On a pinch-me postcard-perfect day aboard a traditional timber Indonesian phinisi boat in remote West Papua, Lynn Lawrance is uncharacteristically nervous about her planned dive ahead.
Australian-born Lynn has completed hundreds of dives in the Raja Ampat waters she has called home for more than a decade. But this particular day is different.
Today, she will discover whether a recent coral bleaching event – one of the worst in this region’s history – has impacted the painstakingly hard work conducted by herself and her team at The SEA People (or Orang Laut).
Lynn, 45, who is onboard Rascal Voyages’ inaugural conservation journey in Raja Ampat, is so jittery she bursts into tears, unconsciously driving home what this work means to her, to her NGO, and to the villagers whose livelihoods rely on this region’s reefs.
“I did not see that coming,” she says, composing herself to describe the impact of The SEA People’s works in these warm waters, considered to be the most biodiverse on the planet with more than 550 species of coral and more than 1800 reef fish species.
“I arrived in Raja Ampat in early 2014 and I was immediately overwhelmed – by the beauty, the riot of life beneath the surface, the sheer abundance of coral, fish, sharks, mantas… It was unlike anything I had ever seen. But I also felt something else: a quiet panic. Because places like this don’t stay like this.
“Standing on a tiny speck of land in Raja Ampat, I realised this wasn’t just the most beautiful reef I had ever seen – it was also the most vulnerable. And that was the moment I knew I couldn’t just pass through.”
Lynn, a Victorian, met her French-born husband Arnaud Brival in Raja Ampat, and their shared love of conservation led to the formation of The SEA People.
“His dream had always been ecosystem management in tropical ecosystems. My background is marketing with a severe conservation bent. I desperately wanted to go somewhere I felt wasn’t overcrowded,” she says.
“Arnaud was doing volunteer work, and I was staying in a village. We wanted to contribute something to both people and place. We could see the marine environment was spectacular but there were little signs (of threats).
“Community-wise, Papuan people in Raja Ampat are the most hospitable, but you could also see there was this imbalance in terms of access to opportunity. We thought: what if we could use that for social uplift and enhance the environment rather than extract and exploit.
“We spent our first two years doing a lot of listening and learning. We wanted to avoid being the Australian and French people coming along and saying, ‘We know what to do to save the day.’”
The results of this measured approach speak volumes. Since it was established, The SEA People has transplanted 65,788 corals; restored 20,716sq.m of surface; participated in 671 dives including 81 monitoring dives; and supported 12 livelihoods, including seven coral gardeners.
One of those coral gardeners and science co-ordinator is Cory Junfaly Patty, 26, who hails from the village where The SEA People moor their conservation vessel Galaxea (named after Galaxea fascicularis coral) for nine months a year. It’s here that they restore the site Yaf Keru – which means “coral garden”.
Guests aboard Rascal Voyages’ vessel Rebel on its new conservation cruises – the only operators in the region to have a cruise dedicated entirely to the environment – will have the opportunity to meet The SEA People at Yaf Keru and participate in reef restoration work.
Cory explains the ancient sacred tradition of Sasi, where local wisdom is applied to an area or place for an agreed period to prohibit certain actions – such as fishing – to preserve resources.
Sasi is unique to Raja Ampat and translated means “forbidden and oath” with God. It is believed that people who ignore Sasi may become ill or die.
“All local people must follow the law of Sasi. The most famous Sasi is for the sea, but you can Sasi any resource or behaviour, such as the use of alcohol,” Cory says.
“If a villager violates Sasi they they can be expelled. For someone outside, they can confiscate your catch and gear.”
On this delicate diving day, Lynn describes the wire mesh fences she and her team deploy to halt ‘avalanche’ effects of dead coral onto healthy reef below. Coral that is still demonstrating signs of life is transplanted to create future underwater gardens.
“If you give coral a chance, for the most part it’s going to grow. The mortality rates of our restoration sites are between 11 and 17 per cent. The rest grows well,” she says.
“We now have seven restoration sites. We’ve gone from project to program level. Our team of four can restore one hectare a year.”
An hour later, Lynn and Cory return to the surface with grins on their faces. Their restoration site is intact, the coral is flourishing, and their dive watches indicate the sea temperature is starting to drop for the first time in months.
While this day may be saved, restoring Raja Ampat’s reef is expensive. The SEA People rely on grants and donations through their foundation.
“It does feel like a mountain, but we’ll do it anyway. We’ll always find a way,” Lynn says, her trademark defiance returning in spades.
The writer travelled as a guest of Rascal Voyages. Rascal Voyages runs marine conservation-focused expeditions in Raja Ampat, available for private charter or as part of a cabin voyage. Spaces are still available for the next departure on 1-6 November 2025.
For enquiries, visit: Rascal Voyages – Raja Ampat
To discover more about The SEA People or to donate or sponsor their conservation efforts go to https://theseapeople.org/