GERMAN MARINE EXPEDITION GROUP EXPECTED IN NORTH MALUKU

Ternate, April 29 (ANTARA) - A group of German marine researchers and journalists are expected to visit several tourism objects in South Halmahera (Halsel) district in North Maluku province on Thursday, April 30, 2009.

Halsel district administration spokesman Dahrun Samad said on Wednesday the 16-member German group would visit Nusa Raa island and Guraici beach on Makian island.

The group which was making an expedition in a cruise ship would arrive in North Maluku on Thursday after visiting a number of tourism objects in North Sulawesi.

Samad said the visit would be a good opportunity for Halsel district to promote other tourism potentials to the German tourists.

The German expedition team would be received by local administration officials at a traditional ceremony at Nusa Raa island to show that the local government and people highly appreciated foreign tourists visiting South Halmahera.

With a total water territory of about 31.484 square kilometers or approximately 4 times the width of its land territory, South Halmahera district had many natural assets that were still undeveloped.

Samad said Halsel's sea containing many types of fish such as tuna, skipjack , sea slugs and lobster, as well as its other natural resources, had so far not been explored optimally.