What LIES Beneath: Monday, 27 January 2014
There is a hidden world under the sea, populated by grand creatures. Among the greatest natural wonders lie colourful corals that on the sea bed. The diversity of these marine invertebrates is astounding, often photographed as vibrant and interestingly otherworldly. I knew I wouldn’t miss a chance to get close up and personal with these creatures, so I hopped on the bus to Redang Island, Malaysia with my scuba gear and got ready to feast my eyes.
The waters in Redang Island were crystal clear and its beaches were a sandy-white. Diving down, tropical fish swam above and beneath us. With only the rise and ebb of my breathing, the water and awed by this underwater safari. If unbound to laws of human endurance. I will never leave. The coral reefs below were beautiful. Exotic and surreal, the corals came in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes and colours. It was even more amazing to realise how huge a role these corals were playing in the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem. They were home to unique species of sea animals. Fish, seahorses, eels, sea urchins and sea turtles are just some of those who rely on coral reefs for survival.
The waters in Redang Island were crystal clear and its beaches were a sandy-white. Diving down, tropical fish swam above and beneath us. With only the rise and ebb of my breathing, the water and awed by this underwater safari. If unbound to laws of human endurance. I will never leave. The coral reefs below were beautiful. Exotic and surreal, the corals came in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes and colours. It was even more amazing to realise how huge a role these corals were playing in the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem. They were home to unique species of sea animals. Fish, seahorses, eels, sea urchins and sea turtles are just some of those who rely on coral reefs for survival.
Back on land, I packed up my gear and
decided to walk along the beach, to the other side of the island. The more I
walked, the more I saw specks of white and grey disturbing the smooth carpet of
sand. Being a look-alike of seashells, curiosity-picking took over, and that
was when I realised they weren’t seashells. They were bleached corals.
Bleached corals are corals that have broken
off from the reef due to stress generally caused by several factors, such as
overfishing, global warming and even sunscreen from tourists swimming,
snorkelling and diving.
How one island portraying distinctly
different stories about the deep. Peppered all over were dead corals. I was
shocked by the extent of damage man has dealt to nature. Furthermore, this was
only a small amount in which the bleached corals were washed ashore. Not to
mention about those that still lay wandering in the vastness. About half of the
coral reefs in Southeast Asia are endangered.
While I had the privilege of
coming face-to-face with corals.
I hope the future generations get to share
this opportunity as well.
A planet where humans can continue
to enjoy the beauty of nature.
All we need is a start, the damage
cannot be undone but we
can protect what’s left.
Arthur
Nauer,
President
of Sp Scuba Diving Club
