Sarah's Fiji marine expedition diary
Added to website: 15 September 2002
Summary
Sarah’s diary contributed to the “work based learning” element of her Environmental Science Masters degree. She gives a highly factual and detailed account of her Expedition Experience in Fiji- from sighting her first white tip reef shark to the frustrations of being unable to dive during bad weather.
- Pre-departure meeting
- Arrival at Raviniake Expedition Base, Fiji
- CCC Dive Training Week
- CCC Skills Development Weeks
- The start of surveying - CCC Conservation Weeks
- Camp Maintenance
- Visit from local Wildlife!
- Bad Weather- no surveys
- Field Staff Assistant opportunities
- Local Community Interaction
- Boat Trouble
- CCC Scholarship Programs for Local Stakeholders
- Recreational Diving
- Goodbyes!
Saturday 6th June 2002
Pre-departure meeting, CCC Head Offices, London.
I arrive an hour early as arranged in order to try on various items of scuba kit only to find two sales attendants already inundated with requests in a small overflowing room. After queuing for an hour and seemingly getting no closer to service I abandon the idea of sorting kit as the meeting starts.
The meeting is clear and concise. The staff seem well informed and are accompanied by impressive PowerPoint presentations for both the project overview and marine science overview. A talk on project logistics from Susan Glock (Expedition management director) proves informative and she manages to clear up my initial queries. First impressions are of a well-organised, highly informed staff. Sales department could be better managed.
Sunday 21st July 2002
Arrival at Raviniake Expedition Base, Fiji.
The island looked beautiful as we approached Castaway resort with which CCC share Qalito island. The expedition base was situated a further 20 minute walk along the coast, once again in a beautiful setting.
Expedition site is contained in a cove around 700m in length, with a large modern but fairly basic hut on the beachfront. The hut opens out onto a veranda that plays host to a small (empty) pool and a great table around which meetings are held and meals eaten. Inside is the main living room, which also houses a study and kitchen, where expedition artefacts such as cardboard boxes, maps, food supplies and books are stored neatly around the periphery. Dormitories lie on either side of this building and at its rear, where mosquito netted bunk-beds are tightly packed into seemingly small rooms. Volunteer’s belongings occupy every available space yet, as with the main room, the clutter seems ordered.
Upon arrival I was briefed by Miguel, the Expedition leader, on the numerous rules and regulations of the camp. Water conservation is a pressing issue at Raviniake as freshwater needs to be delivered to the site by Catamaran. This is stored in three large containers behind the main building that are already bearing cracks and a slow leak. Consequently the following rules are enforced:
- Showers only permitted on alternate days.
- Lavatory flushing with seawater, for solids only.
- All washing up is initially done in the sea.
- Intermittent water flow for showers and teeth brushing.
In addition, daily chores are divided up among teams formed by the volunteers. All evening meals are cooked by volunteers along with preparation of breakfast, tidying the camp and numerous other requirements for the upkeep of an efficiently functioning expedition camp. After dinner, newcomers were taught general first aid procedures via a combination of videos and practical demonstrations. Around us, the rest of the volunteers went about the chores they had been assigned. We were then handed our Padi Open Water books and told that the first two knowledge reviews were due by lunchtime the next day. Our diving schedule for the following morning was then outlined whilst the data collected that day was entered into a database by staff members and other volunteers.
Electricity is run off a generator for 4 hours (6pm-10pm) every evening. Most people are in bed by the time this is switched off, as preparations are hard in the dark, plus everybody must rise at 6 for breakfast in the morning. First impressions are of a hard working and fun-loving team who seem passionate about what they do. Productivity and consideration for others are key themes in the running of Raviniake.
Monday 22nd July 2002
CCC Dive Training Week.
5.30am Up to cook breakfast (porridge & toast) for everybody in the dark 7.30a.m. After a briefing on how to properly assemble our kit, dive trainees were taken out into Raviniake waters with the scuba instructor, Jude and two other dive masters to undergo basic skills training. This included mask removal, snorkel clearing and emergency procedures for running out of air. Before lunch us new “vols” set about completing our knowledge reviews for marking before our afternoon dive. The afternoon consisted of more practical skills in the water and the evening saw us watching Padi Open Water videos (modules 2 and 3) before we all opted for an early night, exhausted from jetlag and the days’ activities.
Coral Cay adopt an integrated approach to teaching the Padi Open water course that employs videos, manuals and practical dives for learning underwater skills. The manuals consist of 5 chapters; a knowledge review is carried out after reading each. At Raviniake we ran through these as a group (our dive trainee group is made up of 7 volunteers) the scuba instructor took us through any questions we got wrong and cleared up various queries. The videos are pretty straight forward, the content of each video module mirrors the chapters of the book. We were therefore required to watch 5 throughout the Open Water course. These are not highly stimulating viewing- we watched four in a row last thing in the evening and found it hard to keep ourselves awake! The diving side consists of learning practical skills underwater. We started off learning relatively simple things like inflation & deflation of our BCDs (Buoyancy Control Devices), which progressed to skills such as taking off our masks underwater and securing alternate air sources- the purpose being to eradicate stress if such a scenario were to occur in reality. All dives are conducted in buddy pairs- you must stay close to your partner throughout the dive, primarily for safety reasons.
