Halo Tabung Cave Draws Global Divers, Boosts Eco-Awareness
- 19 Jul 2026 11:44 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Halo Tabung Cave in Maratua Subdistrict, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, has become a popular destination for international divers and eco-tourists.
- The karst cave serves not only as a diving attraction but also as an educational site that promotes geological knowledge and ecological awareness.
RRI.CO.ID, Berau - The karst area of Halo Tabung Cave in Payung-Payung Village, Maratua Subdistrict, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, has become a specialty tourism magnet that attracts international divers. The exotic site offers more than the thrill of diving into a 25‑metre‑deep natural pool; it has been developed as an educational venue to raise ecological awareness among visitors from around the world.
“The karst cave not only presents natural beauty, but it also functions as a living laboratory rich in lessons about the Earth’s formation,” said Head of Maratua Subdistrict Ashari, in Berau on Saturday, 18 July 2026.
The destination’s unique geology features a long natural pool of clear, brackish blue water. Ashari explained that the site formed over thousands of years as acidic rainwater, created when rain absorbed carbon dioxide, slowly dissolved limestone along fractures and voids in the bedrock.
“Through gradual dissolution along cracks and gaps, nature eventually carved a basin that tapers downward to about 25 metres,” said Ashari, as quoted by Antara.
The brackish-water ecosystem in the cave’s central pool depends on tidal dynamics, which is when seawater naturally seeps in through a network of coastal rock fissures. “With the cave’s shoreline only about 50 metres from the open sea, the pool’s water volume is continuously sustained naturally,” he added.
The site’s name carries local wisdom that derived from the Bajau language, Halo means lagoon while Tabung refers to a type of snapper (locally called tompel) caught by village fishers. “Using the local language in the geological site’s name helps preserve oral tradition and the maritime identity of Maratua’s coastal community,” said Ashari.
By combining geological science literacy with efforts to conserve local culture, the site encourages visitors to protect the area’s aquatic environment. “We hope every tourist leaves not only having enjoyed the water, but also with greater understanding of how important it is to safeguard this karst ecosystem,” said Ashari. ***
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