Temporary ban on island hopping, snorkelling in Mersing waters lifted

MERSING, April 18 (Bernama) -- Island hopping and snorkelling activities in Mersing waters are allowed to resume from today according to standard operating procedures (SOP).

Scuba diving activities, however, remain temporarily suspended, Mersing district officer Mohammed Shakib Ali said. 

“All operators of resorts, chalets, tourist boats and island hopping boats must comply with the rules set, including registering with the Mersing District Council through the Mersing Tourism Operator System (MeTOS), starting May 1.

“The SOPs will be issued soon,” he said in a post on the Mersing district office's Facebook page. 

He said the decision is an extension of the Mersing district security committee meeting and the special meeting for the opening of marine activities in Mersing waters chaired by him and Johor Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman K. Raven Kumar.

On April 7, Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar ordered all diving activities in Mersing waters to cease temporarily after four foreign divers went missing in the Pulau Tokong Sanggol waters, about nine nautical miles off Tanjung Leman here. 

Three divers, Kristine Grodem, 35, a Norwegian, British national Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, and Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, a French national were found safe. 

Adrian confirmed with the authorities later that his son Nathen Renze, 14, a Dutch national had died after becoming too weak to hang on. 

His body was believed to have been swept away into Indonesian waters and has yet to be found. 

Mersing has five main islands namely Pulau Sibu, Pulau Besar, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Aur and Pulau Pemanggil.

-- BERNAMA