Sail Wakatobi participants start enjoying underwater beauty

Antara News,  by Otniel Tamindael, Wed, August 10 2011

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Several crew members of yachts arriving in Wakatobi on Tuesday to participate in Sail Wakatobi-Belitung (SWB-2011), have started enjoying the magnificent diving facilities in the waters at Hoga island.

The participants of international yacht rally and race who set sail from Darwin, Australia, on July 23, 2011 have started entering Wakatobi waters since Tuesday to participate in the much awaited Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2001.

Wakatobi Culture and Tourism Office spokesman Tawakal said that eight of the yachts, participating in the international yacht rally and yacht race, arrived in Wakatobi on Tuesday and many would follow.

"At present the crews of the yachts are swimming and diving in the waters at Hoga island to enjoy underwater natural beauty of various coral reefs and marine biota around the island," Tawakal said in Wakatobi on Tuesday.

All participants of the SWB-2011 as well as divers from around the world will undeniably have a great opportunity to go diving in the superb diving sites and the most pristine reefs at Wakatobi Diving Resort.

Therefore the Wakatobi district administration and local coral reef youths will guide Sail Wakatobi-Belitong participants when they all arrive at the location.

According to Tawakal, the eight yachts which have arrived in Wakatobi waters entered the Indonesian archipelago through Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara.

He admitted that the Sail Wakatobi-Beliton participants tried to arrive in Wakatobi much earlier because they wanted to enjoy the underwater natural beauty and the hospitality of Wakatobi people as much as possible.

Wakatobi district head Hugua has ever said at least 1.3 million hectares of Wakatobi are part of Wakatobi National Marine Park with Karang Mari Mabo, Onemobaa, Pulau Hioga, and Pantai Patuno diving sites.

Therefore the Wakatobi Coral Reef Youths will guide the SWB-2011 participants wherever they want to go diving at the center of the world`s coral reefs triangle in Wakatobi.

"Divers, tourists, and guests will have an excellent diving holiday and enjoy every moment of it to see the colorful and magnificent underwater life because the area is tremendously rich in marine heritage," Hugua said.

Wakatobi is one of the protected marine national parks in Indonesia.

According to Hugua, Sail Wakatobi-Belitong participants and tourists divers at Wakatobi Diving Resort would experience a highly enjoyable moment that they would never forget.

In the Wakatobi Diving Resort there are a lot of beautiful diving sites with incredibly colorful marine diversity which could be reached easily.

Known for its built-in Beach and a house reef just twenty meters from the dive center, Wakatobi attracts many professional divers from around the world who want to go diving there.

The Wakatobi Diving Resort is surrounded by stunning and pristine drop-offs, walls and slopes to ridges, caverns, caves and sea-mounts.

"Here at Wakatobi, the beauty of the marine life is waiting to be discovered and explored by the Sail Wakatobi-Belitung participants," Hugua said.

Besides, Wakatobi Diving Resort is also offering premier and luxurious accommodation with modern comforts to tourist divers and guests in Bungalows, Garden Bungalows, Beach Bungalows, and Cliff Villas.

There are still many beautiful diving sites with pristine reefs, stunning colorful corals and tropical marine life that are in remote sites and not accessible from the Wakatobi Diving Resort that are waiting to be explored and discovered by SWB-2011 participants.

Wakatobi Diving Resort also offers a very comprehensive diving package holiday for tourists and Sail Wakatobi-Belitung participants to have an opportunity to explore its underwater marine life.

Meanwhile, Tawakal said the official ceremony for all participant of the SWB-2011 international marine event would be conducted by Wakatobi district government on Tuesday night, August 23, to mark its peak event.

"I have been informed that 25 yachts have anchored in Saumlaki and will arrive in Wakatobi on August 23 at the latest," Tawakal said, adding that Sail Wakatobi-Belitong peak event, to last for a week until August 29, would be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono on August 23.

According to him, the Wakatobi district government has prepared various cultural attractions to enliven the Wakatobi-Belitong international marine event.

"Various attractions that have been prepared are among others

mass underwater wedding, traditional sports festival, traditional art and cultural festival, and diving activities at Wakatobi waters.

One of cultural performance to entertain the participant of the international marine event is Bangka Mbule-mbule, a ritual tradition of Bajo ethnic community in Wakatobi.

Bangka Mbule-mbule cultural attraction is usually performed to ask for the Creator to bestow the local fishermen with blessing, and to save them from perils when they go fishing at open sea.

Tawakal said that the peak event of Sail Wakatobi-Balitung would be marked with big parties because the committee had make every effort to greet the participants of the sail as well as possible to make their visit pleasant.

Editor: Priyambodo RH