We started off the morning with a lot of excitement. Mr.Barik accompanied us to the wonderful school. All of us were welcomed with great enthusiasm; kids were waiting for us with garlands and a big smile. The Principal and the teachers showed us around the school and the classrooms. We were quite shocked to see that the students learn 4 languages apart from their main subjects.

The school has many rooms and is under further construction; the students sit on the ground and listen to their teachers with great interest. The school is big and has 300 students from the kindergarten  to the 8 th standard.

Say Cheeesseeeee! The afternoon was all about taking pictures.The students were so fascinated to see so many cameras and everyone wanted be in the picture! Floren showed them her skipping skills and so many kids loved watching her, Inge was busy capturing some of the best moments, Joe was entertaining the kids with his camera and Pawel was just absolutely amazed by the whole scene. All this was a treat for Dmitry’s camera of course. Chris from the Geberit team had already visited the school earlier and the children were excited to see him.

What we in the school today was quite great over-whelming .. from the premises, the students, the food, teachers, principal, the helpers.. everything had something to look upon and think.

We also planned during the day to make a good impact in the school by the end of the three weeks. We started planning our week and the evening was spent choosing colours and buying paint. We all agreed on a mutual bright colour to make the school look bright and happy just like the students in the school.

We start work tomorrow and we are all looking forward to it.

We are thanking the Mike Horn team every minute of the great opportunity, and it has just started.

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We began our last day on Pangaea with a relaxed breakfast and then took a bus trip to Sepilok (the seats were made quite small to fit the local Malay people, not giving us a very much room). After 1 hour of travelling we arrived at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, which is a reserved park containing many species of flora and fauna; birds, ants, leeches, snakes flowers, butterflies, trees, fruit plants and much more after our scenic and educational walk we caught a bus to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where we caught the afternoon feeding show of the Orangutans and other species of large monkeys.

Throughout our journey on the way there and back, we passed many palm oil plantations, and also sighted some deforestation this was quite an eye opener for the us as we are here to represent Pangaea and ourselves as Young Ambassadors for the environment and help create a sustainable future for our Planet, in seeing this first hand a enormous wave of motivation and determination washed over us- that we need to ACT now and make a difference in the World before it is too late and by saying ‘we’ I don’t just mean us the YEP’s who are here in Borneo but to all the Young People at home reading this blog or following this project we need your help, step by step to create a long road for a sustainable future for us and the following generations.

On our way back to the boat we picked up a few more supplies, then took a quick trip to the Sandakan Yacht Club where we enjoyed our first warm, inside shower in past 10 days.

A quote that has been used amongst the Young Explorers and the Team Members throughout the entire project is ‘’just DO IT!’’. The Pangaea meanings for this is to; step outside your comfort zone, be courageous and get your message across to the rest of the World.

 

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Our various flights from all over the world finally connected at Bhubaneswar, East India, where we met up at the airport and took a 60km drive in our taxis to the apartments in Puri, where we will be spending the next three weeks. Driving through India is an experience in itself, since there seem to be no conventional rules of the road. The rules I figured out while sitting half petrified in the back, were:

1. He who drives fastest and/or has the biggest car has right of way

2. Hooting with a reverberating horn while overtaking is a way of marking your territory to the oncoming traffic, if you’ve given them fair warning of your approach they should do the decent thing and pull over or even off the road.
3. There are only two types of people and animals in India – the quick and the dead.

The scenery we passed (whenever looking ahead got too much to handle) was truly remarkable. The hustle bustle of people and animals that occupy the streets add such a unique character to the otherwise run-down atmosphere. Palm trees give the entire area a tropical feel, while a constant layer of warm, hazy mist give an aura of mystique. The houses painted brilliant pink, green, yellow, red and the woman in their beautiful sari’s come together in a kaleidoscope of colours, making every minute of the drive a dazzling experience.  On the road itself there are buses, trucks, taxis, motorbikes, scooters, cows, dogs, humans, bicycles, donkey cars and trams, all competing to be the fastest and the furthest ahead on the one double lane road available.

Finally after what felt like ages of driving (since we were all exhausted from our long flights) we arrived at our destination – our apartments in Puri with a lovely view of the pool and the sea. Once we were all settled we went out for many of our first “real” Indian meal. We had a lovely dinner of Paneer Tikka Marsala, Butter Naan, Chicken Bryiani, Tendoori Chicken and the like, and a refreshing drink of Fresh Lemon Soda. We finished dinner off with dough puff marinated in a sweet, clear syrup. After dinner we were fortunate enough to witness a real Indian marriage celebration with traditional dancing, music, lights, fireworks and a car covered with enough flowers to fill a shop.

All in all it was an amazing first day and I know we are all extremely excited for tomorrow, our first day at the Pentakatha school, where we will be discussing the painting logistics and interacting with the teachers and
children of the school.

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We sailed off from Lankayan early this morning in the pure spirit of adventure. The itinerary was unknown to all of us until we happened across a beautiful, isolated spit of sand and palm trees near a larger but equally serene New Zealand-esque island. Curiosity overcame us and we anchored off for an exploratory dive. What goes on under the surface of this beautiful place?

