What if your trip to paradise can also help sharks and local fishermen?
City girl Kathy Xu started an ecotourism business in Lombok where guests can enjoy pristine snorkelling sites and appreciate non-aggressive sharks swimming freely in their natural habitat.
Thanks to local fishermen guides, the places you go to are amazing, secluded beaches, far away from the usual tourist areas. It is Lombok’s best kept secret.
“It’s places that’s not even listed on the Lonely Planet or anywhere on Google,” said Kathy to Our Better World, a storytelling initiative of the Singapore International Foundation.
It was the love for sharks that spurred Kathy to set up The Dorsal Effect. It is a sustainable ecotourism business that get shark fishermen to make an alternative source of income rather than shark fishing.
The fair wages the fishermen receive keep them away from hunting sharks.
“I keep encouraging them – not forcing it down their throats – to make money from ecotourism,” said Kathy.
She added, “When I see them offering to help guests on their own accord, like putting a life vest under the head of a guest dozing off on the boat, I know they have taken ownership of the project.”
Meanwhile, the guests can not only enjoy the unforgettable experience, but also engage in marine conservation.
“I can’t describe anything that can top this, this is like paradise,” said one of the guests.
She hopes that in the future, more people learn about sustainable fishing, more people get to see this charming side that Lombok has, more sharks tagged and adopted, and coral reefs protected.
And with each boat trip that she brings guests on, this dream is taking shape.
How You Can Help
Take a spectacular vacation or get a great-looking hammerhead T-shirt and do good at the same time. http://thedorsaleffect.com/
A story by Our Better World – telling stories of good to inspire action.
