Research
Respect
Protect
Our uniqueness centres around connecting education and research projects within the Ocean sector to engage people at different levels in gathering data, inspiring young people and bringing a greater awareness for sustainable change.
WHAT WE DO
Using the Foundation’s skill base and project sectors, we are able to deliver practical solutions, so as to further the ambitions of entities wishing to fulfil their greater obligations to the environment and the social good. Through our projects we are able to assist corporations and groups to deliver modules, that have a real impact on the environment but to also engage with staff and like-minded individuals who have a genuine concern to Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG).
Education
Our close collaboration with experts in the field of corals has led us to engage on global projects looking for more knowledge and data for coral survival and reef restoration. We are passionate believers that education is the best way to fully engage future generations with all the issues around the marine environment.
This has kick started our ‘Reef for Schools’ program, where we are installing coral tanks into Primary Schools, as a teaching aid that connects to the school curriculum and brings part of the ocean into their world of learning.
ESG
Future Oceans Foundation uses donation funding to create projects that actively engage with local communities, education facilities, corporate entities, research groups and NGO’s into furthering our knowledge for coral reef renovation and how that process integrates with the marine environment.
This all ties into the greater heading of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) that many companies (and their Shareholders) are wishing to be involved with.
OUR IMPACT
Our efforts are paying off See what we have accomplished so far:
Tanks in schools
Invested into ocean projects
Connections made
OUR PARTNERS
LATEST NEWS
Worth more alive: a day with the mantas of Nusa Penida
Oct 26
Three reef mantas, around 40 swimmers and no briefing. That was Manta Point off Nusa Penida, Bali, when we joined an ordinary tourist boat in October 2026.
We went as paying guests, not researchers. We wanted to see two things for ourselves: how manta tourism supports the local economy, and how the mantas respond to it.
A local industry
Our boat carried about 15 guests and a crew of three. Everyone we dealt with was Indonesian. Several boats were at the site at once, each with its own crew.
Across Indonesia this adds up. The country ranks second in the world for manta tourism, worth an estimated US$15 million a year. Around Nusa Penida alone, manta tourism has been valued at about US$3.5 million a year. A manta killed for its gill plates fetches a few hundred dollars, once.
That gap is why Indonesia protected manta rays across its entire waters in 2014. Tourism gave a living manta a clear value, and the law followed.
How the mantas responded
The three mantas were feeding, mouths wide open and head fins unrolled, sweeping through plankton-rich water. With around 40 people in the water from the various boats, they didn't appear bothered. They simply carried on feeding.
That looks reassuring, but one visit doesn't tell the whole story. Manta Point is where adult mantas come to be cleaned and to court. Long-term studies there found boat numbers up by about 60% since 2012, with crowds peaking in the mating season. Researchers warn that crowding and engine noise can cause chronic stress that a single snorkel won't reveal.
What we'd change
We received no briefing on how to behave around the mantas. A short talk before entering the water would cost nothing. Keep your distance, never touch, don't chase or block a manta's path, and give it room to leave.
Local authorities have introduced a code of conduct for the marine protected area. The next step is making sure it reaches every boat and every swimmer.
What you can do
If you swim with mantas, choose operators who brief their guests. Try to get a clear photo of the manta's belly too. Every manta has a unique spot pattern, and photos sent to Manta Matcher help researchers track individuals over years.
Manta tourism is already a conservation success story. Done well, it can stay one.
Research. Respect. Protect.
