Valentina Serrazanetti – Senior Instructor
It has been a wonderfully full and heartfelt three months on our little island, and I’m excited to share what has been happening within the Penida team.
The project continues to grow not just through our research and daily routines, but through the people who pass through our doors and leave their mark behind.
We are happy to celebrate our newest graduates from the past three months!
Congratulations to Paige Taylor (Australia), Ralf de Mar Youssef (Czech Republic), Jordan Yates (UK), Elena Porst (Germany), Aoife Whyte (Ireland), Ardwin Silap (Indonesia), Emmie Fagerberg (Sweden), Etienne Guiraud (Indonesia–France), Emily Rosemergy (New Zealand), Zoe Swan (UK), and XinXin He (China).
It was truly amazing to have each of you as part of our Penida family!
Among the achievements of our graduates this quarter, Ardwin Silap has now joined the IOP team as our official Social Media Manager, extending his time with us. Emmie Fagerberg has continued her dedication to marine science through a scholarship project researching bluespotted rays (Neotrygon kuhlii), a step forward we are incredibly proud of. Meanwhile, Emily Rosemergy is now completing a fellowship with IOP, conducting plankton research as part of her master’s thesis.
Alongside all these wonderful people, the ecology side of the program was incredibly active. Across the quarter we ran over sixty ecology courses, from our Manta Ecology and Shark Ecology favourites to Turtle Ecology, Mola Ecology, Nudi Ecology, Mangrove Ecology, and of course the deeply detailed Coral Ecology, Coral ID, and Coral Restoration courses and dives.
These sessions continue to be one of the most rewarding parts of the project watching interns slowly connect the dots between species, habitats, and behaviours, and gaining the confidence to talk about the reef with real understanding.
This was also the quarter where we proudly launched our new research liveaboards, an enormous milestone for the organisation. Led by the amazing Selene Gaiani, our program director and liveaboard manager, and supported by the brilliant mind of our scientific director Pascal Sebastian, the liveaboard program took off with remarkable success. We now have three vessels running for 2026: one venturing through the Halmahera region, one exploring the magic of Banda Neira, both in collaboration with Uncharted Liveaboards. And another navigating the iconic waters of Komodo with Blue Lotus by Azul Komodo. These expeditions are opening completely new doors for our research capacity, field training, and community engagement, and we’re incredibly excited for what’s coming.
Across everything that happened this quarter, one of the most important lessons we embraced was the reminder that not everyone learns in the same way. Each intern came to us with different backgrounds, different strengths, and different needs. It pushed us to adapt our teaching, rethink pacing, and create more customised pathways for skill development. It’s been a powerful shift for the whole team, and one we’ll continue building on.
With a bustling training schedule, new liveaboards, dozens of ecology courses, and a beautifully varied group of interns, this quarter has been one of growth, reflection, and constant movement.
Thank you all for staying connected with the Penida project—whether you’re here on the island or cheering from afar, you remain part of our story!
Kristova Indrataruna – Project Marine Biologist
Science and biodiversity report
This quarter marks the end of Nusa Penida’s high season, our team has worked tirelessly to reach our monthly science target to an exceptional level. We conducted 36 roving surveys, 12 benthic surveys, and 15 BRUV deployments. These scientific methods remained our primary method to assess the health of Nusa Penida ecosystems, focusing on important fish biomass, presence of high-trophic predators, and benthic biodiversity. I would like to thank our interns that have participated in the program and conducted data collection dives.
As expected, the number of BRUV deployments increased during the high season dur to the rise in tourist activity around the island. We had to repeat several deployments in Karangsari and Toyapakeh due to diver interference, but our team worked hard and successfully met our targets while collecting valuable data.
Penida delivered some exciting megafauna encounters this quarter. Highlights included sightings of Oceanic Manta Ray (Mobula birostris) spotted swimming in the north coast, a Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Spyraena lewini) swimming in the east coast, a few Bumphead Molas (Mola alexandrine), Snaggletooth Sharks (Hemipristis elongata), and Brownbanded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum). We also enjoyed several close encounter with Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops spp.). As always, we encountered plenty of reef manta rays (Mobula alfredii), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) – all frequent sighting in Nusa Penida waters.
