Air, we've begun to take it a step further, providing all students with the PADI Touch Manuals on tablets instead of paper copies. We also keep all brochures online in order to cut down waste.

Conservation Chronicles

Manon Bares All for Gili’s Sharks

  Dutch Divemaster, Manon Krijnen, a recent Blue Marlin graduate, recently showed true leadership in promoting awareness and raising funds for the Gili Shark Foundation. Manon, along with [...]

The BioRocks

What is a Bio Rock? Biorock technology has been invented by Professor Wolf Hilbertz and Doctor Thomas J. Goreau at the end of the 1970s. Biorock structures are made with crisscrossed metal stems [...]

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