The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle, so you can imagine our excitement when we caught this nesting female on video.

Marine Science Officer Emma wrote the following: “During the first of our routine ‘turtle beach checks’, our team of marine conservation volunteers and staff had the privilege of watching this large female hawksbill sea turtle make a nest and lay her eggs.

After more than two hours, exhausted, she finally managed to haul herself back around and down to the sea, leaving her nest and track behind her.

We recorded the identification details of the female, covered the track (to prevent attention being drawn to the nest) and have set up a regular patrol and day and night, monitoring of the beach for future nesting’s and any hatchlings!”

If you would like to join our volunteer team in Madagascar and maybe spot a hawksbill sea turtle or two yourself, fill in our online application form or contact us today.

A Breakthrough Moment for Coral Reef Conservation!

Nearly 3 years ago, staff and volunteers at the Madagascar Research and Conservation Institute (MRCI) set out to protect a portion of the reef surrounding Nosy Komba. This endeavour, spearheaded by Elizabeth Beauchamp, required countless hours of surveys and research to prove the value of coral reef conservation to locals and the conservation community. Once enough data was gathered, it was presented to all the village presidents of Nosy Komba, asking for their support in protecting this area. These presentations were a prime example of how MRCI marries conservation with local community involvement, and the result was a success!

On 24 November 2016, approximately 60,000 square surface meters were officially protected to include the reef, running from MRCI camp towards Ampangorina village. This achievement was marked by a celebratory breakfast with MRCI and many village presidents. Afterwards, everyone went out to place the buoys, marking the protected area. Involving the village presidents results in the support of the entire island, which is paramount to the success of the coral reef conservation.

So what does all of this mean? The reef is protected from boats anchoring, and from any fishing. MRCI actively monitors the area, ensuring no threatening activities occur over the reef. Also, this has provided a prime location for MRCI to place artificial reef structures to further attract corals and fish into the area. In the years to come, the reef should blossom into a sanctuary for coral, fish, and other sea life to take refuge and flourish.

If you would like to find out how you can become a part of the volunteer team involved with coral reef conservation, contact us or complete our online application form today.

The artificial reef project (headed up by our Director of Diving Operations and Health & Safety, Kyle) was started in May 2015 as part of our Marine Conservation volunteer program. The team initially deployed a set of seven artificial structures to seed a new reef habitat in the main channel directly out from the station beach.  The structures are made locally from a small block of cement and bent Rio bars (steel construction rods) to form a pyramid type structure.

During the initial deployment, the volunteer team checked the structures every second day to remove algal growth and allow sponges and coral to establish.  Progress was slow and the team eventually abandoned the cleaning and allowed nature to run its course.  With the substantial depth difference between high and low tides, silt often settles on the reef making it difficult for hard corals to grow, however, sponges and soft corals will thrive in these conditions.

Once the team stopped the cleaning, colonization of the artificial reef structures began.  Shrimp came to feed on the algae, then lion fish moved in, macro algae started to grow and now, finally, we have sponges, small soft coral polyps and a variety of resident fish who enjoy their evolving habitat.

For Kyle, the idea for the artificial reef came from a fellow diver who had been working on local, sustainably farmed corals to sell to the aquarium industry.  It’s painstaking work with cleaning required every second day to ensure optimal growth.

Our reef will boost the available habitat for marine species in the area so that we can take a more natural, less labour intensive approach, although the reef is consistently monitored.  Recently, one of the largest sponge growths was knocked off its hold.  Diligent monitoring brought it to the team’s attention quickly so that they could re-attach it, thereby helping the reef establish itself more quickly.

The next major expansion is to build an underwater steel dome large enough to attract cave dwelling species.  This will be located further out on the sand bed where the water is even clearer.  Ideally, it will provide a new habitat for marine life that can also be accessed by our team.

To find out more about the coral that grows here, take a look at another blog post about the artificial reef structure our volunteer team has been working.

To become part our volunteer team and take part in this amazing artificial reef project, complete our online application form or contact us today.

Volunteering in Madagascar is a wonderful way for students to give back during their gap year.

