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Pom Pom Island, Coral Conservation Volunteer Project Information Volunteers or Interns are needed to help protect sharks and turtles while replanting corals on a damaged coral reef. The Project Volunteer with TRACC in Borneo and work on a two pronged approach to marine conservation. While the main focus of this project is to renovate the coral reefs that have been badly damaged due to 45 years of fish bombing, you will also be working to help protect the endangered Green and Hawksbill Turtles who come to Pom Pom island to nest. The ultimate goal of the project is to rebuild fish and coral populations so that the occasional reef sharks are encouraged to stay and remain resident within this sanctuary for sharks, rays, turtles and all marine life. The site is in the coral triangle and has amazing biodiversity: from the occasional whaleshark and manta through to the cute mandarin fish and the flamboyant cuttlefish. Why the Project Needs You With a large area affected, the reefs surrounding Pom Pom are nowhere near as diverse or healthy as they were 40 years ago due to extensive local fish bombing. While the reef damage has now stopped, coral rubble is a common sight on the sea bed and fish & invertebrate populations are low. Marine biodiversity is very high, the site is in the coral triangle for the largest numbers of reef species in the world. While there are many schools of fish in the area, there is neither the coral nor the additional shelters on the reefs to get these fish to stay. Volunteer manpower is desperately needed to repair the reefs by replanting coral and increase the settlement of reef fish juveniles, as well as build fish aggregation devices to retain the large number of pelagic fish in the area. This work is not only for the healthy development of the reefs but also to potentially create a protected area for white tip, black tip and grey reef sharks in Sabah – a 3 to 5 year plan for this project. As these particular shark’s diet consists of octopus and pelagic fish, numbers need to be increased if the sharks are to be attracted and more importantly – to stay. The turtle nesting season of the endangered Green and Hawksbill Turtles occurs yearly from May to September with hatchlings present upto December. Unfortunately, while turtles are protected, turtle eggs can be easily sold in local markets and poachers have been known to sneak onto the island at night to steal the newly laid eggs from the mother turtle. Nests are easy to spot and a simple target for sea gypsies to come and claim their “prize”. Volunteers who will be on the island from May to September are desperately needed to carry out beach walks every evening to dissuade poachers from approaching the island. If regular patrols are instigated, poachers will have less inclination to descend upon the island and will finally leave nature to its own devices. Blacktip reef sharks are occasional visitors Green Turtles are very abundant and both eggs and adults will be protected from poachers

Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

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The scuba diving volunteers on pom pom island are working with TRACC to protect the coral reef. The project is replanting the reefs by planting coral. The fish are being protected by the volunteer divers and hopefully the reefs will eventually return to the same condition as nearby sipadan. There are many turtles nesting on the island and the turtle beaches are pristine white sand. The sharks and rays on the deep reefs are currently migratory but we are trying to help them to stay and become resident sharks.

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Page 1: Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

Pom Pom Island, Coral ConservationVolunteer Project Information

Volunteers or Interns are needed to help protect sharks and turtles while replanting corals on a damaged coral reef.

The ProjectVolunteer with TRACC in Borneo and work on a two pronged approach to marine conservation. While the main focus of this project is to renovate the coral reefs that have been badly damaged due to 45 years of fish bombing, you will also be working to help protect the endangered Green and Hawksbill Turtles who come to Pom Pom island to nest. The ultimate goal of the project is to rebuild fish and coral populations so that the occasional reef sharks are encouraged to stay and remain resident within this sanctuary for sharks, rays, turtles and all marine life. The site is in the coral triangle and has amazing biodiversity: from the occasional whaleshark and manta through to the cute mandarin fish and the flamboyant cuttlefish.

Why the Project Needs YouWith a large area affected, the reefs surrounding Pom Pom are nowhere near as diverse or healthy as they were 40 years ago due to extensive local fish bombing. While the reef damage has now stopped, coral rubble is a common sight on the sea bed and fish & invertebrate populations are low. Marine biodiversity is very high, the site is in the coral triangle for the largest numbers of reef species in the world. While there are many schools of fish in the area, there is neither the coral nor the additional shelters on the reefs to get these fish to stay. Volunteer manpower is desperately needed to repair the reefs by replanting coral and increase the settlement of reef fish juveniles, as well as build fish aggregation devices to retain the large number of pelagic fish in the area. This work is not only for the healthy development of the reefs but also to potentially create a protected area for white tip, black tip and grey reef sharks in Sabah – a 3 to 5 year plan for this project. As these particular shark’s diet consists of octopus and pelagic fish, numbers need to be increased if the sharks are to be attracted and more importantly – to stay.

