Experience of a lifetime

When I decided to do a career break I was travelling to Southern Africa for a couple of months. As already being a certified scuba diver, I was keen on discovering Tofo's well-known marine life with its big fish. One of my friends who joined this project a few years earlier recommended it to me. And it didn't take me long to sign up. It was highly interesting for me to be part of a marine conservation project, even though I was "only" joining for one month. Not only did I get to see the manta rays and whale sharks and lots of other marine life, but also received a lot of first-hand scientific background information about it. Moreover, it was really impressive to see how such a conservation projects works and what it needs to be successful. And it really needs a lot, especially very dedicated and passionate people. On the dives, our target was to record the appearance of certain species of fish. And for specific fish like manta rays, turtles and leopard sharks it was the aim to get an identification shot with our underwater camera. Same thing for the Whalesharks but only by snorkelling during so-called Ocean Safaris. Subsequently, these whale shark ID shots were uploaded and compared with other ID shots on a global database. In this way, it is possible to research their migration and behaviour. The days in the project are generally not fully packed so you will have enough leisure time especially in the later afternoon. This gives you time to enjoy the beach or to explore the surroundings for a bit. But be aware that Tofo is a very small village in a remote area. So don't expect a lot to be going on there, especially out of peak seasons. On the weekends I always went for scuba diving on my own with the project's partner dive center Peri-Peri Divers, great team! Our volunteer house was perfectly located just next to the dive center and just a few steps down to the beach. One thing to mention: It's not a joke about the mosquitos. So make sure you prevent yourself from bites and bring your medication. But even if you should get sick, the dive center has its own doctor which is comforting to know. Overall, I definitely had a fantastic time and can highly recommend joining this consveration project to anyone!