The resort itself has been built and designed with reducing impacts being at the forefront of every decision. All accommodation is on the land rather than impacting the reefs by building out over the water. We have one jetty to provide access to the resort and reduce boats driving over the shallows or anchors being dropped - which would be damaging to the eclectic marine life we see just off the beach, such as octopus, eagle rays, turtles and much more!
When building the resort a lot of reclaimed wood from the land was used and we have prioritised natural materials and aesthetics as much as possible.
Our European grade septic system treats the water in such a way that we can then use it to water our garden throughout the dry season!
We have met with all our weekly suppliers for the resort, from the food markets to fuel providers to ensure that as little plastic as possible is used in our deliveries.
We spoke with our t-shirt and dive accessory providers and also asked them to reduce the plastic they use when sending deliveries. We went from having each t-shirt wrapped individually in plastic to getting them sent wrapped in paper and string!
Rather than selling plastic bottles of water, we provide water refilled free of charge for all of our guests. This is available at the resort and on the boats.
After several years of supporting Trash Hero Komodo, two of our dedicated and passionate dive guides set up their very own branch of Trash Hero - Trash Hero Warloka. Not only do they organize weekly clean ups but also set up informative workshops about reducing waste and the importance of doing so with the community of Warloka. We are incredibly proud of our dive guides who took up the initiative to set up this new sector of the Trash Hero community and love to see them spread their passion for conserving our ocean planet!
Although the most important thing is to REDUCE the amount of plastic we use, a beach or underwater clean-up never does any harm! We do regular clean-ups on the edge of the park and in the park itself - removing damaging plastic from the shorelines.
We are lucky that we don’t see much plastic during our dives, but should we encounter any and it can be removed safely, then we will!
Throughout the year we host several Environmental Awareness Weeks that are aimed at increasing awareness about certain marine conservation issues.
Currently, we have three themed weeks: Shark Week, Manta Week, Marine Week
During each of these weeks, we hold nightly events from fundraising pub quizzes to informative presentations. We invite the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) to the resort for a week of data collection, supporting them in their incredibly important research. We also organize events with the local community, working with community leaders to inspire the younger generations to want to work towards a healthier ocean. We have taken school kids for their first-ever snorkel trip into the Komodo National Park, organized game days, documentary showings, and much more!
One of the (many) reasons that the diving in the Komodo National Park is so famous is its incredible population of Manta Rays. These stunning and majestic animals are drawn to the area for many reasons, one of them being the abundance of cleaning stations. In each briefing for a 'Manta dive' we remind our divers of the importance of these cleaning stations, and why we must not swim over them and risk damaging them.
We are also strict in enforcing proper 'Manta Protocol'. Our divers are encouraged to relax, stop swimming and allow the Manta Rays to come to them. We prohibit anyone from touching, chasing or pestering any marine life, especially not these curious and intelligent rays.
We also encourage and help our divers to dive in a way that has as little impact as possible on the stunning coral reefs. Buoyancy tips are given during dive briefings and no one is taken to a site that is beyond their capabilities. We support and work with the MMF (Marine Megafauna Foundation) and often host them for their research activities.
Here at Scuba Junkie we adopt a no seafood policy and this goes a lot further than the belief that ‘fish are friends not food’ (which is true too!).
As a responsible dive centre we believe that we should only serve seafood if we can guarantee that it has been sustainably caught. Methods such as long-lining, trawling and other destructive methods cause irrevocable harm to the corals and decimate shark, ray and turtle populations.
The coastal communities in this area, and across the globe, rely on a healthy ocean to support themselves and their families. By reducing our seafood consumption we can ensure that these families will be able to provide for themselves for generations to come. As we cannot guarantee that the fish sold in Labuan Bajo is sustainably caught we do not serve seafood at this time.
Each day that we are out diving we collect important data the Marine Megafauna Foundation who run Dive the Data. We record a variety of data ranging from water temperatures, if we see other boats to the number of sharks and manta sightings we have. This fascinating information is collated and is extremely important for gaining a better understanding of the incredible marine world.
We also encourage all our guests to take photo ID shots of manta rays, something our staff do when they fun dive the sites as well. These photos provide an insight into the movements of individual manta rays and provide fascinating information about the species as a whole.
Scuba Junkie Komodo is an active and long serving member of DOCK - Dive Operators Community Komodo - a dive association who are dedicated to providing safe, professional and fun day trips. Not only that, but are also committed to preserving the stunning area and working towards environmental and social sustainability. We adhere to strict guidelines that work towards high standards of diving practises, as well as engaging in environmental activism and working with local stakeholders.
Our knowledgeable and passionate staff do regular presentations about a whole host of marine creatures and issues. They are keen to share their knowledge with as many people as possible, spreading awareness about the issues our oceans face and the steps we can take to protect them. If you have any requests for a presentation topic during your stay then let us know!
Over the past few years we have taken on several interns from various places across Indonesia. Some came to us as Advanced divers, some came to us having never tried diving before - either way we are happy to support them in their new career choice. Not only do we teach them how to be great PADI Divemasters, but we also share with them our passion for conservation and protecting marine species.
If you are from Indonesia and interested in our internship program, please send us an email!
The resort is located in a remote bay with a small neighbouring village called Warloka. This remote community relies heavily on tourism and fishing for income. The village is just a stone's throw away from the border of the Komodo National Park, yet the majority know little about the stunning biodiversity that lies under the surface or the water or the best way to protect it.
Over the years we have worked closely with the community, organizing presentations in the schools, snorkeling trips into the park and clean ups around the village - all with the aim to engage the community in their desire to protect what they rely upon to survive.
