Hari Raya Nyepi is the new year celebration for the Hindu community of Bali in the Caka year of 1938.

On this very auspicious occasion, many ceremonies and rituals are held throughout the island of Bali.

After arriving in Bali from Hong Kong I was to read this notice at the national airport of Denpasar. The New Year celebration was in-itself a new experience, but a Solar Eclipse was to add a mystical adventure on my visit to this world famous exotic location.

I have come to the Indonesian island of Bali to learn about this regions tropical coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity.

Whilst in Bali I was to find my-self captivated by the regions volcanic peaks, lush tropical vegetation and abundant temples.

Bali like much of the Indonesian archipelagos is surrounded by oceans that are rich in marine life and many of the tropical fish that I have seen on sale whilst in Hong Kong in actual fact originate from these warm equatorial waters.

From Bali I am due to visit a remote island near to Timor which lies not far from northern Australian city of Darwin. I have been informed since the onset of “Blue in Focus” that this region contains some of the planets riches and most diverse corals. After learning at firsthand about the shark fin trade I was also eager to meet an organisation run by a Hawaiian from Honolulu by the name of Paul Friese.

Shark conservation within this region has to be a priority if we are to halt the dramatic decline of our oceans marine predators and the impact of this distressing loss is something we are presently unable to predict.

To date, Blue In Focus has traveled from the shores of E.Africa to the overcrowded mega metropolis of Hong Kong and onto the vast archipelago of Indonesia.

This is a land that I am presently exploring and learning about, but my primary reason for visiting this region is to learn more about the need to conserve our planets rich and fragile marine biodiversity.