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ISSUE 3 ARCHIVE - A TRIP WITH QUEST IN MOZAMBIQUEPaul SmithAs soon as I had seen Quest's website I thought 'this trip is for me'. It appealed on so many levels: whale shark and manta sightings virtually guaranteed, the opportunity to learn so much and help towards conservation efforts in the area, plus the pure adventure of a country only recently available to tourists.There were several flight options to get from the UK to Tofo, but my route requiring 3 flights via Johannesburg and an overnight in Maputo seemed to suit best. This way I had the added bonus of being able to take a brief look at Mozambique's capital. I was also able to meet up with two of the other volunteers before the internal flight up country. At Inhambane airport we were met by Chris our project leader and took the 30 minute minibus ride to Tofo. We were all pretty excited, taking in the sites as we passed local villages and of course keen to see the coast and the cottage which was to be our home for the next 4 weeks or so. The cottage itself was reasonably basic, but clean and comfortable with a lovely breezy sea view from the veranda. Although on some evenings we ate out at one of the several good restaurants in Tofo, the trip was essentially self catering so the large barbeque area was put to good use on many occasions. |
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Next day, and following introductory
briefings by Chris, we headed off to
the dive centre. Diversity Scuba are
an established outfit in Tofo and were
generally well organised throughout.
I took my own dive gear, but Diversity's
kit seemed good quality for those that
needed to hire it, and I heard of no
complaints in this area. The instructors
and guides were all well experienced
and detailed pre-dive briefings were
always held no matter what. This was
a far more professional operation
than many I had come across in more
developed countries than Mozambique.
Launching the 14-man capacity ribs from the beach could be quite a challenge on days when the surf was up, but only added to the fun. Most of the dive sites were within a 40 minute boat ride from Tofo, including the cleaning stations where the mantas congregate. |
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Although there are some sites to suit
learners and novices, most of the better
dives for observing the larger pelagics
suit divers with some experience.
Conditions on these deeper dives varied
from day to day, with strong currents
common and often only moderate
visibility. But the rewards were definitely
worth it; such a rich array of life as I had
rarely seen on dives before. And when
those mesmerising mantas started to
circle above me it was hard not to loose
concentration and forget some of the
diving basics, such as depth and air!
Of course as volunteers we were there to do some work (although it was so interesting and enjoyable, it was hard to think of it as actual 'work'). Several dives each week were dedicated to collecting data by reef mapping, fauna surveys and identification of individual manta rays through photographic records of the pattern of blotches on their underside. |
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Gathering data on the relative
abundance of whale sharks to be found
in Tofo was another key aspect of the
project. For this activity only a snorkel
rather than SCUBA was needed. Ribs
complete with an eagle-eyed human
spotter sat in an elevated chair were
used to find the sharks as they swam
close to the surface. Once found, the
group would then slip into the water
well in front of the magnificent animal
and wait for it to gently approach. What
an amazing experience to see one of
these enormous creatures heading
straight towards you! Moving out of
the way of its path and swimming a
respectful distance alongside the shark
we recorded as much information as
we could during each encounter. It
was good to know that much of the
information we were gathering would
be used to expand databases and
eventually help develop arguments in
favour of conservation of the local area
and of particular marine species.
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Out of the water, one of Quest's
objectives is to ensure that the
local population benefits from the
development of tourism in Tofo. This being
the case, services owned and operated
by Mozambicans were used whenever
possible. A large focus was also placed
on links with the local school. A couple
of days were spent at the school where
classes were held to help the young
children understand the opportunities
future tourism may hold for them if their
environment is protected. With money
contributed by each volunteer, a bore
hole for the school's first clean drinking
water was installed. To celebrate, the kids
were challenged to a game of football
and of course they ran rings around us!
I don't think I have ever seen so many
smiling faces.
For me, the trip was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. The whole experience embodied great diving, adventure, learning and a knowledge that real contributions are being made to marine conservation and conscientious development of the local area. So is it for you? Well, if all you desire is good diving with the hassle-free luxuries of a hotel or liveaboard package, then forget it. But if you want to swim and dive with some of the most stunning creatures in the sea, have an easy-going adaptable attitude, and want to feel good by doing good, then I couldn't recommend this trip more highly. |
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Visit Quest Underseas' website for more information. Nearest recompression facility: St Augustines Hospital Durban, South Africa Tel: +27 31 268 5255 |
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