Busy July

It’s been a busy month here at the Fisherman's cove! We have welcomed five new volunteers from all different parts of the world. Each of us had his own nationality: Seychellois, British, Italian, American, Russian, Portuguese and French. Our everyday activities include maintaining the snorkeling trail for the hotel guests and taking them out on excursions, as well as cleaning our coral nurseries and monitoring the fragments condition, which has taught our volunteers some valuable new skills. We’ve also been training them by taking them out on the reef to spot different coral and fish genera, to improve their knowledge of the array of marine life in the Seychelles. With their help, we constructed a fifth coral nursery and put the new underwater mailbox in place.

The in-situ coral nurseries

The brand new underwater postbox

 

“Hello, I’m Rafaela, I’m 24 years and I’m from Portugal! I’m currently doing my masters in Marine Biology in the University of Algarve. I came across the MCSS website and decided to apply to the volunteering programme here in the Seychelles. We are learning how to identify the corals and so far, my favorite coral is Galaxea because of its vibrant color. I only worked with corals once in the past last summer in an internship for my masters with CCMAR (Centro de Ciências do Mar) in my university. However, it was very different to what I’m doing here because the experiment took place under controlled conditions in the lab, so I would never get to be in the water. Here, I’m in water every day for as long as I want either snorkeling or freediving, something I’ve been really interested in lately. I’m really enjoying my time in the Seychelles, the weather is hot and the water is warm with great visibility, not at all like in Portugal!”

“From the cold, frozen tundra of Russia, where temperatures can reach bone chilling lows, cold enough to create a thin layer of frost on your eyebrows, to the warm, sunny Seychelles, never a day without a golden glow amongst the turquoize water that envelops the five senses, I am a traveler in the essense of my soul. My name is Matt and I originally come from USA but I am currently employed in Russia where I work as an English teacher for kids. And, for the first time, I am a more than just a traveler- I am a volunteer participating in a marine conservation organization. With each day as I explore the multitide of coral, each with its own unique structure and shape, and as I observe the plentiful arrangement of fish, as colorful as the pallet allows for, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be here in one of the most beautiful and desirable places on the planet.”

“Ciao!! My name is Riccardo. I’m from Italy, a new intern at the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles. Currently enrolled in a Masters Program on Marine, Lacustrine Science and Management in Belgium and being passionate about Marine Ecology, I chose this course because it enables me to focus on different approaches related to marine ecosystems. In previous years, I tried to further strengthen my skillset and acquaintance with marine ecology in hands-on experiences. Within my internship, I decided to discover this underwater world, as yet unknown to me, the Coral Reef. With the idea of keeping this world healthy and colorful, I had the chance to be able to apply for an internship at the MCSS and to work with an amazing team on a coral reef restoration project. Mixing knowledge and culture from all over the world, USA, Russia, UK, France, Portugal and Seychelles; climate change should be scared of us... At least that’s what we like to think! 

‘Privet! Kak dela!’ It is a traditional greeting from Russia that is translated as "Hi! How are you?"! My name is Ksenia. I work in the trade department of Italian embassy in Moscow helping Italian companies to enter on the Russian market. My love towards nature inspired me to contribute to the preservation of our planet and to pursue this, I joined the Fisherman’s Cove Coral Rehabilitation project. I was very interested in this project, as I would like to have an opportunity to be involved in different important activities with professional locals and other volunteers who are united with the same purpose - to conserve the environment of such a stunning and beautiful corner of our earth for future generations. It was a new amazing experience being the part of such an international team and this experience definitely left an indelible impression on my life. I am so inspired by the Marine Conservation Society’s marine programme as oceans and their habitants have a crucial importance in earth survival!

Take care of our planet!

“Hi! My name is Millie and I’m working with MCSS at Fisherman’s Cove for a month, alongside six other international team members. I’m 19 years old and from the U.K., currently studying biology at the University of York. My interest in marine biology began when I learnt to scuba dive in the Seychelles 8 years ago and discovered the incredible world below the water’s surface. I am also really interested in genetics and hope to use this in my work in the future after completing my studies, before eventually working abroad to help preserve and protect the world’s coral reefs to make sure they continue to be a healthy, thriving home for a diverse range of creatures.

My first encounter with Hawksbill sea turtles and eagle rays was an unforgettable experience – being able to swim alongside them in their natural habitat is a really extraordinary moment. We even spotted a new visitor to the reef, so we had a new addition to our turtle database here at Fisherman’s Cove! “

Millie's turtle encounter