Whale shark research expedition, Mozambique
| country: | Mozambique |
| departures: | Departs March-April and October-November |
| price: | From £1475 (2 weeks) - £2565 (6 weeks) excluding flights, plus £200 project donation. Price includes dive equipment and training. You can opt to join for 2-12 weeks. Non-divers can book their PADI training for £250 plus £150 for the extra 2 weeks. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Stunning above the water and breathtaking below, Tofo Beach in Mozambique is attracting increasing numbers of visitors to its shores to see Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and a variety of other amazing marine life.
Working in partnership with local stakeholders we are now running a marine conservation program where volunteers undertake scuba diving surveys of the megafauna, reef surveys and community / education work which will contribute to positive changes for local people and the local environment.
Due to the importance of the marine life and key species to the fledgling tourism industry in Tofo, the area is ideal for studies of such creatures. As long as the marine life stays alive and local, Tofo is likely to increase in popularity as a destination for divers, holidaymakers and travellers alike. This is good news for the area but will increase pressure on it resources. By gaining an understanding of the needs of the community and helping them develop a sense of pride in what they have, as well as offering them alternative livelihoods, the species stand a better chance of survival in the long term.
Traditionally the area of Tofo beach has focused on fishing as its primary source of income and recently on unsustainable lobster fishing. Sadly shark finning has been a practice for a while to feed a depressingly burgeoning international trade. Tourism is creeping in on the back of an established small scale diving pedigree and much of the development is unplanned or unchecked. However, before this amazing marine life can be protected and managed, we need to demonstrate the conservation value to decision-makers. Currently no work has been undertaken in the area and all of the scientific papers written on Whale Sharks in the last 30 years can be counted on one hand. The predominant aim of this expedition therefore is to gather information on Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and the other Marine Life at Tofo beach. Little to no research has been carried out in the Tofo region before and volunteers participating in this Expedition are offered a unique opportunity to discover and explore uncharted reefs.
The area of Tofo not only needs your time but the resources volunteers bring with them financially to create a long term effort to protect the big and small as well as the people who depend upon such valuable resources for their livelihoods. What you will get in return is four weeks of stimulation, inspiration and fun while spending your time making a real positive impact.
Monday to Friday will be diving surveys, snorkelling surveys and conservation/community work. The group will be split into two teams. One team will dive in the morning and one will dive in the afternoon (except Fridays when whale shark surveys will be undertaken by snorkelling).
When not diving the team will be busy learning about biology, conservation or the local environment and community, or entering the data they have gathered into the database.
Sunday is a day of rest which fortnightly will include a community workshop in the afternoon. Two school workshops will be held during the week on a designated afternoon.
Kite surfing is also an option!
Your team will be between 8-16 people, plus two expedition leaders. The age range is mixed and varies between 18-45! Regardless of age, all volunteers have one thing in common – an enthusiasm for scuba diving, the desire to spend time carrying out valuable research at a stunning location on the Indian Ocean and the need to make a positive impact on marine life and local communities in Tofo.
Dive training: If you're not currently a qualified scuba diver it doesn't mean you can't join the team. You can fly out a week early to complete your dive training & you will also be able to undertake additional dive training at weekends. We can also offer advice on gaining part or full dive training in advance of the expedition as well as ‘try dives’ at a suitable location.
Working in partnership with local stakeholders we are now running a marine conservation program where volunteers undertake scuba diving surveys of the megafauna, reef surveys and community / education work which will contribute to positive changes for local people and the local environment.
the project
Mozambique is a country often forgotten by travellers and only popular with the more hardened divers because of the distance and location. It is however an important area for marine life. The reefs around Tofo Beach offer varying depths from 10 - 40 metres. Conditions are ideal for some of the larger pelagic and Whale Shark and Manta Ray sightings are almost guaranteed, especially on the beautiful Manta Reef, Oasis and Galleria. The Tofo area also has a wealth of impressive marine life from Humpback Whales, to dolphins, turtles and invertebrates. Due to the importance of the marine life and key species to the fledgling tourism industry in Tofo, the area is ideal for studies of such creatures. As long as the marine life stays alive and local, Tofo is likely to increase in popularity as a destination for divers, holidaymakers and travellers alike. This is good news for the area but will increase pressure on it resources. By gaining an understanding of the needs of the community and helping them develop a sense of pride in what they have, as well as offering them alternative livelihoods, the species stand a better chance of survival in the long term.
