This summer, Celestia, a handcrafted 45-meter Phinisi yacht designed to offer unforgettable journeys through the Indonesian archipelago, sponsored a floating river barrier in Bali, managed by its sustainability partner, Sungai Watch. A Bali-based non-profit organization and certified One Percent for the Planet Environmental Partner, Sungai Watch designs barriers with simple technologies, and operates a collecting, sorting, and up-cycling system, creating a scalable approach to tackling plastic pollution.
Celestia is proud to be a part of Sungai Watch’s mission to install 1,000 barriers throughout Indonesia’s most polluted rivers. According to Sungai Watch, Indonesia ranks as the second largest plastic polluter to the oceans after China. Founded in 2020 by Gary, Kelly and Sam Bencheghib in Bali, Sungai Watch’s 100+ team has cleaned over 380 rivers and hundreds of kilometers of coastline to date and advocates on how to improve single use plastic packaging.
Along with four integral members of Sungai Watch, 18 members of Celestia’s Bali-based team including its renowned Executive Chef Wayan Kresna Yasa helped install a floating river barrier in a local river off the main Sunset Road in Bali’s coastal city of Seminyak, to prevent floating plastic from entering the oceans and impacting marine environments. “Celestia was founded on the principle of being one with nature and we are deeply committed to caring for the environment,” says Celestia Co-founder Jason Tabalujan. “One of our goals this year is to make a meaningful impact in preserving the environment, and we are proud to call Sungai Watch a sustainability partner. Indonesia is blessed with natural wonders and waters that contain the highest concentration of marine and coral species on the planet, and we must do what we can to preserve it.”
After installing the floating river barrier earlier this summer, Celestia’s barrier has collected 379 kg of floating plastic waste, or approximately 835 pounds. Since its founding, Sungai Watch has collected over 1,700,000 kg of trash throughout their active areas in Bali and East Java, with over 500,000 kg collected via barriers. Seminyak is a busy area in Bali, and the floating river barrier helps to keep the surrounding beaches cleaner.
Since its maiden voyage in summer 2023, Celestia immerses its guests in the romance of travel and the art of being one with nature. The traditional seven-suite vessel is the latest and most sought-after addition to the cruise offerings in the iconic Coral Triangle – home to 75% of the world’s coral species – providing an authentic way to experience some of Earth’s most awe-inspiring places, including Raja Ampat, Alor, the Maluku Islands and the Komodo Islands. Like other areas nearby, Komodo is designated a Quiet Place via the Quiet Parks International certification – where one can be guaranteed a rejuvenating experience.
In addition to its partnership with Sungai Watch, Celestia promotes awareness to guests on the reduction of single-use plastics: Celestia has introduced custom soaps, shampoos, and sunscreens that are safe for coral reefs. Cabin bathrooms are supplied with locally sourced natural loofahs made from gourd plants, a bamboo toothbrush, and teak woven baskets from the social-impact brand Du Anyam, created by female artisans from rural Indonesia. The vessel also coordinates regular beach cleanups by its crew, and encourages its guests to contribute in preserving marine environments. Celestia’s destinations include Padar Island, famous for its pink sand beaches created by broken red coral washed ashore; Raja Ampat in the West Papua province, renowned for the highest concentration of marine and coral species on the planet; and the beaches of the Maluku Islands – a collection of over 1,000 islands with a rich history of the spice trade and incredible dive sites offering the possibility to observe a school of hammerhead sharks.