The turtle nesting season of the endangered Green and Hawksbill Turtles occurs yearly from May to September with hatchlings present upto December. Unfortunately, while turtles are protected, turtle eggs can be easily sold in local markets and poachers have been known to sneak onto the island at night to steal the newly laid eggs from the mother turtle. Nests are easy to spot and a simple target for sea gypsies to come and claim their “prize”. Volunteers who will be on the island from May to September are desperately needed to carry out beach walks every evening to dissuade poachers from approaching the island. If regular patrols are instigated, poachers will have less inclination to descend upon the island and will finally leave nature to its own devices.

Blacktip reef sharks are occasional visitors

Green Turtles are very abundant and both eggs and adults will be protected from poachers

Page 2: Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

Aims & Objectives• The ultimate aim is a protected reef that can support a reef shark population.• To protect sharks, the ecosystem needs repair. This protected reef has been bombed in thepast and no longer has enough fish to feed a shark population.• If corals are planted on the damaged areas, there will be more shelter for juvenile fish andeventually better corals with a diverse fish population.• The island has a large non resident pelagic fish population, if these can be encouraged tostay, there will be more food for the sharks.• The island is an important turtle nesting area and adults and hatchlings will benefit frommore protection and less poaching with a conservation project on the island.

Project LocationYou will be based on the beautiful island of Pom Pom, located in the Celebes Sea in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The journey to Pom Pom will be a one hour speed boat ride from Semporna on the mainland, and will see you careening through perfect turquoise waters. The island itself has romantic white sand beaches, calm waters and shallow reefs. With easy access to over 10 other islands, Pom Pom is a gateway to the underwater dive sites of the coral triangle.

Project Facts• Duration: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks• Cost: £1175 for 2 weeks, £1675 for 4 weeks (with 2 dive courses)• 10% discount for groups of 6 or more. (bigger groups more discount).• Requirements: Suitable for anyone, Age 17+, or children with guardians; non divers welcome,School groups (one week expeditions are possible for large groups).• Location: Pom Pom island, Sabah, Borneo Map of location• Project Activities: Coral reef conservation through proactive reef rebuilding, construction and coral planting, monitoring of turtle nesting, turtle tagging, sharks, rays, reef fish & invertebratesurveys.• Diving: Unlimited• Working Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8 hours per day.• Project Availability: First and third Wednesday of the month. Project closed over Christmas and New Year

What’s Included• Accommodation: Shared tent on almost deserted beach. OR Stay at beautiful Celebes Beach Resort• Food: 3 meals per day – breakfast, lunch and dinner, (with professional staff cook)• Airport pick up and drop off• Training: Orientation and project induction provided,• PADI scuba diving Open Water course/qualification for 2 week stays.PADI Openwater & Advanced course included for 4+ week stays.Reef Check Tropical EcoDiver course included for 8+ week stays• Support: 24 hour support, Safety & Medical• Communications: Regular phone or internet contact with friends or family.• University or college projects for individual students are designed and supported for 4+ week stays (qualified diver) or 6+ week stays (diving qualification completed in Pom Pom)• Excursion Planning: Staff help organise extra dive courses and additional land or waterexcursions• Transport to Pom Pom Island from Kota Kinabalu ( return trip)

Page 3: Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

• All dive equipment (except: mask, snorkel, fins, skins/rash vest/ stinger suit)

What’s Not Included• Flights to Kota Kinabalu (Air Asia or Firefly are cheap local airlines, Royal Brunei is often thecheapest International carrier)• Insurance (recommend DAN trip insurance)• Visas (Malaysia gives 12 weeks free entry visa on arrival for most countries)• Water & sand proof watch, ( casio digital or similar)• Dive skins & snorkel gear – volunteers need to bring their own• Underwater or land cameras (computers are available to download photos and burn to disc.)for more information search our website http://tracc-borneo.org

Page 4: Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

Volunteer role

You will be working to help repair the reef by carrying out soft and hard coral planting. The reef environment varies and different techniques will be used to determine how best to stabilize the reef depending on the slope, current and depth. A wide range of species are planted to create a diverse reef and while coral grows slowly; growth and survival of individuals can be clearly seen, monitored and measured in a typical month. After initial training, volunteers work in small groups on daily and weekly projects as well as creating their own masterpiece reef. Lots of the corals are initially planted in tanks on land so non divers will also be busy.

