One of their proudest achievements is the Proyek Penyu — or “Turtle Project’ — which has seen the release into the wild of approximately 600 green, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles in the two-and-a-half years since its inception.
Pernuteran’s success is starting to attract attention high up in the Indonesian tourism industry, where it may be seen as a potential model for the development of other areas. Says Brown: ‘We’re trying to be a sample area, to show that ecotoudsm can work, that it can help not only dive environment, but local people as well. By doing that you get a sustainable win-win situation.” Perhaps the most conspicuous evidence of the achievements here is the fact that you can lie on a beach without being hassled.