Karst phenomenon of Goa Halo Tabung in Berau becomes geological education vehicle

The Maratua sub-district government in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan Province, continues to optimise the potential of the natural phenomenon of the Goa Halo Tabung karst area as a geological education vehicle with high knowledge value for tourists and researchers. “The existence of this karst cave does not merely offer the beauty of natural scenery, but also functions as a living laboratory that is very rich in educational value about the history of our earth’s formation,” said Maratua Sub-district Head Ashari in Berau on Saturday. The exotic tourist destination located in Payung-Payung Village possesses unique geological characteristics in the form of an elongated natural pool with bluish brackish water that is always clear. Ashari said this natural wonder was formed from the dissolution of limestone over thousands of years due to raindrops absorbing carbon dioxide and turning into a weak acid as they seeped into the ground. The brackish water ecosystem in the middle of the cave is proven to depend on the dynamics of the tides, which seep in naturally through a network of crevices in the island’s coastal rocks. “The distance between the cave’s land edge and the open sea, which is only about 50 metres, means the volume of water in the pool is naturally maintained at all times,” he said. “Attaching a local language identity to this geological site is our effective way of continuing to preserve the oral tradition heritage and maritime identity of the Maratua coastal community.” The integration of geological science literacy and local cultural preservation is able to cultivate ecological awareness among visitors to better protect the region’s aquatic environmental order. “We very much hope that every tourist who comes does not just holiday enjoying the beauty of the water, but goes home with additional new insights about how important it is to protect this karst ecosystem,” Ashari said.