Tourists have been left divided over a petition to save a popular surf spot in Bali from destruction.
Excavators have brought down huge chunks of a limestone cliff at Uluwatu, on the southwestern tip of the Indonesian island’s Bukit peninsula.
A concrete sea wall is being built around the base to protect the Pura Luhur Uluwata temple at the top.
Conservation group Save The Waves Coalition says the work threatens the waves that attract surfers from around the world and the area’s abundant marine life.
Portuguese surfer Nic von Rupp shared a video on Instagram showing the destruction and urged his followers to sign a petition.
Social media users were divided, with some saying the Indonesian government had every right to protect the temple.
‘Yes, brother, I love Ulus too, but isn’t it about preserving the cliffs and everything on top, i.e. the Buddhist temple, and not about a boardwalk as a road?’ one wrote.
‘Would it be good to clarify and not deceive everyone? Eager for clarification.
Uluwatu, on the southwestern tip of the Indonesian island’s Bukit Peninsula, has long been a magnet for tourists and, especially, surfers.
Bulldozers are building a service wall and sea wall at the base of the Uluwatu cliffs, alarming conservationists.
Another added: “The locals want to protect their temple, this land belongs to the locals and they have the right to choose.” You are just tourists here and you don’t decide much.
Some supported the petition, claiming that the island would be destroying the ecosystem.
‘WTF is the problem with politics in Bali and Indo in general? So many strange projects that go on and on!’ one wrote.
“Bro THANK YOU for talking about this, just seeing the acquisition,” a second wrote.
‘Oh Bali, the last two years have been heartbreaking, but this is going too far. “I appreciate you using your platform to raise awareness.”
I can’t believe this is happening!! My mates and I surfed at Temples not long ago, and we even saw little reef sharks out there!!!’ added another.
Others said they had seen the island lose its appeal due to the increasing number of tourists.
‘Too many hipsters and tourists capturing the island. “Bali is lost,” one wrote.
“It’s been screwed over and trampled on for years, but willfully destroying the cliffs like this is unforgivable,” another said.
von Rupp wrote in his Instagram post that he had been surfing at this spot for the past 20 years every summer.
“It really breaks my heart to see the destruction of a stunning coastline and its marine life,” he wrote.
‘We have to stop human greed and all this nonsense.
‘If you love surfing, Indonesia, Uluwatu and preserving our remaining planet Earth, PLEASE sign the petition in my timeline.’
Portuguese surfer Nic von Rupp shared a video on Instagram showing the destruction and urged his followers to sign a petition.
An artist’s impression of what the finished development will look like and conservationists say a full environmental impact study has not been carried out.
Save the Waves Coalition petition says Uluwatu is “an exceptionally magical place where world-class waves, a biodiverse marine ecosystem and ancient and modern cultures combine.”
The petition explained that the road is funded by the Badung Regency government and aims to reinforce the cliffs under the Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple.
However, Save The Waves said that as laudatory as that goal is, to their knowledge there has been no Environmental Impact Assessment for the project.
“It is impossible to assess how Uluwatu’s biodiverse surf ecosystem might be affected,” the petition states.
The petition said the surrounding seas “support a rich variety of marine life, including dugongs (relatives of manatees), sea snakes, reef sharks, sea turtles, and a wide variety of reef fish species.” There has even been a sighting of orcas in the area.’
“It is concerning that this project is moving forward without adequate analysis and public transparency regarding the potential risks to the environment and surfing, especially in such a sensitive and biodiverse area,” the petition reads.
Without an environmental impact study, the Coalition said there is no way to know what effect the project would have on the world-famous waves.
As of Tuesday morning, the petition, which aims to get 15,000 signatures, had gathered more than 11,000.
