Hoga Island Staff Experience

When I first started talking to Mo (the Hoga base site manager) about joining Operation Wallacea in Indonesia, I could sense how professional she was. Her communication was clear and fast, any questions I had were very quickly answered. This professionalism continues to shine through when working with her in person, she’s able to decide what’s best for the smooth progression of the program, while still being able to listen to everybody’s individual needs.

The journey to the island is a fun one, but long one. From flying to the tiny airport of Bau Bau on Buton Island, a long car journey, a longer boat ride, another car and another boat, you’re able to take in the sights of all the different Indonesian villages and their people.

The island itself is almost like a little village made up of the Opwall staff, the students and the local partners. It’s amazing to see how well Opwall has integrated with the local community, with the kitchen staff, the boat boys and more being the same people that have been working with the organisation on Hoga Island for years. I could sense that there was a lot of respect between both partners.

Little bungalows are sprawled out in the island’s small forest, when you’re lucky you’ll feel a breeze through the trees at night. Around 6pm there’s a gorgeous sunset and the forest becomes filled with fireflies buzzing around and not much later the milky way becomes visible from the beach.

Photo by James Matthews

As a Divemaster my days consisted of either assisting on the Coral Reef Ecology course or helping on the PADI Open water and advanced courses. I had taught both courses before, but I can’t imagine a more fitting place to conduct them than the reefs near Hoga Island. The PADI training happens on a large, bamboo platform, ideal for students to practise their diving skills while kneeling, without kicking up sand. Every dive site, including the platforms, has stunning reefs. There’s a massive diversity in coral species and if you love spotting the small stuff (such as nudibranchs) you’ll never run out of places to look.

Aside from the diving, there was enough down-time to socialise with other staff members and students, to play some rounds of ping-pong or card games. Between 4pm and 5pm students and staff alike would gather into a small café in the forest to enjoy warm and fresh donuts (some of the best I’ve ever had!).

Photo by Sarah-Jane

Something that you should not miss when visiting Hoga Island with Opwall is the trip to Sampela village, where the Bajau people live. It was one of the highlights of my entire experience. After a 15-minute boat ride you’ll near the village, which is disconnected from any landmass, resting only on stilts that rise from the seabed. Their only modes of transportation are wobbly canoes or small motorized boats, these take them to the nearby island of Kaledupa, so that they can seek medical help, food and fresh water.  It was an incredible place to visit, so different from the easy way of life that I have. During the visit you’re able to purchase coconuts, henna art or a canoe ride & what you pay goes directly back into the community.

Overall, I had an amazing time as a staff member on Hoga island! The weeks flew by, so I would have loved to stay a bit longer, however the experience has made certain that I want to come back in the future to work with Opwall.

Title photo by Kuyer Fazekas Jr