Check out the blog for more on coral planting

You will also be working to help increase the number of fish in the area. This will be done through fish aggregating devices (FAD's)such as recycled water bottles, netlon, canvas and treated concrete structures. As well as creating these devices, you will also be installing and monitoring them underwater. As the fish are attracted to elements underwater that they can hide behind, you will be working to find the best solution in the area and to help implement the underwater planting of these devices.

Alongside your daily dive work, if you are volunteering between May to September you will also be carrying out nightly beach patrols to check for nesting turtles and hatchlings. It takes around 40 minutes to circle the island and you will be on rotation with the other volunteers every evening to help dissuade poachers from stealing the eggs or hatchlings.

This is the ideal place to build dive skills as well as fish and coral identification techniques. Most days have one or more boat dives, 3 dives per day is normal and night dives are frequent. The water is usually crystal clear and due to the strong currents at some of the dive sites many large pelagics are attracted including grey reef sharks, eagle rays and manta rays! If you’re very lucky, you may also see the awe-inspiring whale shark (the best time is between April-June).

Non diving days are busy with fish & coral ID, photo & video editing, preparation of coral planting materials, writing or constructing your own coral and fish palace.

Coral fragment has grown to small colony

FAD's are a very effective way of keeping fish within the protected area

Green turtle filling in nest after laying

Page 5: Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

Research StudentsThere is the possibility of research for students who need to complete a dissertation or thesis. Volunteers have been to Pom Pom to carry out research on their own special project and have stayed for between 3-6 months. Contact TRACC for more details.

Families and GroupsFamilies can camp or upgrade to stay in the neighbouring Celebes Beach resort where children are most welcome. Groups would be fantastic and they will stay in the tented accommodation. The more manpower the better! Max group size is 20.Couples can stay in the tents but sound is an issue, private rooms in the resort are a better solution.

Who should comeThe project has tents on the beach, but is not at all basic. Each dome sleeps two on two single beds and has shared facilities, Resort accommodation is available at slightly extra cost for couples, honeymooners or families. Diving is not essential but most people will snorkel although a lot of coral preparation work takes place on land and in water skills are not needed. Schools and groups are welcome to book and reserve for exclusive use.A dive qualification is not required for this project as we will provide you with your Open Water qualification at the start of your visit. Advanced Diver Qualifications are included after a period of UW skill building. If you are already a qualified diver, there will always be the opportunity for you to increase your skills with additional courses, and you will be able to help with the deeper dives as well as have more dive hours underwater carrying out conservation activities.

Strong swimming abilities are preferred as you’ll be spending most of your day on the dive boat, snorkeling or diving underwater and a love of the outdoors is essential! If you have a passion for endangered species, diving and conservation this project is the one for you.

TRACC is also offering an “A” level course in Marine science (Cambridge examinations Board) for volunteers or Gap year Students who want practical experience and a qualification to help with future university courses or their career.

This project is also looking for volunteers with communication skills who are interested in the media (Photos or Video), graphics and writing to work on separate projects promoting the work being carried out to the local media and an international audience.

Your life outside the project:As you will be working from Monday to Saturday, Sunday’s will be all yours to spend as you please! Saturday does tend to be a celebration of the working week in the evening, with a few drinks to catch up with everyone and just put your feet up after a hard week’s work. On Sunday, lots of volunteers like to hang out at the beach, read books, go for beach walks (you can cover the island in only 40 minutes), snorkel or swim. There may also be the option for you to head into Semporna, which is located on the mainland – a one hour’s boat ride away. It is in Semporna that you will be able to get online and buy any supplies that you may need in their local supermarket. This trip can be arranged when you are on the island and will be dependent on how many volunteers are looking to make the trip, and when the boat will return.

View of the resort, the project camp site is on the left

Page 7: Pom Pom Island Volunteer Project

Pom Pom Volunteer project costs

2 weeks £1175; 4 weeks £1675; 6 weeks £2100,8 weeks £2470, 10 weeks £3150, 12 weeks £3810

Additional month £1350

All food, accommodation & unlimited diving included – whats included

• For resort accommodation add £460 per person for 2 weeks.

• Dive courses with 2 week stay additional £160 per course.

Notes:-• 2 weeks does not include dive courses

• 10% discount for groups of 6 or more.

• 20% discount for groups of 16 or more.

• 1 month includes PADI OW & PADI advanced diver

• 1 month for previously qualified divers includes PADI Rescue

• 1 month for previously qualified divers -If no dive courses required discount of £160