A pristine blue world

POPULAR culture – including a film starring a bright orange clownfish and ditzy blue tang – has had a role in awakening young minds to the wonders of our oceans, planting seeds of curiosity of what sprawls beyond the reef.
This bodes well, especially for islands like Tioman, which is relatively unscathed compared to other popular islands in the country.
Awareness for marine conservation should be repeated and played like a broken record, should we want our children to enjoy the same beauty we experience today.
Berjaya Tioman Resort aims to play its part by keeping the pristine waters and ecosystem thriving for years to come.
The resort recently hosted its annual Tioman Island Conservation Day (TICD), an initiative which began in 2010.
At this year's event, divers from seven dive operators based around Malaysia and Singapore came together to conduct coral reef checks, submerge structures for coral growth, and collect rubbish from the ocean.
Meanwhile, members of the media performed a beach clean-up, planted 40 coconut trees in the resort, and even assembled structures to be buried underwater for corals to grow.
Berjaya Tioman Resort general manager Sonny Gan said: "I am extremely glad that everybody joined hands to achieve one common objective, that is to make a difference and give back to Mother Nature.
"She has always been there for us, continually giving without taking anything."
The three-day Tioman Island Conservation event also saw participation by Reef Check Malaysia, Jabatan Taman Laut, and Padi Project Aware.
Reef Check Malaysia project manager Alvin Chelliah shared that there is now a shift in attitudes towards conserving nature, with local communities starting to send in environmental reports and organising clean-up activities.
"On a larger scale on the island, we are currently trying to work together with the government, schools, and agencies," said Alvin, himself an avid diver. "The impact is good, as we can see a higher involvement of the local community."
Berjaya Tioman Resort has long set its sight on going green for the environment. It has even on its staff a dedicated environmental officer.
The resort's motto of 'Recycle, Reuse, Rethink, and Repurpose' has consistently been imparted to local schoolchildren, who also learned more about this year's marine icon, the bluespotted stingray, from experts.
Exemplifying this year's tagline of Together for Planet Earth, Gan said: "If we want a better Earth for future generations and the people [of] Tioman Island, we need to make a collective effort to conserve the marine and coastal environment."
Now, when you enjoy that gentle breeze and hear the coconut tree leaves rustling, be mindful that the environment is a gem that needs to be protected.