Traditionally the area of Tofo beach has focused on fishing as its primary source of income and recently on unsustainable lobster fishing. Sadly shark finning has been a practice for a while to feed a depressingly burgeoning international trade. Tourism is creeping in on the back of an established small scale diving pedigree and much of the development is unplanned or unchecked. However, before this amazing marine life can be protected and managed, we need to demonstrate the conservation value to decision-makers. Currently no work has been undertaken in the area and all of the scientific papers written on Whale Sharks in the last 30 years can be counted on one hand. The predominant aim of this expedition therefore is to gather information on Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and the other Marine Life at Tofo beach. Little to no research has been carried out in the Tofo region before and volunteers participating in this Expedition are offered a unique opportunity to discover and explore uncharted reefs.
The area of Tofo not only needs your time but the resources volunteers bring with them financially to create a long term effort to protect the big and small as well as the people who depend upon such valuable resources for their livelihoods. What you will get in return is four weeks of stimulation, inspiration and fun while spending your time making a real positive impact.
a day in a life of a volunteer
Monday to Friday will be diving surveys, snorkelling surveys and conservation/community work. The group will be split into two teams. One team will dive in the morning and one will dive in the afternoon (except Fridays when whale shark surveys will be undertaken by snorkelling). When not diving the team will be busy learning about biology, conservation or the local environment and community, or entering the data they have gathered into the database.
Sunday is a day of rest which fortnightly will include a community workshop in the afternoon. Two school workshops will be held during the week on a designated afternoon.
Kite surfing is also an option!
Your team will be between 8-16 people, plus two expedition leaders. The age range is mixed and varies between 18-45! Regardless of age, all volunteers have one thing in common – an enthusiasm for scuba diving, the desire to spend time carrying out valuable research at a stunning location on the Indian Ocean and the need to make a positive impact on marine life and local communities in Tofo.
Dive training: If you're not currently a qualified scuba diver it doesn't mean you can't join the team. You can fly out a week early to complete your dive training & you will also be able to undertake additional dive training at weekends. We can also offer advice on gaining part or full dive training in advance of the expedition as well as ‘try dives’ at a suitable location.
Highly Commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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All of our conservation projects have been carefully selected to provide the maximum positive impact on the environments where we work. Through our paid local project co-ordinators, who source food, materials and labour locally while adhering to strict environmental and ethical policies, we guarantee that together we will make a very positive difference. All of the projects are also carried out through the local communities that live and work there.
Long term partnerships with grassroots organisations, built to create short, medium and long term goals for each project guarantee that every team makes a lasting difference. By helping create the first research programme of its kind in the Tofo area, our short term goals to gather information and create an environmental education programme will be unique. Our Trust Fund, supported by £200 from each team members’ contribution will support the work long after our team arrives home. Short Term Aims: Within the first year our volunteers aim to have undertaken the first stage of the surveys. In addition environmental education days will have been conducted for both local people and schools groups in the area. Medium Term to Long Term Aims: The data you collect will be used to create a viable management plan for the Tofu Beach area that will include and work with the local community.  Every volunteer's project donation will include a £200 contribution to a local trust fund, which will build up over time for long-term initiatives. The fund will help to set up a paid monitoring position to protect the wealth of marine life year round, with the ultimate aim over the years is also to develop a properly regulated tax on diving activities to sustain such initiatives into the future. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |