Last Sunday we had our first weekend activity, The seahorse safari! It was incredible! We set off in the back of the 4×4, ready and keen for the adventure ahead. Within 20 minutes we were all drowned rats, it was the most rain we had seen since arriving. The journey over was very bumpy, windy and wet, but it was all worth it. We walked across huge mudflats with grey clouds above and flamingos on the horizon. Once we got our fins and masks on, we jumped in the water and were immediately met with a floor of long spined sea urchins, aaah. It didn’t take long for us to find our first seahorse, which was so niceee, a lot of us hadn’t seen one before so it was extra special. We spotted loads of starfish and a few cowfish, they were really cute with their little fins. Lionfish was another cool spot, but the craziest thing we saw were definitely the harlequin shrimp! They looked like aliens! We made sure to get loads of awesome pictures. Once the tide got too high we left and enjoyed another bumpy ride, to barra beach.
We are getting a lot more efficient at logging and measuring fish out in the field on fishery days. Its a great way for us to work on our Portuguese fish lingo – Boa pescado (good catch), Parabens (congrats), Esta morto? (is it dead?). This week was the start of one of the few annual fishing competitions held in Paindane. Once the boats came back in we measured and logged all of their fish, which were the biggest we had seen. We had kingfish, tuna, jobfish, mackerel, barracuda and rainbow runners. All of which were huge, with the largest measuring 150 cm! When it’s not busy out at the fisheries we collect trash washed up on shore and make beautiful jewellery out of plastic bottlecaps.
Finally, we did a reef transect to collect data while diving. We look like real Christmas trees with all the necessary equipment – quadrat, tape, extra weights, go pro. We’ve got it all? Ready ? One, two, three, go ! Backroll entry in the water, and let’s do it! The location of the start of the transect is chosen, the direction taken. One of us unrolls the tape, following the direction. Well… trying to follow the direction… Because the surge is so powerful that divers and tape are flying in all directions over the reef – it’s like a ribbon sportive rythmic gymnastics choreography! But we made it. Data collection continues with the current, video after video – video of pelagic fish, video of fish, sea stars, sea urchins living on the rock, video of sponges, corals, ascidians. Once the tape is wound up again, we’re off to hunt for nudibranchs – they’re everywhere! The dive was challenging but we did it! We’re back on the boat with a smile on our faces… and plenty of data to log in!
While half of our team dives into the depths of Jangamo Bay for the transect data, the other half keeps a watchful eye out for one of our regular visitors: humpback whales! Dropping a hydrophone into the ocean from our boat, we listen in to all of the surrounding symphonies of the ocean. We make note of the songs they make, and look out for any surface activity like fin slapping, breaching, or lob-tailing.
After a week of hard work, this Saturday, we had the opportunity to dive with our incredible friends Jay and Ronell, who own the dive shop we are lucky to dive from. We knew the dive was going to be a memorable one when we saw a humpback whale fin slapping in the distance, after a few days of little whale activity. The dive was collectively our favourite dive so far – we spotted the elusive frog fish and stone fish, along with lionfish, jellyfish, eels, beautiful corals and brightly coloured fish, and our favourites – a few nudibranchs! completed by a green turtle passing through! Bring on next Saturday for an incredible day out on the water with Jay and Ronel!
Headed to Tofo this weekend! Stay tuned for our epic adventures (period).
