Andrew Miners of Misool EcoResort

Andrew Miners is the explorer/visionary who led the team which built Misool EcoResort ("MER") -- one of the planet's extraordinary scuba diving destinations. This unabridged, 45-minute interview of Miners was conducted at Miners' office at MER in Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
MIners first visited the Raja Ampat area in 2002, when there was only one dive resort, in the northern area, and one dive liveaboard visiting the area only periodically. Miners began exploring the practically pristine area for dive sites, and discovered that the area south of Misool Island was uniquely beautiful. About the same time, he fell in love with his Swedish wife, Marit, an anthropologist, and the two began their marriage during the early construction of the Misool EcoResort, which took two years to build on a small island (Batbitim) that Miners had carefully chosen using specific criteria. It was not only stunningly beautiful, it was 5 to 10 minutes from some of the best diving on the planet.
In the interview, Miners explains MER's conservation initiatives, which include cooperating with local clans to create large "no take zones," which through scientific studies have been demonstrated to increase the biomass and health of the already spectacular coral reef ecosystems of Raja Ampat. Indeed, MER is one of the planet's very few diving operations in the midst of its own large (2200 square kilometers) no take zone. The concept can be conceived almost as a "Noah's Ark" device -- in which elements of ecosystems are preserved so that they can be disseminated to areas ravaged by overfishing and other habitat destruction. Thus, among many other things, the practices being refined at MER are highly relevant to global food security policy. All this will be of the utmost concern during the Great Oceanic Crisis of the mid-21st Century.

[@irvanokta2007]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Wonderful people....

[@georgelpaul7601]

Thank you. It is nice to know that someone is viewing it!

[@aalfouzan]

There is nothing like a story of success. Brilliant man and inspiring story. Thanks for sharing it George.

[@georgelpaul7601]

Thank you Ammar. I appreciate it. I wish I had had some time to prepare with him, and go over questions in advance, but this was all impromptu. I hope he likes it. I have so much footage from the Raja film it will take me many months to go through it. Next time you go to Raja I would suggest staying there!

[@georgelpaul7601]

you are welcome!