Conditions the past three months were not ideal in the south (i.e., Manta Point, Labyrinth, Rabbit Hole, and Manta Bay), we were not able to visit these sites as often, resulting in fewer Reef Manta sightings. Interestingly, Reef Manta activities increased in Manta Bay, and several individuals have been spotted along the east coast. This suggests that the east coast may be a preferred habitat when conditions at Manta Point are suboptimal.
We look forward to seeing what the next quarter will bring with even more incredible encounters beneath the waves.
Citizen Science
Our commitment to citizen science remains strong as we continue to document every exciting encounter and contribute valuable data to our partners. This quarter, we completed 57 citizen science dives and added 17 turtle cheek photos, 5 manta belly shots, and 3 elasmobranch images to our database. Despite conducting a high number of citizen science dive, we recorded fewer entries on mantas, turtles, and elasmobranchs, largely due to challenging weather conditions, including strong winds and large swells.
Our conservation work extends beyond wildlife sightings; it includes monitoring the health of the reef and surrounding environment. Through six Dive Against Debris dives and three beach clean-ups, we removed 16.8 kg of trash from Crystal Bay and 19.6 kg from the boat landing area. Additionally, we conducted five CoralWatch dives to monitor the health of corals over time.
In addition to our scientific work, we remain committed to engaging and inspiring the local communities. We visited schools and communities to teach children about marine animals found around Nusa Penida and to support their English learning. Through these visits, we aim to foster a deeper connection between young people and the unique ecosystems that surround their island.
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Coral restoration updates
Our coral restoration in Crystal Bay continues to progress smoothly. We added 78 new Acropora pulchra fragments to our nursery for future coral planting dives. While this number is relatively lower than in previous quarters, our team dedicated more time to enhancing the restoration site further. This included deploying six new coral spiders, each populated with coral fragments from the nursery that have grown large for outplanting.
Additionally, we were requested to take over several Echinopora coral colonies initially maintained by Ocean Gardener. These corals had become difficult to maintain due to their placement near a deep slope exposed to strong wave energy. We were pleased to step in and integrate them into our restoration area. We installed a new coral table on top of rocks for the Echinopora colonies with the intention of creating more natural, reef-like structure that enhances habitat complexity. This addition enhances natural reef-like structures, increases species diversity, and contributes to building a more resilient and ecologically balanced restoration area.
Ongoing research
This quarter marks another important milestone in IOP’s commitment to advancing scientific research in remote areas. We welcomed several researchers and university students conducting research and sampling under IOP’s Research Fellowship Program, each contributing valuable insights into the ecosystems of Nusa Penida.
Petra Hajdú
Student from the Technical University of Denmark investigating the effects of sea walls on coral health, providing crucial information for future coastal management.
Emmie Fagerberg
Student from Stockholm University examining the unique “pancaking” behaviour of Bluespotted Stingray (Neotrygon caeruleopunctata) in Nusa Penida, to help us uncover new aspects of their ecology.
Emily Rosemergy
Student from Aarhus University studying the plankton abundance and diversity across Nusa Penida to better understand the availability of food sources for resident manta ray populations.
Arief Wujdi
PhD candidate from Pukyong National University collecting seawater samples for eDNA analysis to reveal fish diversity that often goes unseen by divers.
We’ve welcomed interns from all over the world this quarter — Switzerland, England, the USA, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Germany, and more. Each arrival brings new energy, new accents at the dinner table, and new inside jokes echoing across camp. Watching them grow from a nerve-filled refresher, to confidently leading dives, to becoming true dive professionals is the best part of the job – I cry every time. There’s nothing like seeing an intern nail their first lead, surface grinning, and know they’ve found their rhythm underwater.
Our days off have been filled with the usual adventures — diving at Arborek, hiking at Piaynemo, and floating down the Blue River surrounded by that unreal turquoise glow. As high season rolls in, the water’s getting a little murkier and the boats a little busier, but we’re taking it as a good omen: oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) can’t be far behind.
Every evening here ends the same way — everyone gathered on the jetty, watching the sky melt into impossible shades of gold and violet. We raise our Bintangs, laugh about the latest jungle antics, and soak in the shared sense that this place — wild, imperfect, and endlessly beautiful — really is something special.
Want to join the team?
We are always seeking hard working and enthusiastic ocean lovers to join our award-winning and innovative divemaster and research diver internship. Contact us and apply online today!
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