SUNDAY TIMES- Gap Year Special
Added to website: 03 October 2003
Section: Discover the world _ and improve yourself as you go. Earn cash, learn a skill, join an expedition, maybe save the world
Dive with whale sharks in the Philippines
Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish: big, gentle plankton-feeders that can grow to up to 46ft. They’re frequent visitors to Sogod Bay, in the Philippines, where Coral Cay Conservation (CCC: 0870 750 0668, www.coralcay.org) runs one of its most popular projects, surveying a coral reef damaged by deforestation.
Most of the work involves logging species underwater - and, despite the damage, there are still areas of spectacular beauty and diversity. Scuba training costs £400, scientific tuition is £700 and each conservation week after that costs £300, full-board. Flights are not included. There are departures every month, and the minimum age is 16. CCC runs similar schemes in Fiji, Malaysia and Honduras, as well as rainforest-conservation projects in the Philippines and Malaysia.
