KUANTAN: STRONG currents and choppy seas off Marang, Terengganu, nearly drowned kayaker Hari Raju but the plucky 44-year-old climbed back on the kayak and continue his solo expedition to conquer Peninsular Malaysia’s coastline.
Narrating his experience, the scuba diving instructor from Selangor said he was fortunate not to get pushed by the current and got back on the kayak.
“I will not forget the moment when the kayak overturned and I landed in the water. Since the incident, I have been extra cautious when paddling through huge waves.
“I will have to be extra vigilant throughout my journey which would cover 2,000km before I reach Pulau Langkawi, Kedah on Nov 21. The journey is estimated to take two months to complete,” said the kayaker during a stop in Teluk Chempedak.
Eldest of three, Hari said his journey began in Pengkalan Kubor, Kelantan, on Sept 9 and he has covered 500km of coastline.
“In Terengganu, I saw turtles swimming close to my kayak and wide-winged birds flying near the sea surface. I felt grateful to have been granted such amazing and rare opportunities throughout the journey.
“Sadly, I also saw rubbish along the beaches and mangroves, which poses a threat to marine life. I hope this mission would be able to meet its objective to raise awareness on the importance of protecting coastal resources.”
Being an avid outdoors enthusiast, Hari said the expedition, called the Malaysian Nature Society’s (MNS) Paddle for Nature will stop at several spots to promote conservation initiatives and raise funds for MNS.
Hari’s kayak is special as it is equipped with a Google Street View Trekker, which would record the journey with a 15-lens camera in a 360° panoramic view, and later allow Google Map users to virtually explore the coastline. He said he paddled about 70m from the shore to enable the camera to capture clear images of the marine and estuarine areas, which would assist the government and environmental agencies to protect the environment.
MNS marine conservation manager Faedzul Rahman said during the stops, Hari would share his experiences with the public, including schoolchildren, on conservation efforts. Also, carnivals would be held at five stops, including Danga Bay in Johor Baru and Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan.
The public can keep track of Hari’s expedition by visiting www.paddlefornature.weebly.com, the Facebook page at Paddle for Nature and Twitter handle @paddle4nature.