Three students from Petra Christian University Surabaya (UK Petra) majoring visual communication design, Celcea Tifany (20 yo), Debby Natalia (20 yo), and Elang Cakra (20 yo) accepted challenge, to  volunteer themselves on drawing and coloring 34 tons weight, 23 meter length, and 5.25 meter width WWF’s motorized wooden vessel. They were not only able to deliver the challenge well, but also able to finish the work earlier than it was expected. Gurano Bintang is now even more attractive and educative, and ready to hover around Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua Province, for education, community outreach, survey and monitoring.

Gurano Bintang is a local name for Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus), the biggest shark species on the planet, and in Cenderawasih Bay they are likely surfacing in the whole year. This biggest fish in the world is under protection by international law due to their depleting population and being extremely threatened. The threats are from shark fining, by-catch in fishing industry, and ocean pollution.

Beside Gurano, some other species illustrated on the vessel are leatherback sea turtle, green sea turtle, dolphins, Cenderawasih the heaven bird from Papua, corals, forest, and also human with their culture. Tifa theme was included in the design according to the previously discussed concept by WWF and the volunteers. 

“Bright and pop colors combined with Tifa touch (Papuan traditional musical instrument – ed) are chosen to be written on Gurano Bintang’s portside.” says Obed Bima Wicandra, S.Sn, M.A as lecturer for the volunteers in UK Petra. The painting process spended 31 cans of paint with 1 Kg each and the painting was all done in mid November 2011 at Dermaga Dua, Kendari Bay, South East Sulawesi.

Koteklema was the previous name for Gurano Bintang. It was a local name for Sperm Whale in Lamalera local language, East Nusa Tenggara. The previous concept for Koteklema in Lamalera similar with what it is now, it’s a vessel for education, outreach, survey, and monitoring. The success story is then adopted by new concept of Gurano Bintang in Cenderawasih Bay scoping around 1.4 million hectare. 

Government has declared Cenderawasih Bay as National Park on August 29th, 2002, and through collaborative management by West Papua Province, Papua Province, Wondama Bay Regency, and Nabire Regency, the zonation system has been adopted in 2009 with its socialization funded by District Planning and Development Agency of Wondama on the following year.

Contact: Aulia Rahman (arahman@wwf.or.id / twitter @8AD)