The first week consisted of one morning and one afternoon dive, covering all skills required Open Water and Advanced Open water qualifications. Surface intervals were taken up with viewing the videos and completing knowledge reviews. Upon completion of all knowledge reviews, we took a final exam covering all modules for the Open Water Qualification; the pass mark was 75% and the whole group passed without any problems thanks to the thorough work of our scuba instructor. We were glad to learn that there was no theory exam for the Advanced Open water qualification although we did have to read relevant chapters of the book and complete the knowledge reviews. Unfortunately, another volunteer, Erica has been experiencing problems with her ears, finding it hard to equalise on descent so her progress has been somewhat slower than the rest of us.
Friday 2nd August 2002
CCC Skills Development Weeks
We are now coming toward the end of science weeks and having been on numerous pointy dives- where your buddy points out various corals, fish or invertebrates to you and writes them down, it is time for us to undergo our assessment dives. At the post-breakfast meeting Mig told us that we would be doing our fish validation at “Supermarket”, so called because the grooves that make it up are reminiscent of shopping aisles. It is also a dive site renowned for being popular with reef shark. The format of the assessment is that your buddy looks at a group of fish and begins to identify all fish that swim within a 2.5m corridor either side of their line of view. We are required to observe where our buddy is looking and then identify the same fish. A 70% similarity is obligatory for validation. I was buddied with Mig and upon descending we saw 3 white tip, 2 black tip and 2 grey sharks. They were amazingly graceful creatures, very captivating and not a bit scary. With the validation ahead of us we resisted distraction and made our way straight to the southern reef wall where we carried out the fish validation. I was rather worried when Mig looked across at a huge shoal of fish and I got so absorbed identifying them that when I looked around 5mins later he had been looking in a different direction for a while… oops. Once we had finished, we searched around for sharks but were rather unsuccessful, although we did come across a small white tip with a large shark sucker on it’s side, they looked almost the same size which was comical.
After lunch, Simon (Science Officer) had set up a GPS exercise for us to do in teams. We split up into fours and he gave us a list of coordinates. We then had to use the GPS to get to these locations and make a note of what random items he had placed there. For example the first one took us round sunset rock into the next cove where we found the broom. The team that found all locations quickest won. Our team was up first and we took ages, in fact, we were called back so that the other teams would have enough time to attempt the exercise before the afternoon dive.
Our afternoon dive was an invertebrate validation out on Raviniake reef. I went with Tammi, one of the old vols and she swam around pointing out various sponges and seastars. As the tide was out, we finished up snorkelling around the shallower areas and saw a huge pufferfish, which stopped in its tracks and stared right back at us.
After dinner, we set about learning the different types of algae as Simon (Science Officer) set out lots of bowls on the table containing various algae. Our task was to go around the bowls and identify each species. Luckily, when out on a survey, we are permitted to take samples of any algae that we cannot identify. Following that, we got the results of the day’s earlier validations, I passed both of mine which was a big relief as only two from seven in our trainee group passed the fish val. Quite how I did that when I wasn’t looking in the right direction I’ll never know! We had a beer down on the beach to celebrate before bed. The stars were out and you could see the milky way- what a wonderful way to end to a stressful day.
Wednesday 7th August 2002
The start of surveying - CCC Conservation Weeks.
Having completed three practice survey dives, my first survey saw a group of us let loose on the Raviniake house reef. Unfortunately, Taiken, the expedition boat is currently out of order (needs a new gearbox) which means that surveys are constrained to shore diving onto Raviniake reef. We are currently mapping the house reef in detail, a more thorough process than the standard CCC survey. The purpose of this is three-fold. Firstly, there is no on-site record of the exact topography of the house reef. A map would be useful for new volunteers getting a feel for the house reef as all initial dives are conducted off the shore here. It also highlights differences in abundance across Raviniake reef, which has implications for deciding which areas to visit when conducting fish validations, coral pointies etc. Secondly, a detailed map of the house reefs enables future CCC volunteers to monitor the growth of juvenile corals and changes in fish or invertebrate abundance. The slow growth rate of coral may well demand the presence of CCC at this site long into the future for any significant comparisons to be made. However, one of the main reasons for making a map of the house reef is so that we can draw this onto the dining/studying table for a constant reminder of how lovely Raviniake reef is.
