Anyway, lots has happened since I last wrote around Halloween. I have been busy at SOS, still doing projects for the educators and the centre (I now spell it centre instead of center without even thinking about it.. bad news. Also: colour, programme, honours, etc.... too much South African reading, writing and typing since I've been here I guess!). I have become good friends with my coworkers and know already that it is going to be SO hard to leave them. I have even formed a strange attachment to the two False Plum anemones that we have in the aquarium, and of course the two shysharks as well (the female has laid three eggs since we got her- so cool!). The anemone thing sounds weird, I know, but False Plums are so incredible.. they have so many different moods and are always changing shape and size. For example, here are a few photos of our favorite aquarium resident at SOS.. he doesn't have a name yet, but I am rooting for Tim or Roger:
How cool is he?! (or she.. or it) I know, I know.. most people probably don't get as excited about this kind of thing as me, but I have to admit I look forward to seeing him every morning :) I also did a little project on this guy with about 10 different pictures and a display about general anemone ecology for the public. So if you're ever in SOS, check it out :)
Onto more exciting things... the weather has been pretty fantastic here lately, but it still doesn't feel quite like summer. I am ok with that though since the next few months are supposed to get HOT and since I've been working a lot I don't mind a cloudy day here and there. The sunny days have definitely been amazing though.. lots of diving, trips to the beach, and surfing when I can. My good friend Brocq was housesitting for his friend Mark VanCollier two weeks ago (Mark is an amazing wildlife photographer and was visiting the Seychelles with his pregnant wife, who is also a photographer.. I swear everyone here is a ridiculously good wildlife photographer) in a town called Nordhoek, which is absolutely gorgeous and known for its amazing surfing beach called Long Beach (home to a wave called Dunes that is popular with the better surfers around here). I was able to camp out by the pool, hang with the resident peacock in the backyard (we named him NaGoose, for various reasons), go to an awesome little Nordhoek festival, and run, swim, and lay out on a totally deserted white sand beach. Absolutely amazing.
NaGoose
Long Beach in Nordhoek
I was lucky enough to get out with Steve a few times as well, diving again with the seals and helping him out with various clients. I have been doing my best to improve my breath hold for freediving, and was able to stay at about five meters for around a minute this last time. I know it doesn't sound like much, but when the water is 10 degrees C and your body is constricted and shaking, one minute feels like about 10! I am hoping to be able to take a freediving course from one of Steve's friends, Hanli (who holds the South African freediving record.. she is ridiculous) before I leave. I have really grown to love diving with just a mask, weight belt, and fins. Of course I am still a SCUBA fanatic and always will be, but its nice to learn a new trick of the trade :)
Speaking of SCUBA, I have made a last-minute decision to head to Mozambique over this coming week with a group of VAC interns and some of the VAC coordinators. I was planning on doing Mozambique for the month of January, and maybe doing my Dive Master course during that time, but I came across an amazing White shark internship in Mossel Bay that I may do instead. SO it turns out that this coming week will be my only chance to get to Moz, and I have been told by many that if I am a diver, I MUST go. Mozambique is known around the world for its manta rays, Whale sharks, good surf, and ridiculously gorgeous dive sites. So myself and a few of my roommates are off for 10 days of sun, surf, sand, and amazing diving. I can't wait!! Even my supervisor said I have to get there.. a few of my coworkers contemplated taking the week off and tagging along to go surfing, but I'm not sure that'll actually happen. They could teach me a thing or two!
A lot of research has been happening at SOS, but because of confidentiality reasons and copyright issues and all that other crazy business, I can't talk much about it. But, I will say that I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a group of individuals who are so dedicated to their work and passionate about what they are striving for. What I can say is that Alison and her team (at this point I'm going to assume anyone who actually reads this knows who Alison Kock is.. SOS White shark researcher, for those who have forgotten) have been trying to get out lately to do some tagging of False Bay White sharks, but it has been pretty windy with a big swell so they'll be making a few more attempts over the coming weeks. I'll still have two weeks at SOS when I arrive home from Moz so I am hoping there will be a chance to head out with them and see everything firsthand.
Speaking of the big guys, the internship I have applied to in Mossel Bay (400 K up the East coast) focuses on boat-based research of White sharks. I would be there with about nine other volunteers, helping scientists at the Shark lab do tagging, chumming, Photo ID, boat skills and everything else that is involved with White shark research. Alison said the program is very hands-on and they get out on the boat every day that the weather permits. She has worked closely with a few of the scientists there and highly recommended the program for someone who is interested in shark research. It sounds like an amazing experience and would give me a lot more exposure to all sorts of important field techniques. Aaaand I just found out that I got accepted! So that' a big whoo-hoo to that one. Looks like I will be spending the month of January with the sharks in Mossel Bay.. should be really, really good!
Anyway, I am off to Moz in the early morning and will be MIA for the next 10 days or so. Arriving back in Cape Town on my birthday, most likely for a big night of SLEEP! It's going to be a crazy fun hectic amazing ten days, but I'm sure a good night's sleep is not going to be a very constant thing (considering we're staying in an outdoor-ish dorm with 14 beds.. oh dear).
Miss everyone back home and can't wait to share pictures! Love to all :)
Oh, and here are a few pictures from the shark dive two weekends ago that I didn't have until just now:
A curious Blue
Myself and a Mako
The largest Blue we had; a little over 2 meters
Good shot of a Mako
Such an amazing day!
