First thing you have to know to enter this library is how to snorkel as this library is situated underwater! Baliho is the main conservation area in Thousand Islands. The office is floating and you can spot the place by reading a big billboard right about 200 meters from Pramuka's dock, saying "Selamat Datang di Taman Konservasi Pulau Seribu” (Welcome to Thousand Island's Conservation Area). Here, you can find samples of fish species, like bandeng, napoleon fish, and others. Thousand Island's conservation has the most complete coral samples in Indonesia, about 110 kinds of corals. If you snorkel at this undersea library, you will find varying kinds of hard corals, mostly about 6 months in age. Then the rangers explained that one of the main purposes of the conservation area is to educate the locals not to take corals from the natural habitat, and also teach them how to breed corals so they can export them overseas mostly to Japan and Europe. Now, most of the locals here earn their living by doing this.

Snorkeling at Thousand Islands
First, you can go to Semak Daun Utara Island for the hard coral reefs. Magnificent beauty! But because of the big currents, we decided to change location to the Gosong Pandan Island. First of all, this is the first time I ever went snorkeling so of course I panicked a little. But because of the ranger’s encouragement and all his clear instructions plus how amazed I was by the beauty of the underwater, after a while, I couldn’t help myself but pedal and look out for more corals and groups of small fishes. However just a note here but do be aware of the jelly fish. You are allowed to stand on most of the corals as they are hard and some of them are dead. Sit down, relax a little bit, and then swim again. I took my first plunge at the Semak Daun Utara Island for about 40 minutes, and that was only the beginning…

It took us about fifteen minutes to our next stop which was the south side of Panggang Island, the densest island in Thousand Island region. This is where the soft corals are. Usually you can spot soft corals about 10 – 30 meters under the sea surface, but here is an exception. I couldn’t wait for the ranger so I jumped off the boat and started flipping my fins. Sadly, the water was not so clear at that time because of the low current from down below. Anyway my attention was soon caught by an amazing rainbow fish and decided to follow from behind to wherever it went. At Panggang Island you may see fish corals, angelfish, damselfishes (always swimming in groups) and many more. One of the rangers, Mr Joko, showed me a little underwater secret. He swam down to the bottom (about two meters) and smashed the sea urchin. Seconds later, small fishes from all corners gathered up and ate the meat from the sea urchin. This is definitely something I don’t see everyday! One of my favorite sea life form is the Sea Lily. It looks like an upside down lily flower, and it comes with so many beautiful colors. I had the chance to hold one and realized that it will stick to my palm as its body’s surface is covered with thorns.