It was an excellent decision; I found this to be one of our best dives. Descending to 26 meters and climbing the steep drop-off slope toward the island, we found (aside from the huge blotches of destruction) an abundance of beautiful, colorful corals and a healthy population of reef fish such as butterflies, squirrelfish, parrotfish, clownfish and Moorish idol. Striking starfish and anemone speckled the reef.

But while we were diving we heard a sudden BANG! in the water. Christian Miller’s “First, I was thinking that someone’s tank exploded, or that Pangaea exploded. It sounded like the anchor or something…
The second time we heard it, it was very clear to me that it was dynamite fishing. I couldn’t see half of my group, and what if they dropped the bombs right atop of us? I have never heard dynamite fishing before but it really made me realize how fish would feel… the loud noise gave me a little time freeze; a vertigo. It was scary,”

On these abundant reefs we could see the many, massive blotches of destroyed and decaying corals; mostly caused by dynamite fishing. In the dynamite fishing method, fishermen throw bombs into the water which blow up the reef and kill the fish. When the fish float up to the surface, they are collected and taken back to the market. In shallow reefs, this is the least sustainable fishing method possible because the habitat is destroyed and cannot be fished again for many years. Fishermen continue to practice this method because it is effective and inexpensive.

Finally, we sailed in to the city of Sandakan in Borneo, where we will spend the remainder of our expedition meeting with schoolchildren and working with the Sandakan community to express our project.

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Thinking back the past 9 days we have had the time of our lives…

We are walking along our beach no boats, no noise, no television, no pollution. The sun is shining, life is great and the friends that I have made will be remembered for the rest of my life. Shampoo parties every night then sleeping on the deck, what an awesome time!!! “Becci, Becci!!!! Wake up! It started raining! You’re totally wet!” As I wake up I see all the Young Explorers busy running inside.

As soon as the sun rose we went back to our island to finish monitoring. Unfortunately during the night due to the prevailing wind another 5 bags of rubbish washed up on the island.

While finishing up mapping the coastline, jetties and infrastructure a sudden rainstorm has the Yeps seeking shelter, some of us even had interesting conversations with the current inhabitance.

Without having a rest we came back on Pangaea to hoist the sails and set our course to Lankayan. While learning to sail we interviewed Mike about his amazing experiences, his passions and his ability to motivate people. We also used the time to assess the data and to paint the first map of Billean Island and decide which steps have to be taken to make this project to a successful and sustainable.

After dropping the anchor we quickly jumped into our diving gear and went while the sun was setting. As we arrived in 23meters depth in the total darkness our torch beams elluminated a huge shipwreck in front of us. It was for all of us our deepest, first wreck night dive ever! What an unforgettable, awesome experience!

Non of us wanted to go to bed cause that would mean that another day would be over but we were all happy about what we have reached today and fell asleep with a smile on our faces, exept of Leonard, who slept again with eyes open.

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Perched atop a tall tower structure on Bellian Island of the Sulu Sea, watching the sun set; I reflect on this beautiful and profound day. With a slow start, catching up on lots of missed sleep, the Young Explorers began by snorkeling around the shallow reefs surrounding the island to assess the state of our ecosystem. To our dismay, wide bands of reef destroyed by anchors or dynamite fishing or trolling made highways of between the reefs. This ocean desert is no adequate habitat for fish, sharks or turtles. There is work to be done, but we are optimistic about the diversity and abundance of the corals that we do have; with a little bit of tender, loving care from humans this ecosystem can be restored to its original, beautiful state.

In the afternoon, we did a beach clean up around the island. Most of what we found was Styrofoam, which cannot biodegrade and is instead ingested by turtles and fish that think it is food. We also found hundreds of plastic bottles, a trolling net, and most unfortunately several cyanide tubes indicating cyanide fishing. Cyanide is not deadly to the fish directly, it merely stuns them so that they can be captured more easily, but it is destructive to the ecosystem and reduces the mortality of the fish.

With 9 full bags of garbage, we returned to the jetty for an amusing game of volleyball with the Malaysians. A picturesque end to a wonderful day!

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Simon gets into the news again!! This time it is for the screeening of 'KiKa live', a very popular children's programme in Germany.

KiKa are preparing a programme dedicated to Pangaea and will be choosing two lucky kids to go on an expedition with Mike Horn later in the year.

We would love other press to get involved with this initiative.