With its sparkling clear waters and high number of endemic species, diving around the island of Nosy Komba makes for a truly memorable way to spend a vacation and, while the beauty of the island and surrounding ocean leaves many in awe, there is real work to be done to protect its beauty and bio-diversity.

Volunteers participating in our marine conservation program regularly participate in surveys, including Coral Disease Surveys.  Our Marine Science Office, Merik K. Ratushniak, was both excited and disappointed to spot a large Hawksbill turtle not too long ago…

“During one of our Coral Disease Surveys at Turtle Towers (the reef directly in front of our camp) Katie, Kelly and I unfortunately discovered a Hawksbill Sea Turtle that recently died due to entanglement from a trawl net.

When I first saw the turtle I was incredibly excited to see a Hawksbill over a meter as it takes 20-30 years to grow to this size, even more so to see one this close.  However, when I got closer to the Hawksbill I saw that the net had been wrapped around its neck, one of its fins and tightly wrapped around a section of the reef making in entirely unable to escape to the surface to get air.

I spent the next 20 minutes cutting the net off the reef and untangling the deceased turtle and then set it down off the reef in the sand so no one else diving that day would have to see the Turtle.

Later that week our Diving Instructor, Dalton Dannish, and I went to recover the turtle from the sea to bring back to camp in order to bury the Hawksbill just off camp.  In a couple of months we plan to dig up the sea turtle, clean the bones and display it on a camp with a story of what happened that day.

Hawksbills are critically endangered and Madagascar is one of the few places in the world where you can witness the grace of these amazing creatures in the water.

Although this accident was horrific, it has helped the push for our reef become protected.  Sometime this year our reef will be a NTZ (No Take Zone) and fishing will be prohibited on our reef.

After our paperwork is signed for the protection and conservation of our reef, there will be a radio broadcast across Nosy Komba telling all the fishermen that our reef is protected and they are unable to fish there again.  This is very exciting for our Marine Project, as we have been struggling for years trying to get this to happen.

MRCI constantly monitors and actively protects the turtle population and other marine species in and around Nosy Komba and through the protection of our reef our surveys will be more consistent and accurate for determining the reef ecosystem’s health.

Furthermore, we educate, meet and work with the fishermen around Nosy Komba in order to meet on neutral ground where both our needs are achieved.  Through the conservation of our reef both groups will benefit.

Hopefully this will be the last incident that happens on Turtle Towers and thank you to all you volunteers who are helping make a difference”.

If you’ve been contemplating a gap year and wondering how to give back to the environment, consider volunteering in Madagascar.  Contact us today to find out how.

Although most of the volunteers who choose to join MRCI during their gap year are between the ages of 19 and 25, we usually have all ages on camp.  Rarely do we get to share the experience with father and daughter though, and what a pleasure it was to share it with Tom and Grace Anastasio during their marine conservation volunteer program.

Grace looked forward to diving with her dad:

“Before I even arrived at camp it was obvious to me that Madagascar and MRCI would offer me an incredible adventure. Before hitting the ground I was already enamored with the country in which I would be lucky enough to spend one whole month.

From our connecting flight in South Africa, we boarded the smallest plane I had ever seen and buckled in for a flight that would eventually take us over the pristine waters of Madagascar. Tropical islands ranging from tiny and uninhabited to big(ish) and bustling, peppered the waters. I was sure we had found heaven.

We touched down in Nosy Be, a Madagascan island close to Nosy Komba: the home of MRCI. I was overwhelmed with excitement when we met two friendly members of the MRCI staff, and my excitement only grew as we piled into cars with some other volunteers and cruised through the jungle to get to the port

Finally, we boarded small, motorized boats to go from Nosy Be to Nosy Komba. Sitting practically on top of the other volunteers we had just met, we made way across the ocean to the nearby island. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The waters around Nosy Komba are a crystalline turquoise. On either side of you, islands jut up out of the water, their steep slopes reaching dramatically into the clear, blue sky. Locals peacefully floated by while fishing from their perogues – small, wooden dug-out canoes. They waved to us as we passed, greeting us with a friendly “m’bola tsara” – a greeting we would get used to saying tons of times every day. Realizing I got to spend an entire month in this paradise had me thrilled, but I was nervous about one thing.

