Headdress of the Papuans

Papuans and the birds of paradise have long shared a unique relationship.

Using bird of paradise plumes in their dress and rituals, they were also once popular in Europe in the past as adornments for ladies millinery, they were also hunted to supply the demand.

Researchers have found that each headdress contains a feather from an average 8 parrots and that roughly 50,000 people in a particular province have had this type of headdress, meaning the provincial consumes hold the feathers of about 400,000 dead parrots/ birds.

Conservation organisations have spent time giving preservation kits out to help preserve the feathers so as not to need to replace them as regularly from hunted birds.

Talking to some of the locals they keep them safe in a suit-case away from rats, mice and insects, and sometimes raid bowerbird bowers to find new replacements, but are now also using alternatives such as rooster tail feathers and chicken feathers.

Such an amazing array of colour and culture. 

Anemone

Striking purple colours of the underside of an anemone as it closes up to eat, with a family of pink anemone fish mingling around.

The Facial Tattoos of Oro Province

The unique facial tattoos of women in the Oro Province in Papua New Guinea, are a beautiful sight to see.

The women of Tufi pass down this tradition of facial tattoos and believe it makes them more beautiful and youthful.

We were fortunate enough to be able to see a demonstration of this practice, which is done only by certain woman in the village who have the skills and technique. The black ink used for the tattoos is made by mixing ground charcoal with water, then the pattern is painted on the girl’s face using the stalk of a taro plant. Then a lemon plant thorn is used as a needle to pierce the skin so that the ink can penetrate and permanently stain the flesh.

If you want to learn more about the Facial Tattoos and the Oro Province head over too. @indopacificimages 

Misool Marine Reserve South Raja Indonesia

Misool, marine reserve is working, a recent scientific survey analysed fish biomass at several sites within the Misool Marine Reserve, comparing data from 2007 and 2013. The sites included many of Misool’s most popular dive sites such as Nudi Rock and Daram. On average, the biomass increased by 250% over just 6 years. On some key sites, recovery surpassed 600%.
A separate 2012 study established that there are 25 times more sharks inside the Misool Marine Reserve than directly outside of it. Oceanic Manta sightings have also increased 25-fold between 2010 and 2016 

Mobula Ray

Looking into the eye of this dead mobula ray we found on the bottom on the ocean floor while snorkelling.

In recent years, manta rays (which are similar to mobula rays) have increasingly been exploited by targeted fisheries that prize them for their gills, which are sold in China and also for their meat and skin that is consumed locally.

With the new manta regulation in Indonesia prohibiting fishing or trade in mantas, the unfortunately reality is that Indonesia lacks both the resources and manpower to ensure strict compliance through enforcement mechanisms alone. It is simply too big an area with too many fishing communities scattered across it.

These often poor and less educated fishermen have few options when it comes to providing for their families. They either fish or go hungry, it’s that simple.

Fishermen in Indonesia are uniquely positioned to benefit from another option. A peer-reviewed study led by Wild Aid The Manta Trust and Shark Savers estimated that global manta ecotourism generates USD$140 million in annual revenues – USD$15 million per year in Indonesia alone – making the species highly valuable for many Indonesian communities who now rely on ecotourism for their livelihoods.

Unfortunately, these same populations of manta rays are threatened by targeted fisheries which only generate USD$400,000 annually in comparison.

The transition from fishermen to tour guide is not necessarily a simple one. There are several organisations creating alternative livelihood options for Indonesia communities and fishermen such as

@conservationorg https://www.conservation.org/projects/ocean-health-index

and

@mantatrust https://www.mantatrust.org/

You can support their organisations and conservation programs.

https://wildaid.org/sharks-and-manta-protection-kicks-in/