MARGO CAVIS
Global Vision International - Marine Conservation And Research Expedition In The Seychelles

GVI has been invited by the Seychelles government and local NGO’s, to assist their priority biological study and conservation programs including coral reef research, invertebrate surveys, whale shark migration observations, plankton sampling, turtle nesting research and in water turtle surveys, together with additional training and assistance to our partner organizations. Global Vision International’s third ambitious coral reef research expedition supports and assists the work of local government Seychelles Centre for Marine Research and Technology (SCMRT), Marine Parks Authority (MPA), Ministry of Environment, and the local NGO’s Marine Conservation Society of the Seychelles (MCSS) and Nature Protection Trust of the Seychelles (NPTS), plus international NGO’s and universities.

Most Expedition Members spend the majority of their time diving on the coral reef, collecting identification and abundance data on coral and other invertebrates and fish species. The first two weeks are the hardest as Expedition Members have to push themselves to learn both the research diving skills, marine survey skills, and scientific knowledge that they will need to assist in the collection of data, to a quantifiable level of 95%. We aim to conduct survey dives twice a day, four and a half days a week, with other non-diving projects on one day a week.
*The above Information is from the GVI website

July 8, 2006
Hello! I don't know how often I will be able to get to an internet cafe to update this, since the research station is not in town. I will have my laptop with me, so I hope to write on a regular basis - then upload it when I get a chance. Can't wait to get in the water!

When I get there, our group will be doing coral surveys as well as turtle & mega fauna surveys.

July 9, 2006
I have completed the first half of my journey, so I am now at the Amsterdam airport after an overnight flight from Mpls. In a few hours I will fly to London, then take another over night flight to the Seychelles. I'm going to be very tired!

July 10, 2006
Well, it's the end of my first day in the Seychelles. I'm really tired, so I'm looking forward to my first night in a bed - after trying to sleep on an airplane the past 2 nights! I took a quick dip in the ocean this afternoon. It is SO beautiful here.

My phone doesn't seem to work - even though I was told by Cingular that it would work.... those liars! I was relieved to find out that most of the others are as confused about all the coral species as I am.... and those latin names are really hard to remember! Well, better sleep - we have to be up at 6am!

July 11, 2006

We did our first dive today - it was mostly a check-out dive, so I got very chilly - sitting there doing skills! The water was only 76F..... burrrrrr! Then we did a short tour. It's very interesting to see the different varieties of fish here.... even the one's I'm used to seeing - like parrot fish - look different here. I saw a very pretty purple one.

There are 25 volunteers and 7 staff here. Base camp is a bit rough, but not too bad - I share a room with 8 other volunteers, there no hot showers, and food is limited. We seem to have rice & veggies for every meal. Once or twice a week, I think we get a treat of some fish. This morning our dive was at low tide, so we had to lug all our gear a very long way in knee to chest deep water. I think I will be in quite good shape when I return.

Tomorrow my group has the job of filling tanks & hauling them up the hill to the kit room. I learned to run the compressor today. I feel like I'm beginning to make a little progress on learning the corals. We have exams next week & we have to have a score of 95% above water & 100% underwater in order to be able to do the actual survey dives.

Our room - nowhere to put our stuff except the floor.

View of base from our room.

July 13, 2006
Today I did my first "spot dive". On the dive 10 of the individual corals were pointed out along with the names - that was very helpful for learning them. On the dive, we also saw a few scorpion fish, a Guineafowl puffer, hawksbill turtle and a Bumphead parrotfish that was huge - about 4-5 feet long! I didn't know they existed that big. Unfortunately it has been pouring rain on & off all day, so the visibility was not great, but still a very good dive.

In the evening at base, I taught a bunch of people how to play "Kings in the Corner" - a card game my kids taught me.... it was a huge hit, great fun.

Tomorrow I get to do a spot dive again & I get to bring my camera - hopefully I can get some good underwater pics to post. I'll be hoping every day for a whaleshark!

July 15, 2006
Another spot dive today. I think I actually have a handle on the first group of corals we learned! No Mega Fauna today - well, I did see a baby ray on my walk to the boat. On the dive, I found a very interesting spotted snake eel and a few lionfish.

The GVI staff then neglected to tell us we got the pleasurable job of emptying the rubbish bins on a couple different beaches. I do believe that was one of the most disgusting things ever! It was full of maggots & other creepy crawly things. Since we weren't warned, I did not have my gloves - and ended up cutting my finger on one of these filthy bins. I'm a little concerned about infection.

Now we are off for the day. We are having a big BBQ tonight. That must mean we get some fish and it finally seems to have stopped raining.... whoohoo!