| Azrol Azmi In Sattahip, Thailand |
IT WAS mission accomplished for a group of media personnel – a mix of new and traditional media (including Borneo Bulletin) staff – as they were invited over a weekend to Thailand to meet a marine conservation icon, Scott Cassell, who led them out to sea on an operation to retrieve abandoned fishing nets – “ghost nets” as they are known.
The operation, fittingly named ‘Luminox Essential Sea Mission: Ghost Nets Recovery & Sea Turtle Conservation’, was aimed at raising awareness about ocean conservation.
Held in Sattahip, Thailand, roughly a two-hour drive from the airport, the event gathered more than 60 participants from several Asian countries including Brunei, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
Upon arrival at the location on a Friday afternoon, we were welcomed with a quick briefing of the mission. Clad in a Luminox T-shirt and khaki pants, Scott Cassell – the brand’s iconic ambassador – took to the stage, explaining the harm of ghost nets to marine life and ecosystem.
An adverse cycle is initiated when such ghost nets end up in the ocean, killing sea creatures trapped within them and perpetuating damaging effects to marine ecology which could last decades, explained Cassell.
“It’s a vicious cycle that needs to be stopped [by continuously retrieving] the ghost nets – a term that was coined by fishermen long time ago,” he added.
All geared up and mission-ready, the participants woke to a sumptuous breakfast on a Saturday morning and were divided into two different groups.
For the certified divers, Luminox organised two diving sessions – led by Cassell himself – in the Gulf of Thailand.
During the dives, Cassell’s experience and skill as a combat diver were in clear evidence, even in his predominant profession as an ocean conservationist today.
With mission objectives firmly impressed in their minds, the team of media and online influencers – assisted by staff from a local Thai volunteers’ association called Save Our Seas (also known as SOS) – set off for the Gulf of Thailand.
Headed straight to a location well known for ghost nets due to the nearby fishing village, Luminox and its divers wasted no time in getting to work, using simple gear such as rubbish bags to store nets collected off the coral reefs.
Each diver was equipped with a scissor to cut the nets into smaller pieces so that they can be stored more easily.
The mission proved to be a real success: more than 200 kilogrammes of ghost nets were collected by the team by the end of the day.
As I recalled from a couple of divers during the post-mission debrief, the dive, according to them, “was successful as underwater visibility was poor during that day, and being able to retrieve as much of the ghost nets as we did – and what’s more close to the sea urchins – was remarkable.”
For Neeta, a musician and online influencer from Malaysia who goes by the handle @neetamanis on Instagram, and Hafreez – also from Malaysia, a young adventurer and online influencer going by the handle @thatborneoguy, the experience was an eye-opener, with both mentioning that the experience to go on a mission to retrieve ghost nets was very different to the usual leisure dive.
Meanwhile, to commemorate the launch of Luminox’s Leatherback Sea Turtle collection earlier this year, the second, non-diver media group was brought to visit the Sea Turtle Conservation Center in Sattahip, which is managed by the Royal Thai Navy.
Sea turtle conservation is an important component of ocean conservation, which Luminox is proud to be associated with.
The Luminox participants were able to learn how baby turtles were fed, raised, protected and released back into sea.
During their time at the centre, the group was able to release no less than 10 juvenile turtles into the sea – a very emotional and exciting moment for many of them. Most of the released turtles were between the ages of two and three, with the oldest – named ‘Luminox’ – being five years.
The turtle release is a privilege offered to only a few individuals annually, and it was explained that the turtles have been attached tracking tags that would monitor their movements across the oceans.
These turtles are expected to return to the exact same beach in a few years’ time to lay eggs.
In ocean conservation, coral reef rejuvenation is important to ensure the sustenance of an abundance of marine life.
One of the groups also had the chance to experience how this is done by taking part in a coral reef planting activity.
This involved using a planting device – made out of recycled metal stands or PVC piping – to screw in corals onto the seabed through a method similar to plant grafting.
The second group did not miss out on the experience either, subsequently following the first group and going out to sea to witness local fishermen and divers planting the corals.
The process is surprisingly simple, and shows that everyone and anyone can be an ocean conservator.
To cap off the Luminox Essential Sea Mission, a “Luminous Party” was hosted at the Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa on Saturday evening, while on the next day – Sunday, November 12 – an experience sharing session was held, allowing the divers and non-divers to talk about their experiences in Thailand.
Luminox hopes that by educating the participants about ghost net recovery, sea turtle conservation and coral reef planting, they can raise awareness on wildlife preservation and ocean protection.
Luminox and Scott Cassell
Luminox shares Cassell’s concern for the sustainability of the oceans, so it has chosen to partner with him since 2009, helping to fund his non-profit oceanic research organisation, the Undersea Voyager Project.
The company aims to conduct undersea explorations of up to depths of 1,000 feet to help raise awareness and understanding about ocean conservation.
It is also active in hosting children in its mini-research submarine to educate them about the ocean.
Luminox gear is part of Cassell’s essential equipment for every mission.
The watch manufacturer supports his work by selling special-edition watches of which part of the proceeds is donated to Cassell’s non-profit organisations.
Speaking about the famous American explorer, André Bernheim, owner and CEO of Mondaine Watch Ltd, said, “Not only does Scott do an extraordinary job protecting endangered white sharks or removing ghost nets from the ocean, he is also a man of high ideals and a fantastic person to work with.”
Scott Cassell UVP 3500 Set Series
In support of the Undersea Voyager Project (UVP), Luminox has created the new 3509 set in collaboration with Cassell.
A portion of proceeds from sales of this watch will go toward funding the UVP and its mission of exploration.
The Swiss-made 3509 SC set is built for diving, coming with a sturdy carbon compound case.
It has a stainless steel protected crown, unidirectional ratcheting bezel, 200-metre water resistance, and a clear, high-contrast dial with Luminox Light Technology (LLT) that glows for up to 25 years irrespective of conditions, so that the watch is always visible.
The orange dial is marked with both the Luminox and UVP logos. The watch’s stainless steel case back depicts a 3D marking of Cassell’s U boat.
The watch is provided as a set with three interchangeable straps: one polyurethane, one webbing textile, and one Velcro FastStrap emblazoned with the UVP giant squid logo; a compass, and a strap-changing tool – all neatly packed in a dive mask storage box.
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