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Name: Sian Williams
Programme: Turtle and Dive Malaysia
Dates: 5th June - 2nd July
How did you feel before you joined the programme?
After reading about the Pehentian islands I was so excited! I was a bit nervous about travelling to Malaysia on my own not knowing any one but our tour leader Mary was there to pick us up from the airport making it very easy not to get lost!
How did Real Gap assist you?
Real gap were so helpful and friendly, if we needed to, we could have got hold of Mary at any point throughout the programme. Even before we left, when I was ringing real gap every ten seconds asking more questions they were very patient and helpful! |
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We had a briefing before arriving on the island over dinner on our first evening in KL about what to expect, how much money we would need, what kinda of snacks to take and we got an information pack to pore over and make us even more excited!
What was the accommodation like?
The guest house in KL was lovely, little dorm rooms and comfy beds! Our huts on the island were very homely! Quite small but they had all they needed in them, bunks, shower, the fan became very useful.
Very picturesque too on the outskirts of the jungle! Mozzis weren't a great problem in our hut, but we were lucky! However they provide bug killer to eradicate almost everything living in the rooms!
The huts were for two people each so we had to try and keep them tidy, the beds were a bit uncomfy though and our door had to be slammed very hard before it would shut fully!
What did you think of the programme?
I loved the programme we learnt so much about all the fish and the corals which was so interesting. The dives sites were the best I've ever been to with huge variety of species, lots of sharks too! |
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We learnt a fair bit about the turtles too; the staff there were very knowledgeable and clearly had a strong passion for the turtles. Turtle watch was good fun watching them come up the beach and then record all the data of the length of their tracks, whether they laid eggs and how long they were on the beach for. It could get quite tiring though if you had a dive the next morning!
The reef check surveys were interesting too. We dived along a line transect to check health of the reef in comparison to human impact and global warming impact, had to memorise lots of fish and coral species for that! The results have been recorded on a wider scale to see how it has improved/ got worse since past months.
What was the most memorable moment of your trip?
Our long beach trip was a bit of a giggle, learning the infamous dive dance! I think the dive course and the fun dives were the best. It was so much fun and after the reef check dives we could actually recognise what we saw. The wreck dives were amazing, lots of sharks, puffer fish, bat fish and plenty of clown fish!
Our stay on the hatchery beach was funny; Janet (another volunteer) and I were the only ones to stay in hammocks in the jungle so we didn't get too much sleep with all the hermit crabs all over the place. |
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It was also good because we were introduced to the fisheries people who live in a very different way than what we do. They had no electricity and just one boat to leave the island for supplies and to collect the eggs.
Did your project and destination meet your expectations? Any anecdotes?
It was better! I could never have imagined such a paradise as the bubbles beach; it was the best beach out of all we visited on the Pehentian islands! The staff were amazing and so funny and we made some really good friends. If you go you will have to learn Haricks dive dance- legendary!
How have you benefited from your experience?
I have seen different cultures; how the Malay people live and eat (the food was amazing, mainly chicken rice and veg!). Obviously I completed my advanced dive course so that was beneficial too. I have probably grown up a bit more and become more independent because the age range differed quite a lot which I thought was really good.
I know so much more about how to help conserve turtles even helping in this country (e.g. don't use helium balloons as 99% end up in the sea and turtles try and eat them and suffocate) and all about different coral, fish, sharks! |
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What advice could you offer to someone considering this project?
Go between the summer months of May - September as this is peak turtle mating/ egg laying season. We visited in June and they were turtles coming up to lay almost every evening.
Forget all your jumpers! It is so hot we practically lived in sarongs and strappy tops, even at night it was humid enough to be boiling in a thin sweatshirt!
If you're a marmite lover bring it with you! It's rare that you can find it on the island even long beach! Plenty of sun cream, all factors and even more mosquito spray containing DEET it will be your best friend!
And the best advice is to come see it for yourself! It is beyond anything you could ever imagine!
 Further information on the Malaysia turtle and Dive Programme
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