Dayu Hatmanti

Being crowned as Miss Scuba International in 2011, with additional titles as Miss Marine Conservation and Miss Personality, introduced Dayu to the unknown wilderness that was her homeland’s underwater. Inspired by the beautiful biodiversity, she vowed to take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but bubbles, and from then on has been known as an advocate of marine conservation.

Dayu brings her enthusiasm to various platforms to promote marine conservation. She also appears before local schoolchildren for as an advocate for the Save Sharks Indonesia campaign. “Meeting students in different age groups, from elementary school to college, taught me to be more versatile in embracing my audience so that my messages can be well-received,” says the winner of Fun Fearless Female 2013 Cosmopolitan Indonesia Magazine.

Volunteerism also encouraged Dayu to make the most of her wit. After participating in Kalabia Boat Education program in 2013, where she taught local children from the islands of Raja Ampat, Papua, about conservation, Dayu realized how important it is for such initiatives to keep on running.

As a believer in sustainability, Dayu decided to pursue an advanced degree in Management of Sustainability, so she can further contribute in community development programs through well-managed activities.

She finds everything she does to be fulfilling, as she has the opportunity to play her part in the country’s development by spreading the words to wider public. She does not want to stand idly by as her work and passion has shown her that Indonesia, as a country with one of the richest marine biodiversity in the world, has so many charms as well as problems underwater.

Sadly, these problems are not ones people generally see every day. Things happen in the deep blue sea, such as destroyed coral reefs due to fishing with bombs or declining population of sharks caused by the huge demand for shark fins, are considered distant matters by many. That is why it breaks her heart to see how some can be simply ignorant about the importance of sharks in the marine ecosystem, as shark fins can still be found in the menus at a number of restaurants.

This is what encourages Dayu to continue doing what she does, refining her knowledge and skills along the way. She is hopeful that the more people know about this, they would be more concerned and start doing what they can to make a difference. In conclusion, she says, “As we save the ocean, we save the world.”