Giving Back to Gili Air: How Oceans 5 Leads by Example in Environmental and Community Support

Giving Back to Gili Air

Gili Air is more than just a tropical paradise for divers and holidaymakers—it’s a small, close-knit island where the environment, the community, and local businesses are deeply connected. Life here depends on a delicate balance: the health of the ocean draws visitors, the warmth of the local community makes them stay, and tourism supports livelihoods. But with opportunity comes responsibility.

At Oceans 5 Gili Air, we believe that every business operating here should give something back—whether through environmental protection, community initiatives, or both. Our own journey in this commitment has been ongoing since we opened in 2010, and it continues to grow stronger every year.

Oceans 5’s Environmental Commitment

From the very beginning, Oceans 5 made environmental protection part of our DNA. We are located in the Gili Matra Marine Park, an area that should be preserved for generations to come. Our conservation work includes:

• Weekly Beach Cleanups – Every week since 2010, our staff, guests, and volunteers come together to clean the beaches in front of the harbor. We provide all the equipment—bags, gloves, and tools—and thank volunteers with a free drink afterwards. These events are open to everyone, because cleaner beaches benefit us all.
• Reef Cleanups – We regularly organise underwater cleanups, especially in the busy harbor area where rubbish from boats and currents tends to collect. Divers join for free in exchange for helping us remove marine debris.
• Marine Research Partnerships – Oceans 5 supports the University of Mataram’s Faculty of Marine Science by providing facilities, transport, and equipment for reef surveys and scientific research around the Gili Islands. This helps improve knowledge of the marine ecosystem and builds local expertise in marine conservation.
• Awareness Through Education – As a PADI Career Development Centre, we integrate environmental awareness into all our diving courses. From Open Water students to Instructor candidates, we teach responsible diving practices, including neutral buoyancy techniques to avoid damaging the reef.

How Oceans 5 Finances These Activities

Unlike many conservation programs that depend on donations or external grants, Oceans 5 finances its environmental and community initiatives entirely from its own operations. The revenue from our diving courses and resort services allows us to allocate a dedicated annual budget to these projects—without asking guests to pay extra or relying on outside funding.

This model ensures stability: whether or not donations are available, our cleanups, education programs, and research support will continue. We see it as a responsibility, not a seasonal project or a marketing campaign.

Why Every Business on Gili Air Should Contribute

We don’t expect every business to do exactly what we do—after all, a restaurant can’t run reef cleanups in the same way a dive shop can. But every business can contribute in its own way:

• A café could replace plastic straws with reusable ones.
• A hotel could support local clean water or waste-management initiatives.
• A shop could source more products from local suppliers, supporting the island economy.
• Tour operators could include environmental messages in their guest briefings.

On a small island like Gili Air, where resources are limited and the environment is fragile, every little bit counts. The combined effect of many small actions can be as powerful as a single large project.

Giving Back Is Not Optional—It’s Part of Living Here

It’s easy to forget that without the local community, there would be no Gili Air as we know it. The warm smiles that greet visitors, the knowledge passed from fisherman to dive guide, the hospitality that keeps tourists returning—these all come from the people who call this island home.

If you run a business here and make your living from the beauty and culture of this place, it’s only fair to give something back. This isn’t just about charity—it’s about respect, sustainability, and ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same Gili Air we love today.

A Shared Responsibility

Oceans 5 will continue to do our part—cleaning beaches and reefs, supporting marine science, and teaching environmentally responsible diving. But our hope is that every business, big or small, joins in. It doesn’t have to be costly or complicated; it just has to be consistent.

Because when everyone contributes, Gili Air thrives—not just as a destination, but as a living, breathing community in harmony with the ocean that surrounds it.