Putu Liza Kusuma (Icha) is originally from Bali. She now is working on her PhD at the James Cook University in Australia.

Icha studies the behavior of dolphins, and especially the behaviour of dolphins in areas where there are a lot of tourists.

Lovina is one of the spots where she comes at a regularly base to study the dolphins.

Dolphin watching in Lovina started in the 80’s with small wooden canoes with outriggers and sails. Tourists that came to watch the dolphins were small in numbers. In the 90’s tourism grew in Lovina, and engines on the boats took over from the sails. Mass dolphin watching took off, with at times 80 boats being out on the water at the same time.

Over the last 2 years Icha has become a regular guests speaker to the rotary Club of Bali Lovina. Through her talks she explains the latest updates on her research, and her efforts to enhance better understanding of the dolphins lives in an effort to create a “community based dolphin watching” that is both beneficial for the tourist, the boatman and the marine wildlife alike.

Rotary Club Bali Lovina helped Icha by supporting her to be able to print brochures for tourists. In these brochures tourists get more information about the Lovina Dolphins, and tips on how to go on a safe, wildlife friendly, and enjoyable “Dolphin tour”!

Icha will be back as a guest speaker to the Rotary Club bali Lovina in the 3rd week of December to talk about her latest research, and workshops for local fisherman/dolphin tour-guides.