Conservation+Tourism

Planet Deep

I think if I was told I had just one last trip in me, an Epic expedition with Planet Deep would be it. To step on board a phabulous phinisi for 12 days or so, the prospect of seeing blue or sperm whales, a big pod of spinner dolphins, possibly whale sharks, to snorkel over pristine coral reefs, watch the sun melt into the Banda sea (maybe with a mojito in hand) … that would do it for me just fine. We don’t always think of wilderness in terms of our marine environment, but that’s what marine biologist Benjamin Kahn and Planet Deep partner Johannes Hennicke are helping change with their focus and research on the prolific and remarkable Coral Triangle. Just as African safaris contribute to preserve savannas and woodlands in Botswana or Tanzania, ocean conservation expeditions help directly with the protection of this critical marine wonderland. Which is where we, at Epic, come into the picture.

Risso’s dolphins: Photo Benjamin Kahn.

The Coral Triangle takes in a vast area from the Philippines in the north down through Malaysia and across to Indonesia and Timor Leste, then way to the east, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The statistics are staggering.
Ben and Johannes have spent a big chunk of their lives in and around it. “It’s an eco system covering 5.7 million square kilometres. 76% of the worlds coral species are found in the coral triangle, the highest diversity in the world, 15 of which are regionally endemic and a further 41 endemic species are shared with Asia. 37% of the world’s coral reef fish species call the Coral Triangle home, along with 6 of the 7 marine turtle species. Frequented by cetaceans large and small, this region also has some of the deepest waters in the world. There is so much still to learn.” Little wonder then, it’s also known as ‘The Amazon of the Seas’. The map below from the NOAA.

The remoteness of this region is both a blessing and a huge challenge. The term repeated through our discussion is data gap. There is simply so much we don’t know about these waters. Over 85% of the Coral Triangle are oceanic and deep-sea habitats (deeper than 200m). The unique characteristics of the Coral Triangle, where there are dramatic drop offs in ocean depth, often incredibly close to the shores of these islands, are exciting and daunting for a marine mammal ecologist like Ben.
He summarises this as “extreme proximity of ultra diverse coastal and oceanic habitats.” As one of the foremost experts in the region’s oceanic cetaceans – the collective name for whales and dolphins – Ben has surveyed the waters of East Indonesia for more than two decades, with a focus on the migratory corridors of blue and sperm whales in particular.
Ben. “Although we’ve been working in these waters for years, for most areas and species, it’s still relatively early days, in terms of our knowledge around population numbers, habitat use and movement patterns of over 30 species of cetaceans, along with the dugong. Ultimately we’re hoping to have all the stakeholders, the local people and Indonesian government, involved in helping develop and maintain a network of Marine protected areas for coastal and oceanic hotspots. Such a network will be a vital outcome to allow the marine ecosystem and the communities that directly depend on healthy oceans, to thrive.”

New technology can help. The most recent addition to the aim of filling in even a portion of this data gap, is the placement of a Soundtrap, an underwater listening device seen in the montage below, positioned near Alor. Planet Deep raised the funds to purchase this extraordinary piece of kit made by a New Zealand company called Ocean Instruments. They donated the device for a long-term, collaborative project.

Ben. “We work closely with the government, marine tourism industry and provincial Marine Park Authority. Together we installed this Soundtrap at a depth of 35 metres on a custom mooring, in the middle of a critical migratory corridor for blue whales. It records a broad bandwidth of whale sounds non-stop, for many months”.

Johannes. “This device allows for the passive acoustic monitoring of communications of all local whale and dolphin species that pass through the narrow yet deep channel between the islands.  It’s a game changer for us, providing huge amounts of precious data and will help us further define the peak months for the migrating blue whales, for example.  Another fantastic outcome is that it’s the local people of Alor that now own the device and we are starting to engage the University students here in Alor to become involved in this fascinating project.”

The data, such as the many different vocalisations of a blue whale, is initially processed and analysed, back in Perth, Western Australia, by scientists at Edith Cowan University.  Once further reviewed by Planet Deep and the MPA Authority in Kupang, Timor, the project’s outcomes will be directly geared towards improved corridor management.

Over months and eventually years, the project will be able to make specific ocean management recommendations to stakeholders on the rock solid evidence of what whales and dolphins are doing here, and how they can be best protected.  This is the mission of Planet Deep.

Are whale species just passing through or are they calving and mating in these waters? Who are the residents dependent year round on the quality of water, the supply of food? Basic sperm and blue whale tagging that was done nearly twenty years ago, first revealed that these magnificent creatures might spend up to 3 months in the Coral Triangle each year as part of their journeys. Everything in this delicate system is inter-connected, from the tiniest of the roughly 3,000 species of tropical fish, right up to a 25 metres long blue whale. Consequently, things like coral bleaching, in rising ocean temperatures, can have a devastating knock on effect on this delicate system.

Blue whale: Photo Ben Kahn

At Epic we’ve found – especially since the pandemic, that many of our clients want to undertake travel with purpose. A safari, a holiday, that helps in some way with capacity building on the ground in the destinations they visit. Building links between the ocean conservation expeditions in the Coral Triangle (think your Epic Private Journeys phinisi adventure below) and conservation outcomes, is a win win for Planet Deep and Epic.
Ben Kahn … “People who travel with us also nearly always want to become engaged with the larger issues, they feel a sense of connection to the place and the people. We met some kids one day in the Solomon Islands who were canoeing 3 hours a day to school and back, we were able to help out there and also to purchase larger, more robust water tanks, to greatly improve rainwater storage in one village. Some clients will even stay on and take part in workshops, supporting local conservation groups, we love nothing more than when people have that idea that we are all in this together.”

