JAKARTA, Nov 25 ― Located in the heart of a 315,000 hectare protected marine area, the Widi Reserve, home to more than a hundred Indonesian islands, is inhabited by hundreds of rare and protected species of marine mammals, fish and birds. To preserve this ecosystem ― considered one of the most unspoiled on the planet ― an auction is being held by Sotheby’s so that the future buyer can turn it into a sustainable destination.

Just imagine: 150 kilometres of white sandy beaches with waters ranging from turquoise to deep blue. In the water, you might notice a multitude of colourful fish, not to mention turtles or marine mammals. Heading further inland, there are lizards and a plethora of birds. Welcome to the Widi Reserve, in the heart of a geographical area known as the Coral Triangle in the very east of Indonesia. Here, more than a hundred islands are uninhabited and totally untouched by human activity. Blue whales, but also whale sharks, approach the coastline, while more than 600 species of marine mammals, fish and birds make up the only inhabitants of this unspoiled landscape. In fact, not all the species present may yet have been discovered! Needless to say, this is one of the most pristine, untouched coral atoll ecosystems in the world, reports Sotheby’s, which has been entrusted with auctioning this extraordinary destination.

Fortunately, the auction is not about turning the Widi Reserve into a trendy new travel hotspot, but rather of making it part of an…