24 May, 2016

Become a Marine Biologist for a Day at Gayana Eco Resort


Summer Vacations with a Difference
Gayana Eco Resort is a luxury resort with a conscience. This summer you can participate in hands-on coral reef restoration alongside its resident marine biologists. You can also become the foster parent of a giant clam to ensure it gets reinstated into its natural habitat.
Located in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine National Park, skirted by coral reefs and calm turquoise seas, Gayana Eco Resort offers a diverse range activities under water and on land for adults and children alike:
Become a Marine Biologist for a day and transfer replanted coral fragments to the underwater Coral Garden or collect coral fragments in the sea and attach them to a bio rock structure, snorkel the house reef with an underwater camera or take a kayak trip into the mangroves, explore mudskippers and hermit crabs or trek into the dense jungle. The resort also houses a PADI Certified Dive Centre where both beginners and experienced divers can experience uncluttered dives, as most of the area is closed to the general public.
Exciting adventures available to kids and adults at the Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC) include:
v  A Day as a Marine Biologist
Ever wondered what it takes to become a Marine Biologist? If yes, then sign up and work with our Marine Biologists and spend A Day as a Marine Biologist. Choose from four packages – all programmes consist of a day-long experience which will provide a glimpse behind the scenes of marine biologists and the painstaking work and research that goes into producing giant clams and restoring them to the reefs.
v  Adopt a Coral
At MERC, there is a strong belief that directly involving visitors in conservation work instils a sense of responsibility and ownership in caring for the environment. Through positive interaction, there is a much higher chance of convincing visitors how delicate corals are, and prove that everyone can play a role in saving our marine life.
Visitors can choose a piece of hard coral fragment to plant. Visitors ‘plant’ the coral pieces into specially prepared cement-base plates, which are then labelled and left to stabilize in the centre’s holding tanks for at least two weeks, monitored by our marine biologists before it is planted in the Coral Garden in the sea.
All activities at MERC are available to guests at Gayana Eco Resort and can be combined with any hotel promotions or overnight stays. Terms and conditions apply.
Gayana Eco Resort offers Halal food as certified by the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Sabah as well as arrows pointing to Mecca and prayer mats.
Rates from Around US$220/night per room (based on 2 adults & 1 child) for advance purchase 30 days ahead of the visit for July 2016 via http://www.gayana-eco-resort.com/index.php
=