It has been a big week for new discoveries in Indonesia.
This country is so special, and travelers could spend a lifetime returning to the archipelago and truly only scratch the surface of all that Wonderful Indonesia has to offer.
The Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency has just announced the discovery of 63 new islands spread throughout the archipelago.
The Head of the Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency, Muh Arts Marfai, held a press conference on Thursday, 12th December, at the Antara Heritage Center Building in Jakarta, where he and his teams showed the results of the latest field studies.
The research was conducted by the Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency, technical ministries of the Indonesian government, and local government departments nationwide, integrating the use of Lidar and satellite imagery.
In total 63 new islands have been discovered across the Bangka Belitung Islands, Southwest Sulawesi, North Maluku and West Kalimantan.
These islands are geographically isolated and therefore been overlooked in previous land and ocean surveys. This means that the total number of islands that are within the Indonesian archipelago is 17,380.
Marfai told the press, “This is an important step forward for Indonesia. Therefore, we ask all parties, including the public, government, and academics, to refer to the official data provided by the Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency in the future.”
He noted that the identification of the islands and their official listing in Indonesian territory was a huge win for the country and that the data can be used to further map the use of natural resources for the benefit of the Indonesian population and to ‘prevent the threat of disruption of territorial claims from external parties.’
The 63 newly discovered islands have all been inventoried after fulfilling four essential criteria according to Indonesian spatial planning law. The islands are all surrounded by water and are always above the highest tide level, e.g they are not sandbanks or rock formations, for example.
While visiting some of these newly discovered and geographically isolated islands would not be easy for the average Bali holidaymaker, the news is certainly sparking some serious island wanderlust in Bali-bound tourists.
If it is a new discovery you are after, though, tourists do not need to venture to new frontiers of the archipelago; they can simply book a boat trip from the main island of Bali to Nusa Penida.
This week marine researchers from the NGO Ocean Gardener have confirmed the discovery of the worlds largest coral reef colony off the coast of Nusa Penida.
As previously undocumented and awaiting final verification, the newly discovered Galatea Astreata coral colony covers over 4000 square meters.
In a press statement, Ocean Gardener Research and Science Coordinator Manikmayang explained, “This discovery has the potential to set a new world record. However, further testing is needed to confirm its status among the world’s giant coral colonies. The Galaxea colony was measured at 58 m wide, 71 m long, 10 m high, covering an area of over 4000 m2.”
This initial data shows unequivocally that the Galatea Astreata coral colony is far larger than the coral colony that held the title of ‘world’s largest’ until just a few days as. The Solomon Island Pavona colony previously held the title as is recorded as 34m wide, 32m long, and 5.5m high.
Snorkeling and dive trips off the coast of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningnan are often noted as the highlight of a vacation in Bali.
Not only are the protected waters of the Nusa Penida Marine Protected area home to endangered turtles and stunning coral ecosystems, but they are also home to a resident population of manta rays and a migratory population of sunfish, also known as mola-mola fish.
This festive season snorkelling and diving day trips will be sold out long in advanced. Be sure to check that your tour provider has the Green Fin certification as a sign of their commitment to protecting the marine ecosystem around Bali Province, and they are more likely to take guests out to dive sites that are less crowded this high season.
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