Borneo Divers And Sea Sports To Host Mabul World Turtled Day

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), May 9 (Bernama) -- Diving service company Borneo Divers and Sea Sports (Sabah) Sdn Bhd is set to host the Mabul World Turtle Day from May 18-21. Its General Manager Luke J. Cox said the event will take place at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort, near the district of Semporna and is expected to be officiated by Sabah Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Kamarlin Ombi. "The purpose of this event is to draw attention, increase awareness on turtles and tortoises, as well as encourage human action to ensure the survival of these creatures. "There will also be follow up on underwater census of the resident Green Hawksbill sea turtle population as well as to catch, photograph, measure and tag these turtles," he said at a press conference on Mabul World Turtle Day here Friday. Cox said other activities during the event are educational games for children, amateur photography competition, beach and underwater clean-up, demonstration on how to take sea turtle measurements and flipper tagging. He said the event partners include state Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry; University Malaysia Sabah's Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI); The Borneo Connection Sdn Bhd, Sipadan Mabul Resort, Semporna District Office and Sabah Education Department. Meanwhile, senior lecturer of BMRI, Dr Pushpa Palaniappan said the project on the resident sea turtle population in Sipadan and Mabul islands received major funding from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. "Since 2010, about 228 turtles in Mabul have been caught and tagged," she said. Mabul Island (Pulau Mabul in Malay) is a small island off the south-east coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. The island is known as one of the best muck diving destinations in the world. -- BERNAMA FR