This past week we had an exciting encounter on our home beach when a female green sea turtle came ashore! It is very common to see sea turtles swimming on our reef, however it is far from common for one to come ashore our beach. Our home beach is a small cozy little out cove of sand, perfect for sunbathing but not ideal for turtle nests due to the tide. The tide has the ability of covering our entire beach, meaning any nest laid on our beach would more than likely be drowned. Luckily the female turtle only scoped out our beach, but did not end up laying her nest on it.

Our next-door neighbors happened to be on the beach when the female came on land and they were lovely enough to alert us. She did not stay for long however so by the time our staff arrived she had already made her way back to the water. Our neighbors managed to grab a photo of the turtle which our staff was able to identify as a green sea turtle! We were bummed that we missed her but we were more than excited to get the information that a green sea turtle was checking out Nosy Komba as a nesting ground. In the past MRCI staff have been lucky enough to witness hawksbill sea turtles nesting on Nosy Komba but never a green sea turtle.

This encounter was very out of the ordinary for multiple reasons. One major one being that it was in the evening. Turtles are known to come a shore at night to nest, not while it is still light out. This fact led our staff to make the educated guess that she was probably caught off guard and a little desperate to come ashore before dark. Another fact that lead us to that assumption is that females tend to return to the beach they were born on to lay their own nests. As long as MRCI has been operational we have not had a nest on our home beach so it is most likely not where she was born.

Sea turtles are facing major survival issues. Only 1 in 1000 sea turtles make it to adulthood making witnessing a turtle nesting a very special honor. According to traveltomadagascar.com, Illegal poaching is the number one threat to turtles, but there are also other human factors factors such as heavy coastal development. “Rising global temperatures also have a detrimental impact on sea turtles’ food and reproduction. The warmer temperatures and increased acidity of the oceans affect the survival of some of their food sources, such as molluscs.” Another major issue it that the gender of a sea turtle is dependent on the temperature of the sand the eggs are buried in.  If global temperatures continue to rise only female sea turtles will be born leaving no males to mate with.

If you are passionate about sea turtle conservation then check out our new

Volunteer Sea Turtle Monitoring Program!

Our sea turtle conservation volunteers live and work at our Turtle Beach Camp where there are known turtle nesting sites. Volunteers help collect data on the population, protect active nests, and help educate the local community about the issues facing the sea turtle population.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all of our amazing adventures!

 

Swim with a Whale Shark in Madagascar!

Our Volunteers have the opportunity to do a large variety of trips and activities during their free time on the weekends. This time of the year just so happens to include getting to swim with whale sharks! These gentle giants are filter feeders, meaning that they sieve plankton through their gills to feed. This diet of plankton, krill and sometimes small fish, makes whale sharks no danger to humans. Although they are very docile creatures it is still important to respect them and practice responsible eco tourism while swimming with them. If you get the chance to swim with whale sharks (which we HIGHLY recommend) be sure to keep a respectful distance from them. You should never touch the whale shark. If the whale shark is comfortable and not stressed by your presence, (because you’re behaving respectfully so) chances are it will stay at the surface longer, allowing you to spend more time with the amazing creature!

Madagascar is a great place to knock swimming with whale sharks off your bucket list! The waters around Nosy Be have been identified as a hotspot for juvenile whale sharks to feed. A study by the Madagascar Whale Shark Project, which was initiated in 2016 by researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Florida International University, and Mada Megafauna has been tracking whale sharks in the Nosy Be area. Lead author and project leader Stella Diamant said: “We’ve found that whale sharks regularly visit Nosy Be between September and December. That has led to a growing ecotourism industry, as people travel to see and swim with these gigantic, harmless sharks. We’re still learning about their population structure and movement patterns, but it’s clear the area is an important hotspot for the species” (divemagazine.co.uk).

Unfortunately, there is still little known about this species. In recent years more studies have developed to actually learn about this previously over looked animal. Hopefully with more exposure this insanely beautiful animal will become more protected and understood.

