Update from our SCUBA diving volunteer opportunity & conservation holiday on the coral reefs of the Musandam peninsula, Oman (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/musandam)
I am now all packed to go with (from left to right)
Paperwork, of course. I hope you have yours ready. You will need to bring your checklist and PADI statement (and if you don’t know what I am talking about, then you had better read the dossier again, because you won’t be diving without a PADI statement or a valid diving licence, for example).
Buffs. If you don’t know what this is, then watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewVEK-AElDY. People find them very useful for diving, for example to keep hair out of your face. As you will see, I do not suffer from this problem 😉
Underwater magnifying glasses?! All will be revealed in due course.
Snazzy Swarovski Optik binoculars. For our sooty falcon work.
Of course there’s lots more gear, but this is all safely stored in Dubai. Remember that you need to have your diving gear serviced if you have not used it for a while. Otherwise I hope your packing is going well.
I’ll be in Muscat for a few days before getting to Dubai. The mobile number I will have in Dubai for about 36 hours before assembly is xxx. This is for emergency purposes only (such as being late for assembly).
See you there.
Update from our SCUBA diving volunteer opportunity and conservation holiday on the coral reefs of the Musandam peninsula, Oman (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/musandam)
Hello everyone and welcome to the first entry for our Musandam expedition diary. I am Matthias, your expedition leader, and founder & executive director of Biosphere Expeditions.
Not long now until the expedition. I will be a few days ahead of you, first in Dubai and then in Muscat, progressing our plans for a marine protected area with decision-makers and officials in Oman’s capital.
I hope your preparations are going well and you are SWOTTING UP ON REEF CHECK as you should – see your dossier as to why.
I look forward to meeting you all at the Dubai assembly point as per the dossier. Some of you will meet us in Khasab instead of Dubai and if you are PLEASE TELL ME NOW so that I can make a note. Otherwise we’ll be looking for you in Dubai, which will hold everyone up. If you are coming to Dubai as per the dossier, you do not need to tell me. I’ll just assume you’ll be there.
A map of proposed survey sites is below.
Now for the changes: Rita Bento has found love and is moving to Brazil. Congratulations for your wedding and all the best for the future. We have parachuted in Dr. Jean-Luc Solandt, our old friend from the Maldives expedition and coral reef expert from the Marine Conservation Society, to pick up the baton as expedition scientist. He certainly knows his fish and invertebrates and will put you through your paces.
Apart from looking at corals, we’ll also help out with birds, sooty falcons to be precise, this year.
I’ll be in touch again from the ground in Muscat, if not earlier, and with my mobile phone number in case of emergencies.
Until then, enjoy your packing and safe travels.
Regards
Dr. Matthias Hammer
Executive Director
Biosphere Expeditions
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
6 April
Thursday marked the last day of surveys in the 2013 Reef Check expedition to Tioman Island, Malaysia. We surveyed two new sites and added them to the list of sites that Reef Check Malaysia monitors around this beautiful place. We had a couple of divers out of the water on doctor’s orders with ear issues and other small problems, but those left carried on with the surveys and those not diving took on dry duties to the benefit of all.
Then yesterday, Friday, the last day of the expedition was eventful too. There was a hiccup with the boat and we had to rush to get three people back to Tioman for their flights. For the remaining two, the action didn’t stop there. In the evening we learned of a python, which had been caught nearby. Alvin and I raced off to see the animal and returned to Janne and Georgie with a 4.5 meter, 30 kg reticulated beauty, which we then went to some length relocating with the help of Rosie from the dive shop and the local taxi guy. A fitting end to a great conservation expedition on the sea and now also on land!
Thanks to all who attended and donated so much more than their cash to the daunting task of protecting the coral reefs of Tioman Island. I hope you have caught the expedition bug now. If you have, I look forward to meeting you again on some conservation errand sometime, somewhere on this beautiful planet of ours. Thanks again everyone and safe travels home!
Paul o’Dowd
Expedition leader
P.S. I will try to upload more pictures/videos to https://biosphereexpeditions.wordpress.com/ | www.facebook.com/biosphere.expeditions1 | https://plus.google.com/103347005009999707934/posts | http://pinterest.com/biosphereexped/ once I get to a better internet connection. Watch this space.
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
Team 2 just completed their first day of official Reef Check surveys after an exhausting and hot few days of training and tests. Today’s temperature of nearly 38 degrees made the afternoon dive a welcome respite, even if the water they were working in was 31 degrees itself. Have a look at the videos and picture.
Tomorrow we set out to sea to Tulai Island from where we plan to spend a couple of days exploring the islands in the vicinity of the anchorage there. After that we’re off to the other side of Tioman and out to Permandgil Island for a night to pick up a couple of sites we missed with the first team.
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
The second team for the 2013 Biosphere Reef Check expedition to Malaysia are all on deck now and officially briefed for duty. Again we have a week of training and land based research surveys before once again heading out to sea on the good ship Araliya for another week of ocean-based research around Tioman Island and the more remote islands beyond. Yesterday we hit the water for our important buoyancy workshop dive and who knows, we may even find the elusive “silver turtle” rumored to frequent the house reef at the Tioman Dive Centre… Team 1 will know what I mean…
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
The first slot of the Malaysia 2013 Reef Check expedition returned to port yesterday after a very successful voyage around Tioman Island and out to the remote Permandgil Island where comms were poor, but the coral was awesome. Of great encouragement to our hopes that healthy reefs still occur in the region was that our scientist, Alvin, who has dived extensively throughout Asia described the reefs around Permandgil in very glowing terms. We completed all surveys and the data collected is already logged into the Reef Check system. We also managed a few lazy dives (without data collection), which were very chilled out and easy by comparison to the focus of the transect surveys.
I now have a day back at Swiss Cottage to scrub up and get my gear into order before the crew for slot two arrive. The internet sucks here, but who cares. As we know the worse the comms, the better the reefs ;), but it also means that I have only been able to upload a few pictures…
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
The first team of the 2013 Malaysia expedition have all passed their Reef Check exams and are, as I write, under water conducting their second actual research survey. Yesterday, we surveyed a site called Tomok, where last year I found a beautiful but dangerous flower urchin. Alvin, our scientist, is happy with the progress of the expedition thus far and today after lunch we board the Araliya and head out to sea. The photos and video are of the team doing their first Reef Check transect survey.
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
The first slot of the Malaysia 2013 Biosphere expedition is officially underway. Today, after the introductory briefings, we headed out to the house reef at the Tioman Dive Center for a buoyancy workshop, which everyone handled well after some weighting and breathing adjustment.
A bit more practice will be all that is required to have group 1 research-ready. Tomorrow, we get into the academics with our scientist Alvin Chelliah and the start of the Reef Check ID classes.
Update from our SCUBA volunteer vacation / diving conservation holiday protecting the coral reefs of Tioman, Malaysia (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/malaysia)
We’ve sorted the video issue, so here’s a video diary from the key people
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