I had decided to volunteer for MRCI on the marine project almost an entire year ago. Then my dad decided to join me. I was extremely excited that he was coming with me. I love my dad, and I hardly ever get to see him. I knew diving together and learning about the oceans – passions we both share – would be the best thing we had ever done together. Being in such a gorgeous part of the world would only add to the experience, but I was nervous about how the other volunteers, who were mostly close to my age (19-25) would react to my dad. I thought they might find it strange that we had come together. I was afraid he might not feel included or that the age gap would cause people to snub him.

I’ve hardly been more wrong about something in my entire life. From the second we stepped on camp I knew having my dad around was not going to be a problem – in fact it has greatly enhanced not only my experience, but also the experiences of everyone here. Of course this is largely due to the fact that my dad is an amazing person – smart, athletic, laid back, and personable – but I think it has even more to do with the kind of people that the volunteers are.

I’ve learned that you should never worry about the character of people who choose to spend their time and money in a remote location, with only the most basic comforts, working for a cause bigger than themselves. The other volunteers and staff members I have met at MRCI are open-minded, worldly, inclusive, and so curious and excited to learn. None of them saw the age of my dad as anything but just another number. In fact he quickly made a name for himself as one of the most pleasant and interesting people on camp. His years of experience only made his stories more enthralling. I always found him having the most intriguing discussions with people, which only allowed me to quickly make more friends. Now that we’ve all gotten to know each other better we tease one another about how my dad, who is close to 60 years old, is the most in shape and active volunteer. He puts us all to shame.

While I was completely wrong to worry about how people might judge our little family trip, I was right that our time on Nosy Komba would bring my dad and I even closer together. We go on dives to two of four reefs in the area every single day; we walk to the nearby village at least three times a week and eat street food while greeting all the smiling faces of locals we have come to recognize; we visit other islands on the weekends, swim in waterfalls with area kids, drill each other on the names of fish species on the reefs until our heads explode, go for daily swims for exercise, and so much more.

Marine volunteering is amazing. Madagascar is amazing. My dad is amazing. But these three factors coming together at once have allowed me to appreciate each of them more than I ever could otherwise. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to do marine volunteering; I’m pledging to return to Madagascar one day; and seeing how much people respect my dad has only made me respect him more. I would highly recommend this program to families and I can’t wait to travel more with my dad in the future”.

Tom had one of the most fulfilling experiences of his life:

“Old guys like me don’t usually get to do cool stuff like this, but when my daughter, Grace, planned a month research experience in marine biology on a remote island in Madagascar, I just had to ask if I could come. To my surprise, she said yes! The remote island is called Nosy Komba, and it is the home of MRCI, a marine research and conservation institute.

Except that she gives me way too much credit, I concur with Grace’s description of Nosy Komba and the excellent program here at MRCI. In addition to marine biology, they offer volunteer experiences in forest conservation, teaching, and construction – and the professional staff members take their missions seriously – they spend a lot of time training volunteers to ensure that make a valuable volunteer contribution. But it’s not all work and no play – there is plenty of time for fun, and volunteers go off on weekends to enjoy this naturally beautiful and culturally intriguing part of the world. We only spent one month. We could have spent a year and continued to grow personally the whole time.

My reasons for coming were to have fun while giving back, but mainly to support Grace in her adventure. Due to the kindness of the staff and other volunteers in including me, it has been a wonderful adventure for me as well. It has been a time when my daughter and I could face new challenges together and strengthen our bond as we came to understand and appreciate each other better. It has been truly awesome for me to watch Grace improve as a SCUBA diver and develop her skills as a marine biologist – the staff well appreciates that she learned to identify fish a lot faster and more effectively than I did!

This experience has been among the most fulfilling experiences of my life, mostly because it has brought me so much closer to my daughter. Are you an old-ish guy (or gal) who dreams of doing some really cool stuff with your young-adult child (or children)? If so, then I cannot recommend this program more highly”.

If you wish to join one of our volunteer programs, fill out our online application form today.