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Misool Eco Resort is owned by an independent group of divers, conservationists, and adventurers. Most of our local staff come from Yellu, the village from which we've leased our island. Quite a few are from Fafanlap, another nearby village. Most of the staff members you'll meet working in the restaurant, driving the speed boats, and making up the rooms helped in the construction of Misool Eco Resort.
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Andrew Miners, managing director |
Andrew
holds a BA (1993) from Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK. His
very first dive was in February 1991 in a fast moving, frigid river
the north of England. Through the murk, he spotted some tattered
leaves, a nondescript brown fish, and lots of litter. Miners was
hooked.
The
following year, he became a qualified BSAC diver and fled the UK in
search of balmier climes and more colourful fish. He became a PADI
divemaster in Thailand in 1994 and a BSAC Dive Leader in 1995. The
same year, he started work as a PADI dive instructor. Moving steadily
towards the equator, Miners has worked as a dive instructor and dive
shop manager in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
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In
1999, Miners started his own dive liveaboard business in Indonesia
on his 60 ft wooden ketch Felidae. Fluent in Bahasa Indonesia,
he’s sailed and dived the across the entire 5,000 km length
of Indonesia. Miners
spent three years as a manager and dive guide on the
area's only year-round live-aboard, Shakti. After a decade’s worth of peregrinations from
the blustery north of England to the wild hinterlands of West Papua,
Miners now calls Raja Ampat home.
You can contact Andrew at andy(at)misoolecoresort(dot)com.
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Marit Miners, director of sales and marketing |
Marit was born in a little Swedish town within spitting distance of the Arctic Circle, and two years later her nomadic life began. She grew up in the US and received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology from Columbia University, Barnard College in New York City.
Her graduate degree in Paleaopathology was permanently derailed in July 2000 when a brief holiday in Thailand introduced her to yoga and diving. Five years later, she visited Raja Ampat on a liveaboard. Andrew brought her to a beautiful deserted island called Batbitim and declared his intention to build a resort there. Marit didn't quite believe him but was intrigued enough to stick around to hear more...
You can contact Marit at marit(at)misoolecoresort(dot)com.
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Bapak Mohammed, community officer and Ranger |
Bapak Mohammad Loji was born in Yellu Village, and attended primary school while the area was still under Dutch control. He is the village elder representative on our staff, and we call him simply 'Bapak,' or 'Father.' He is an invaluable cultural ambassador and resource about local history and traditions. He has made the 90 nautical-mile journey to Sorong paddling a dug-out canoe. The trip took him a week, but these were the days before sugar, rice, and clothing could be had in Yellu. He says he was impressed with the big city of Sorong, but found it too hectic to stay for long. He has also made the trip under 8 metre high sails which he wove from pandanus leaves.
Bapak was one of Misool Eco Resort's first five employees. He has been instrumental in conveying our intentions and ideas to the village of Yellu, and also in helping us understand the culture in which we're operating. He also regularly joins our Ranger Patrol.
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Jainudin Bahale, Ranger |
Jainudin Bahale, known as 'Pak Din,' was born in Yellu Village, and is the younger brother of the Village Chief. Before coming to Misool Eco Resort, Pak Din worked as a chainsaw operator. He's also worked as a commercial diver in Northern Raja Ampat, collecting sea cucumbers on the sea floor with nothing more than a regulator, a very long hose, and some weights. He has recently completed an open water dive course is an extremely competent and enthusiastic diver.
Pak Din has been a key player in explaining the benefits of our No-Take Zone to the younger members of the Yellu community. The village has a tradition of opening and closing fishing seasons in order to ensure productive harvests, but this is an unfamiliar concept for the newcomers in the village and the younger generation.
When he's not patiently fielding questions about Bahasa Misool, the local village language, Pak Din mans the Ranger Patrol.
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Rajak Tamher, community coordinator and Ranger |
Rajak, also from Yellu village, joined us in July 2006 as one of our original five employees. Over the years, he has operated our sawmill, organised groups of concrete workers, helped us solve any number of logistical problems, and also helped us navigate delicate cultural issues.
Rajak recently returned from a two month capacity-building program with CORAL in Bali. In addition to establishing protocols for our Ranger Patrol, Rajak developed a 'Floating Library' system. Using the Patrol boat for transport, the Library visits the local schools in a two-week schedule, providing much needed learning material for the students of Yellu, Dabatan, and Fafanlap villages. He also happens to be a great diver and an exceptionally gifted spotter.
You can reach Rajak at rajak (at) misoolecoresort (dot) com.
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Calvin Beale, dive centre manager |
Calvin's first encounter with diving was in a chilly swimming pool in England. He completed his Dive Master training in Mexico, about which time he realised that a career in computer science and artificial intelligence was not for him. He quickly changed course, completing his dive Instructor course in a lake in the UK and started his degree program in Coastal Marine Biology at Hull University.
Upon completing his degree, Calvin took a job with a conservation organisation in the Wakatobi with his partner Becky, and then later moved to Raja Ampat to teach the Fisheries Department staff how to dive. Shortly there after, Calvin and Becky moved to Komodo and started the Komodo Manta Project. Their research has now expanded to include Misool Eco Resort's mantas.
You can reach Calvin at calvin(at)misoolecoresort(dot)com.
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Djamal Jalal, assistant dive centre manager |
Djamal is originally from Manado, Indonesia, and studied English and Tourism at school. His first job was handling logistics a Bunaken dive centre. His curiosity about life beneath the surface led him to take an Open Water Course in 1996. He worked in Bunaken for 10 years before setting off to Borneo on a liveaboard for exploratory diving.
Djamal has also worked in Ambon and Banda Neira on both liveaboards and resorts. Before joining our team, he worked on a private yacht as a dive master and crew, cruising from Malaysia through Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Djamal is also known as 'The Red Snapper.'
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Sahul Miners, resident baby |
Sahul was born in May 2012. His main interests include sucking his toes, splashing around in the lagoon, and pointing at sharks and birds.
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