Johannes and wife Lili (photograph below) have put down strong roots on Alor, having built their intimate and stunning  SAVU South Alor on a very small footprint, introducing guests from all over the world to this wondrous place. They employ all local staff, source their food sustainably and have become a base for marine scientists and those who fall in love with the natural riches of the beaches, islands and waters of the Coral Triangle. “The consistent presence of tourists, even in relatively small numbers, helps a lot in a place where there are really no patrols for illegal fishing. Our community outreach projects, working with NGO’s, also help provide services with things like medicines and dental hygiene for people across a wide area. A 20kg sack of rice for example can go a very long way in a small village.”

Marine Protected Areas are a big part of the emerging ‘Blue’ economy. What’s that you say ?  A guide here. https://www.planetdeep.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/15434blue_economyjun1.pdf

Given that about 71% of the earth’s surface is ocean, there is an urgency on the part of Ben and Johannes to providing compelling evidence to governments and communities on the workings of this unique marine biodiversity epicentre. Project funding, technical and strategic support must come from developed countries to ensure the continuity of policies and actions in the Coral Triangle. In a sense, the more well intentioned people that know of the wonders of this resource, the more chance it has of being protected.

The long term goals are to help build sustainable and strong eco systems in a region that supports around 120 million people, from the Philippines to the Solomons. Right down to implementing fishing practices that help maintain stocks for future generations. Knowledge that is gained from the many ongoing research projects, is power. Neither Ben nor Johannes are under any illusions as to the scale of the challenges. Climate change also looms large into this complex picture.
Johannes … “We’re conscious of the fact that we are coming in from the outside, our families did not grow up here, so we have the greatest respect for the resilience of these people, exposed as they are to the elements and the extremes of the tropics. Life for humans here, as well as marine mammals, is fragile. We want to work with the people, bring the skills and resources we have, to get the best outcomes that are in everybody’s interests.”

The sheer jaw-dropping beauty of the Coral Triangle brings travellers from all over. For our Epic clients who’ve joined one of the Planet Deep expeditions, it’s a life changing experience, much the same as it is for first time safari-goers in the Serengeti or the Okavango Delta. As a taste, on the 12 day Mega-diversity expedition on Fenides, you’ll swim in the azure waters of Misool Island where the Misool Resort foundation has helped dramatically increase biomass in the spectacular marine reserves of the area in recent years.
On Raja Ampat, you’ll cruise around the iconic limestone pinnacles with their trademark green peaks. In the Dampier Strait you might see rare Bryde’s and Omura’s whales, before having hornbills from the rainforest of northeast Batanta flying above Fenides around sunset. Throughout the expedition there are always local people to meet, offering a window into the rhythms of daily life around the Coral Triangle.

The whale patrols as they are known, that is sightings from the deck of Fenides, or any of the magnificent vessels Planet Deep uses, aren’t merely for fun. They serve as a part of the citizen science contributing to that much broader, always evolving environmental perspective of the Coral Triangle. Every spout or breach of a whale is officially logged, as the data collection builds and feeds into the greater story that scientists are barely beginning to understand. The scale of what happens beneath the surface here is almost incomprehensible.

You’ll learn about migration corridors, upwelling and seamounts, great underwater mountains (extinct volcanoes to be precise) with steep sides rising at least a kilometre from the seafloor. Think of an immense, sprawling undersea apartment complex, supporting a colossal amount of marine life and critters, affecting currents and acting as food sources for thousands of fish and cetaceans.
Wrap your head around that as you pop that first beer or cocktail at sunset on deck! 🙂🍹

Marine debris, like abandoned nets and long lines, over-fishing, boat strikes, plastics, pollution, undersea noise from ships and deep sea bed mining, all represent threats to larger mammals and fish stocks. Indeed all aquatic creatures from small to large are impacted by plastics and pollution, along with the birds that feed on them. Plastics that enter the water thousands of kilometres away can find their way to the Triangle on currents and tides.

There are very few true wilderness environments left on our planet. Despite the challenges and threats, there are many parts of the Coral Triangle where you will not see another human for hours. These Epic – Planet Deep expeditions are the ultimate adventure getaway, where you can make a real difference.

Their mantra – or maybe that should be manta – is Explore, Understand, Protect. Even the term Planet Deep I thought, might be interpreted in different ways. Not just literally deep oceans, but deep connections, deep thinking, doing things with a sense of substance and long term significance. At Epic, we’re honoured and incredibly excited to be a part of the ongoing journey with Ben, Johannes and the Planet Deep team. Their work, the standards of their product, like Fenides, above and her crew and of course the destinations, are what we strongly feel travel should be all about. Expanding your perspective and your thinking. Please check out the incredible itineraries below and join us on an ocean conservation expedition. You can be a part of a collective cause that could not be more important.

Johannes. “We’ve had people with us snorkelling in the vicinity of blue whales, they are often speechless when they climb back on board. It’s a profound, life affirming experience, they want to know what they can do to help. Well, just coming along on one of these expeditions is a heck of a place to start. Lots of good things can flow from that.”

If you’d like to know more on how to join one of these magnificent expeditions with Planet Deep, or donate to their projects directly, of course we’d love to hear from you. You can start the process by checking out the itineraries below.

#travel stories

Photography:All images Ben Kahn + Planet Deep