By: Nisa Syahidah (WWF-Indonesia)

Today, I took Simba out to sea with the ecology team. Simba is a fiber speed boat, Menami's second child after Dinghy (which we usually spell as 'Dinggi'). At first I thought, why is it called Simba? Simba is the King of the Rimba. Meanwhile, this speed boat with two Suzuki 150 engines on the back should rule the ocean, not the jungle.

"Ih, Simba is the name of a fish, Ikan Simba," Sasi (Halu Oleo University) answered my curiosity. To which I just replied with a long "Ooo".

I put on my swimsuit that morning. Carrying my fins, snorkel, and goggles, I borrowed a friend's capital. Down to Simba, hoping the dive spot would be friendly enough and beautiful enough for an amateur like me to swim in.

We were accompanied by Om Muhidin and Om Herman (WWF-Indonesia), two loyal Simba crew members. But today, their patience was tested. You see, not long after Simba left Menami, the engine repeatedly died.

Simba's speed dropped dramatically in the ten minutes we sailed, to 6 knots, because we were relying on only one working engine. In fact, if it is fast, we can reach speeds of 30 knots, or 55 km per hour.

As it turned out, Simba's gasoline was contaminated by a former oplosan barrel that was not cleaned. As a result, the engine was damaged because Simba's engine could not use oplosan gasoline. Time and time again, Om Herman had to drain and place the gasoline in another container, ensuring that the pull was as steady as ever.

But, despite these circumstances, we arrived at the first dive site. It's in the waters of Sisi Island, which sits alongside a small coral island called Burung Island, and the mainland of Sulawesi. When we arrived at Sisi Island, the low tide exposed the corals to the sun. According to Jibriel (Reef Check Indonesia), this excessive sun exposure can cause the corals to die.

While repairing the engine, Simba waited not far from the divers. Me, Mr. Adhi (Southeast Sulawesi BKSDA) and Yusran (Yayasan Bahari) waited for them on the boat. This time, we weren't able to go down, as the visibility of the water was not suitable for beautiful snorkeling.

But, sigh, what was nice, when we picked up the divers on the east side of Sisi Island, it turned out to be a clear and beautiful snorkeling spot! The colors of the coral can be seen from above Simba, making me bite my fingers.

But when it comes to sustenance, it doesn't go anywhere. At the second dive point, I had the opportunity to snorkel in the waters of Bahubulu Island, not far from the shoreline.

While me, Ms. Rahma (Halu Oleo University), and Mr. Adhi (Southeast Sulawesi BKSDA) were busy playing in the water; Om Herman and Om Muhidin were still busy fixing Simba - so we could all go back to Menami. Thank you Om, for making Simba roar again.