Wakatobi began as an ambitious idea in a remote corner of Indonesia, but has evolved into one of the most respected models of marine conservation and hospitality in the world, supported by a legacy now 30 years in the making
By Bailey Anderson
‘No other dive operation in the world invests in conservation, community, and service the way we do,’ says Wakatobi founder Lorenz Mäder as he sits across from me, finishing his customary after-lunch espresso – a brief pause in a day that rarely slows for him.
‘What we do here, particularly in conservation, is extraordinary.’
What may sound like a bold claim is, in fact, a reflection of the founding philosophies that have guided his work for more than three decades. Long before I joined the team, Lorenz’s commitment to sustainable tourism had already earned the resort a reputation held in high esteem throughout the diving world.
At the outset of my professional dive career, while working at my first dive shop in Austin, Texas, a casual conversation about travel destinations introduced me to a place I had never heard of.
‘Wakatobi is unlike any other destination in the world,’ the owner of the shop told me. ‘Their house reef is a wall dive, steps away from the beach. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip!’
‘The best dive resort in the world’
In the years that followed, that same sentiment continued to surface, from travellers, from friends of friends, and now, through my own time at the resort, from returning guests.
That sentiment is quietly echoed throughout the dive industry. As I stood at Wakatobi’s booth at last year’s DEMA show in Florida, the owner of a well-established dive operation in Fiji paused, gestured towards our display, and said simply to his colleague:
‘This is the best dive resort in the world.’
An enduring beginning
More than thirty years ago, having already completed over 8,000 dives, Lorenz arrived in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, on the tiny island of Onemobaa, with the perspective of a seasoned pioneer and an open mind.
What he encountered was a damaged, overfished reef system. Where others might have seen limitation, he recognised possibility – not only to restore the reef on a meaningful scale, but to establish a model grounded in long-term partnership with the local community. One in which a healthy reef sustains tourism, and in turn supports more stable and meaningful livelihoods.
Today, that vision endures at Wakatobi Resort, one of the most successful private marine conservation models in the world.
‘The corals grow extremely fast,’ Lorenz explains. ‘But real progress depends on harmony with the local community.
‘It’s counterintuitive for many, to believe you can generate 200 to 300 times more income by keeping the fish in the water rather than removing them.’
From the outset, the challenge lay in demonstrating that preservation could, over time, exceed the value of extraction. That principle is now reflected in a network of local reef guardians, many of whom were once fishermen, who protect more than 60 kilometres of reef reserved exclusively for Wakatobi guests.
Through direct compensation and long-term commitment, livelihoods have shifted towards stewardship, ensuring that sustainable practices are maintained and destructive methods no longer take hold.
That commitment also extends well beyond the reef. Wakatobi employs more than 400 staff, many from neighbouring communities and the island of Onemobaa itself.
The resort contributes to the fabric of the islanders’ daily lives, supporting infrastructure, improving access through roads and lighting, and advancing educational opportunities.
Within the past year, the resort has implemented an on-site solar system engineered to generate and store sufficient power to meet its full electrical demand, and which now produces energy in excess of its operational needs.
‘Because we are extremely remote and primarily land-based, we are forced to be at the forefront of our industry,’ Lorenz continues, as the dining staff quietly clear away his espresso cup.
‘What often goes unseen is the discipline required to sustain a place like this. The pristine environment guests experience here is not incidental. It is the product of continual stewardship, much of which remains unnoticed by our guests.
‘Without these efforts, the island would quickly revert to dense vegetation.’
For those who return to Wakatobi, that discipline is evident in the daily upkeep of the island: gardeners raking and shaping the sand in the early hours before breakfast, or removing what the tides have carried ashore, both natural and manmade.
None of the pollutants originate from the resort itself; plastics that wash ashore are carried in by surrounding currents, some from other nearby villages. Everything is removed just as quietly.
What appears effortless is, in truth, an environment shaped with intention to preserve the resort’s distinctive barefoot island ambience, and that is precisely what Wakatobi has achieved.
While outcomes can be measured in restored reefs and strengthened communities, the driving force behind it all remains unchanged.
‘If we don’t try, there is no hope for the future,’ says Lorenz. ‘In many ways, our greatest motivation is the guests.’
So much more than a five-star resort
During a recent visit, Wakatobi’s resident marine biologist, Julia Mellers, introduced me to Conceição, a returning guest whose quiet familiarity with the staff is reflected in her efforts to learn Bahasa.
One evening, over sips and laughter at the Jetty Bar, she told me how much the resort has come to mean to her and her husband, Jerry, over the years.
She spoke of her travels around the world, many of them extended sailing voyages across entire oceans, from Australia to Brazil to Hawaii.
Hers was not the perspective of an occasional traveller, but one shaped by a deep familiarity with the world’s most remote and remarkable places.
‘Jerry always said Wakatobi was a step above Nirvana,’ she said with a quiet smile.
In the weeks following my return home, I reached out to Conceição to ask what Wakatobi’s 30-year anniversary meant to her.
Her response said it best: ‘Wakatobi Resort is so much more than a five-star diving destination. It is a unique example of private enterprise and local community working together to protect one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world.
‘I return year after year because the diving and service are unmatched. Wakatobi is run with Swiss precision and fuelled by the care and dedication of its people.’
The outcome of a gamble
‘I’ve invested my lifetime,’ Lorenz says. ‘It’s been a gamble, whether win or lose.’
And yet, Lorenz’s accolades are already unmistakable – in reefs that have been given the chance to recover, in waters once depleted now teeming with life.
It is reflected, too, in the communities that have grown alongside it, where livelihoods have shifted, opportunities have emerged, and a different future has taken hold.
For some, Wakatobi is a destination. For others, it has become something far more personal, and for many of the local people, it is a place of work that has created opportunities, supports their livelihoods and strengthened their community.
Beyond this, there is something less easily defined. It lives on in the experiences of those who come here and carry a part of it with them when they leave, returning not only for the diving, but for something far less tangible and yet lasting, something best understood as the spirit of Wakatobi.
More than thirty years on, what began as a vision has become something far greater. It is a place shaped by intention, sustained by care, and defined by the profound impact it continues to have, above and below the surface.
This story is edited from the original posted on Wakatobi’s blog, part of ongoing coverage celebrating the resort’s 30-year anniversary.
Contact Wakatobi
To begin planning a visit, email office@wakatobi.com, or complete a quick trip enquiry form.
Explore The Courtyard Residence at Wakatobi and follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.
More from Wakatobi
- Wakatobi – the business of conservation through sustainable tourism
- Unbelievable beauty – the magic of Wakatobi’s house reef shallows
- The waters of Wakatobi are an artist’s muse
- All’s well at Wakatobi, says resident marine biologist Julia Mellers
- High-style diving on Wakatobi’s Pelagian – not your average liveaboard
