Endangered Whale Shark And Marine Conservation Project Highlights
Endangered Whale Shark And Marine Conservation Project Highlights
The highlights
- Dive course – a 4 day internationally recognised Open Water PADI scuba diving course or Advanced scuba diving course for volunteers already Open Water qualified
- Reef transect dives – scuba diving along line transects, above the reef to record coral condition, benthic cover and indicator species;
- Boat surveys – to locate and snorkel with whale sharks, record their position, photograph them for identification of individuals and estimate their numbers;
- Beach observation – locate whale pods, record their position and estimate their numbers; locate & record turtle nest sites (during laying season); visit turtle nest sites and record hatching success (during hatching season); record fishing catch quantities & species; assess levels of beach traffic
- Awareness and education – generate awareness about the conservation of whale sharks and manta rays and develop educational materials
Optional activities and excursions
- Based in Tofo, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the captivating local Afro-Portuguese culture and cuisine
- Vilanculos and Inhassoro are two intriguing towns that form the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. The islands of Benguera, Margeruqe and Bazaruto make up a World Heritage Site and a dugong conservation area
- Paradise Island lives up to its name; its shores are home to some fascinating historical relics and breathtaking marine life abounds
During weekends you will be free to travel and explore as you choose. Short day activities around Inhambane, which can be organised once you arrive include:
- Island kayak Tour
- Quad biking
- Surfing lessons
- Surfboard hire
- Mangrove kayak tours
- Catamaran trips
Where will I sleep?
Volunteers are accommodated in a volunteer beach house with electricity and running water, sharing dorm rooms (6 people in a large dorm). Bed, mattress, sheet and pillows will be provided (a sleeping bag is needed during winter i.e. May-August). There are communal ablution facilities (with hot running water). You will do your own laundry by hand.
The beach house is situated on the beach at the edge of Tofo village. There is a restaurant and bar within 100m. Tofo’s center is within easy walking distance, where there are very basic shops, a few restaurants and bars and a number of beach activities available.
And Meals?
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in your programme price. For breakfast, lunch and dinner you will be provided with food and you will take turns in preparing meals. Breakfast will generally consist of cereal and toast, lunch will usually be sandwiches and your evening meal will be a cooked meal.
Special dietary requirements / preferences will be catered for where possible, but you should please bear in mind that Tofo has limited choice for food and so the meals will be quite basic; so please be considerate of the efforts of those who have prepared the meal. Please check with us prior to your departure to see if we can cater for your specific dietary needs.
How do I get there and travel around?
We will collect you from the airport!
Volunteers should fly to Inhambane in Mozambique. You may do this by flying to Johannesburg in South Africa then take a connecting flight using LAM (Mozambique Airlines) to Inhambane airport on the start date where we will meet you. (Please make sure you arrange a valid visa for Mozambique prior to flying- if staying longer than 30 days be sure to get a single entry (not a multiple entry) visa). You will then be taken to Tofo using local public transport and settled into your accommodation.
When does it start and how long can I go for?
The project starts on the first Monday of each month with a minimum time commitment of 4 weeks, 2 weeks if you are already PADI qualified.
Start dates for 2011 are as follows:
3-Jan, 7-Feb,71-Mar, 4-Apr, 2-May, 6-Jun, 4-Jul, 1-Aug, 5-Sep, 3-Oct, 7-Nov, 5-Dec
Start dates for 2012 are as follows:
2-Jan, 6-Feb, 5-Mar, 2-Apr, 7-May, 4-Jun, 2-Jul, 6-Aug, 3-Sep, 1-Oct, 5-Nov, 3-Dec
What does the cost include?
- Project Fee: this entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as research materials, equipment, project facilitation and development, etc.
- PADI Open-water diving course when you arrive at the project base in Mozambique (or Advanced Course for volunteers already Open Water qualified). Experienced divers will receive a discount on their volunteer placement and extra research dives during orientation instead of a scuba diving course.
- Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day, which you prepare together with other volunteers
- Assistance in your projects by staff and volunteer coordinators. Full support from African Impact, and project managers and coordinators throughout your time on your placement.
- Comprehensive orientation on arrival
- Transfer to and from Inhambane Airport to Tofo
- Project equipment
- Project activities including boat launches for whale shark snorkelling and research dives
- Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which should include cover for repatriation
- All transport by air to Johannesburg & Inhambane International Airports
- All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
- Visa costs on arrival
- E-mail / Internet and telephone calls
- Soft drinks, wines and spirits
- All visas for border crossings
- Any excursions over-and-above your planned itinerary in Mozambique
Project fee excludes:
Do I need experience, is there orientation?
Your orientation will take place at the project base in Tofo. The orientation will entail a further introduction to staff, background information and a deeper insight into the project and the work that you will be doing.
The orientation starts with a presentation by the project co-ordinator to prepare you for your project and you will then be shown around Tofo and Inhambane. Thereafter you will do an open water scuba diving course which usually lasts between 4 and 7 days depending on conditions. This is a PADI international accredited course and upon completion you will get a certificate permitting you to scuba dive anywhere in the world. Those who are already licensed divers may either do the course as a refresher or an advanced course or alternatively receive a discount on their volunteer fee and do extra research dives during orientation. Once the course is completed you will have the time & skills to focus on the project activities.
And support?
Throughout your stay at your placement you will have the support and guidance of experienced field leaders who are part of our greater African Impact support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.
What's the age limit?
Minimum 18 years, maximum 65 years old.
A day in the life
Although day to day activities vary on the Whaleshark Marine Conservation Project a typical day in the life of a volunteer working on the Project might be:
- 07:30 – wake up and have breakfast
- 08:30 – data entry on the computer from previous day’s research work
- 10:00 – Walk over to the dive center (100meters away) and get prepared for a whale shark launch. Jump on the boat and head out to sea to find whale sharks. On finding a whale shark enter the water snorkelling next to the whale shark and take photos of the correct parts of the shark. Photos enable us to identify individual sharks around the world and track their movements, age etc.
- 13:00 – Lunch
- 14:00 – Depending on the time of year – whale counts and data collection from on top of the dunes or preparation for turtle work in the night.
- 15:30 – Work generally ends around 3.30pm but this is flexible and can sometimes be earlier and sometimes later.
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