What we do know about whale sharks is that they are the largest fish on the planet and have been known to reach up to 14 meters in length and can weight over 12 tons! Getting in the water can be intimidating regardless of the fact that they pose no threat to humans simply due to their massive size. Remember to get into the water slowly and feel free to keep your distance if it makes you more comfortable. You do not need to be next to the Shark to enjoy the experience. Due to the fact that they are so large means that in good visibility you can keep a comfortable distance and still have a great view of the animal. Overall the point of swimming with whale sharks is to have fun and enjoy the experience!

Want to learn how to dive? Check out our PADI Courses and our Volunteer Marine Conservation Program.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all of our amazing adventures!

 

Currently our two Marine Interns, Tom and Ella, are working towards completing their Dive Master training! Part of completing this course includes leading a night dive. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week Both Tom and Ella got the opportunity to do so. The Marine Interns as well as two Volunteers, and other Marine staff kit up after dinner and made their way down to the beach!

One of the highlights for our two Marine Volunteers, Erin and Martin, was the part of the dive where everyone turns off their torches and they got see the bioluminescence! While in the dark everyone carefully moves their hands, which causes these microorganisms to light up in the darkness. Some other amazing things they got to see were Cuttlefish, blue spotted ribbon tail rays, a slipper lobster, a baby moray eel! Our Marine Intern Tom saw also saw a stripped cat fish impaled on a sea urchin, although he wasn’t sure if it was really a highlight.

A night dive also gives divers the opportunity to see things they otherwise would not see during the day. At night, the coral polyps came out of their hard exoskeletons to feed on phytoplankton. This is something that does not occur during the day making it a unique experience to the night dive. Most fish also go to sleep at night but the venomous predator fish found on our reef come out to hunt. For example, the divers got to see tons of scorpion fish and lion fish which were out looking for their next meal. These fish are venomous, but do not target humans, so as long as the divers are cautious and mindful of them they can easily avoid contact. Another interesting event that they got to witness was a fight between two crabs which Tom said was very cool to witness!

The Marine Volunteers have the ability to sign up for multiple additional dives such as the night dive, however if you are planning on joining a night dive during your time with us be sure you bring an underwater torch! Our Marine program loves getting to offer our Volunteers a large range of dives from data collection dives, surveys, and fun dives. If you’re coming out to Volunteer with us, or are already a Volunteers be sure to ask about the extra dives we offer!

Want To Do A Night Dive?

Learn More about our Volunteer Marine Conservation Program

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with our activities!

 

 

On Friday 12^th October, our Community Development Program organized a BBQ for our Ampang Beginners student, Silver. A long-term goal on our Community Development Program is to create interactive and fun activities between the community and volunteers with the view to building relationships and embracing culture immersion.  The BBQ was a huge success.  Other activity initiatives include basketball and soccer matches, which the community and volunteers really enjoy participating in.

Volunteers decided early in the week that they wanted to organize a BBQ in town. With the help of the Community Development Program staff the event was organized and Rojo, our Community Development Program Manager, collected the money needed to purchase the food. Silver had hosted the previous BBQ and was very welcoming when asked if he would want to host another. Once at Silver’s home volunteers learned traditional Malagasy cooking techniques and helped Silver and his family prepare and cook the food, as well as setting the table. Fish and Chicken were the main courses with sides of salads, fries, bread and a delicious dessert of fruit salad. While the food was being cooked the volunteers were able to practice their Malagasy with Silver and his family, as well as a few neighbors! Silver was also able to practice his English which he said he really enjoyed.

Once all the food was prepared and the table was set, everyone queued up and grabbed a plate. Silver’s home has a large patio out front where everyone took a seat, enjoyed their food, and each other’s company. The food was delicious and it was a great way to end a fantastic week! We definitely look forward to many more events like this in the future!

Read More About Our Volunteer Community Development Program

Follow our adventures and immersive experiences on Facebook & Instagram!