To know more contact Cathy on [email protected]

YEP version by Leonard and Saraya of Tick Tock by Ke$ha

Wake up in the morning feeling slightly dizzy, got my snorkel I’m out the hatch gonna hit this reefy

Before I leave for the reef to perform a reef check cause when I go below the surface I ain’t turning back

I’m kicking water thru my toes toes tryin not to pose pose, buoys bobbin up and down down

Sink down I’m repp’n my favourite city Swimming with all my fishies, tryna get right my buoyaannncyy

“Please stop, don’t just talk cos you’ll blow the corals up, please stop I will fight till the corals are all right

Flip flop to the top but the fishing wont stop no oh oh ooohh” x2 = Chorus

Aint got no air in my tank but got plenty to see, aint got no food in my stomach but I really don’t care

Now the sharks are lining up coz they have got good manners they ain’t really scary but they’re actually nice

I’m talkin ‘bout them finning til they’re dead dead Nothing gets through their head head Gonna chase them if they get too close close If I have to I’m gonna even ram their boats boats And the YEP-pies shut them down down YEP-pies shut them down down YEP-pies shut them DOWN

Repeat Chorus

Bridge: You chop them up you let them drown You break my heart yeah you hurt me

Put your hands up We got you now Release those sharks yeah we got you

You chop them up you let them drown You break my heart yeah you hurt me

We got your lines Put your nets down Put your nets down Put your nets dooowwwnnn

Now the finning don’t stop till the YEPS walk in

Chorus

The YEPfied version of this song represents our mission for the Borneo ACT project, through it we hoped to spread the Pangaea message.

We started the day with a workshop on mapping procedures. We then put our knowledge to the test when we mapped Bilean Island which is located on the North-East side of Sabah in the Sulu Sea. This required GPS coordinates and systematic pacing, with which we made a topographical map of our very own paradise.

The afternoon was then spent doing a shallow water reef check to understand more about the state of the coral and marine life on the Island of Billean.

This was another meaningful and productive day, bringing us ever closer to achieving our objectives.

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The smell of dead, premature turtles marked our day as we helped out at the sea turtle hatchery on Lankayan Island. Eagerly did we dig up the nests, in search for eggs that had not yet hatched and counted the total of eggs and shells found.

Unfortunately, there were also some eggs that had rotten in the process of maturing, halfway devoured by worms. Of particular interest is the peculiar smell of the slime that for some reason was repeatedly attracted by people’s (especially Lauren’s) face.

Nevertheless, it was touching to experience this morning and we all learned to appreciate life in an altered way.

After snorkeling back to Pangaea, surrounded by sharks and a family of clown fish (Nemo), we were briefed on how to conduct reef checks and shortly after we disappeared into the deep, underwater world of Jawfish Lair.

The breathtaking marine biodiversity and the incredibly large amount of fish and corals made the identification process more challenging than expected. However, diving with identification charts and documentation slates made us even more attentive to the beauty that was surrounding us.

Later, a delicious lunch of an Asian vermicelli dish cooked by our chef, Yewsing replenished our energy before we headed back to Lankayan for yet another beach clean-up. Although Lankayan is an eco-resort that is cared for, we found ourselves filling (too) many bags with debris washed ashore.

We strongly believe that we have made a difference by taking all of today’s actions and hope to be able to inspire more youth around the world to be the change we want to see.

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Having anchored at Billian Island the previous evening, each of the ‘Watch Groups’ was on duty early this morning. The watch system is pretty much what it sounds like: 4 groups of Young Explorers take shifts monitoring the Pangaea and make sure that we don’t hit shallow ground or other ships. The ‘Anchor Watch’ is a bit different and a lot less exciting; we just had to make sure that the boat stays anchored.

After waking up and having breakfast, we all sat down in the conference room. Equipped with notebooks, pieces of papers and a writing board, we brainstormed, discussed and wrote down all of our ideas for the long-term project and the Pangaea Centre in Borneo. The whole discussion took us about 3 hours, but we were all so into the discussion, and the ideas came so easily that we barely noticed.

An hour or so of sailing later, we arrived at Lankayan, an island that is protected by SIMCA (Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area) and with that is largely protected from illegal fishing activities, not to mention the YEPs from the Malaysia-Expedition were here as well.

After anchoring in a coral-free area, we quickly got ready for our first dive in between actual corals!

Underwater, everything got a bit chaotic; everyone was excited about all the marine life around us, the fish, the artificial corals… It was really something new.

Everyone practiced all the commands and techniques again, to prevent damaging the corals that we’ll be working around in the upcoming dives, which worked out for the better or the worse. At the end of our dive – our longest one till now – we all got back on the boat, and were free to do what we wanted – most of us were still in the water, riding the Seabobs, jumping from the back of the boat or just making videos and photos.

Another hour passed, and we got back into our rashguards, diving masks and flippers, making for the shallower reef that we could reach without all of our diving gear.

The highlight was definitely when the sharks came; swarming around us as we used an empty plastic bottle to attract them (the sound of a plastic bottle being scrunched up is similar to that of a wounded fish), they always kept a safe distance.

After dinner we left the boat one more time, to visit SIMCA’s center on Lankayan. At the center we got some more information on all the problems that humans cause to the marine life in Borneo, ranging from shark finning to destructive fishing. Lankayan is also a home to a turtle hatchery.

Well, with everyone back on the boat we quickly went to sleep; we were all pretty beat, and we have to get out early tomorrow morning to search for turtle eggs, so let’s just hope the anticipation doesn’t take our sleep!