Melia saveguards turtles' future
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
General Manager of Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort Alfonso Romero smiled broadly while carrying the turtle onto the beach.
The cute green creature (Chelonia mydas) wiggled its front flippers softly as if it knew that it was in a company of friends and that its freedom was just a few steps away.
A similar smile of excitement could also be seen on the faces of the establishment's marketing director, Sharon Lee, and executive vice president of Sol Melia Asia Pacific Daniel Lozano, who were walking next to Romero.
In Lozano's hands was a medium-sized turtle with clear eyes and a healthy, clean shell.
A few meters from the water line, they placed the turtles on the warm, white sand of Nusa Dua beach. Clicking sounds from many digital cameras filled the air as a throng of locals and foreigners, witnessing the release, tried to capture the beautiful moment.
The creatures, four green turtles and one Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), dragged their bodies across the sand and upon reaching the water started paddling their flippers in long, slow strokes to gain sufficient momentum.
In no time at all, the turtles -- lucky, considering that around 3,000 were slaughtered in Bali in 2004 -- conquered the breaking waves and swam majestically into the azure sea.
The release, which took place last Friday, indicated the resort's commitment to the conservation and preservation of the island's ecological heritage.
"The sea turtle is an endangered species, a rare gem in our country's ecological crown. The management of Melia Bali believes that protecting and preserving the natural beauty and richness of this island is a thing of utmost importance for not only the future of tourism but also, most importantly, for the future of the island itself," Melia Bali public relations officer Evy Suryaningsih said.
The establishment received the turtles from the owner of Bumbu Bali restaurant, a passionate environmentalist, who for years had tried his best to save sea turtles from meeting a horrific end at the hands of local traffickers.
"The management has approached local WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) officers to discuss and explore various conservation programs that the hotel might become involved in or initiate in the future," she added.
WWF Turtle Program local field officer Dita Cahyani, who witnessed the release, praised Melia Bali for conducting what she called "an environmentally responsible tourism operation."
"The release also reminded us of the importance of building a strong alliance with various individuals and institutions apart from environmental NGOs to strengthen turtle conservation efforts in the region," she said.
Given the importance of tourism to the island's economy -- possessing a huge influence, both social and economic, and powerful political leverage -- Dita suggested that the industry should play a more pivotal role in the struggle to conserve the island's biodiversity.
"Having the industry on our side will surely raise turtle conservation efforts to a whole new level," she added.
Recently, the WWF Turtle Program organized a meeting of many stakeholders to define and design new conservation strategies for the future.
"A broader base of public support, active participation from various elements of the society and a mutually supportive alliance with the business community and news media were identified in the meeting as key to the success of future conservation programs," she said.