The dive itself saw me buddied with Rob, a well established (dive master) volunteer who had looked after me previously on our deep-water dive. Also on our survey team were Ed and Tom, another old vol/ new vol buddy pair. Our job was to survey the reef from Fraggle Rock, at the southwest end of Raviniake beach, as far as Sunrise Rock to the east. The reef was divided up into transects according to depth and we had been assigned the 12m transect. As it turned out, this was a very boring dive, as 12m seemed to mark the outer extent of the reef. We completed 70m of transect which consisted of sand. My job was to record the presence of any fish swimming through the 5m corridor that the transect dissects but the only fish I saw was a shoal of fusiliers that was too far away to count and a non-target wrasse that followed us for a while.
The afternoon saw us complete a further 120m, again at 12m depth. This remained primarily sand, which was rather monotonous. This time my job was to record corals but I only came across two small bommies. We tied the fish buoy off just short of Sunrise Rock. It would have been good to fully complete this section of the map but unfortunately we had to ascend because us new vols were guzzling our air too fast and CCC policy states you must begin your ascent with no less than 70bar. Back at camp, after losing a game of paper, scissors, stone I got lumbered with the teams’ slates and had to draw up the map for the surveys we had conducted that day before joining everyone for a game of beach volleyball. All in all a good day of surveying, surprisingly problem free for our first attempts!
Friday 9th August 2002
Camp Maintenance
Camp is quiet at the moment, as most of the old volunteers have gone on their long weekend, a 4-day break awarded once you have been here for 7 weeks. It’s a good chance for us new vols to bond with each other and expedition staff. The morning began with a camp tidy up in order to lessen the burden on Sunday. Depleted numbers didn’t affect our performance, we got our heads down and the job was done to a very high standard in no time. My individual role as pyromaniac necessitated that I burn all the waste cardboard accumulated on site from food deliveries. This was rather arduous with the strong onshore wind and high tide leaving little space on the beach making it hard to get a fire going but all tasks were complete on schedule for the first dive of the day. The gearbox is yet to arrive but we managed to get a tank delivery from one of the Castaway resort longboats so we finished off the 8m transect. Our dive team was completely made up of new volunteers. This was the first time I had been out without any old vols but I felt confident with the survey team as it was, plus we were on Raviniake reef- not far from help should the need arise.
In the event, conditions were less than perfect as there was a big surface swell and a strong current at 8m. For the first few metres we were bumping along the bottom trying hard to avoid corals until we developed a new technique of surveying from around a metre above the bottom, drifting in the current along the transect and finning down whenever there was the need for a closer inspection. The swim back was horrible- we tried to get most of it done underwater only to surface and find we had been expending our energy against the current and not getting too far. The snorkel in on a rough swell was less than pleasant and we were all relieved to get washed up on the beach without swallowing too much saltwater!
Visit from local Wildlife!
There was a hilarious incident with a rat inside the staff dorm room this evening. We were in the middle of going through some forms when a scream emerged from the staff dorm. The next thing we knew, this poor rat came running through the kitchen and into the study area followed by a large entourage of boys with various implements intended for catching the rat. Jude was sat leaning against the wall and she jumped up several feet in the air as it ran along the skirting board toward her. It caused rather a lot of uproar- although instead of being scared most people were whooping with laughter.
Sunday 11th August 2002
Bad Weather- no surveys.
Bad weather restrained us all to the inside, which got a bit claustrophobic. Took the opportunity to undergo the majority of our medic first aid course, good to get it out of the way. Tidied base camp and sorted out the science equipment - fish buoys and coral lines all seem to have tied themselves in huge knots. Castaway resort visit in the afternoon, that place feels like heaven after eating rice at Raviniake all week. Took the opportunity to eat different food, check email and talked to other people for a while. A welcome change.
Wednesday 14th August 2002
Field Staff Assistant opportunities
Surveyed 1806B (Waidigi) out on the early boat at 7am. Quite a productive dive, covered 60m with Brendan, Elise and Laura. I was on coral which was sparse at first until we reached the reef crest where we reached the transect. Saw my first Pavona clavus and lots of Ctenactis echinata. Its quite striking how there is such a marked difference in the diversity going from forereef to reefcrest.
Completed the survey on the afternoon dive, good to have things running smoothly. I was boat marshal for the 2nd afternoon dive, which unfortunately wasn’t quite as smooth. The plan was to drop 2 surveys in on Waidigi but as it turned out, the sites were too far apart for the surface boat to be able to monitor both teams properly. In addition, the channel was pretty busy with yachts coming back and forth, so the second team ended up going on a rec dive.
In the evening after discussing a few of the scientific issues with Simon (Science Officer) he made me assistant science officer. Duties include checking everyone’s survey forms at the end of the day, keeping the survey log up to date and updating the survey board that enables planning the future dives. Amid my beginner’s enthusiasm, I opted to check through the today’s forms, which ended up taking me and hour and a half - filling in all the blanks people had left, especially all us new vols who seem to be leaving large gaps in the forms. Suspect I may well be in for an arduous time with these forms. Simon (Science Officer) has also asked me to help him out writing up the report on Cast-Away (a barrier reef) that is due in London in a couple of weeks. I think this involves picking out general trends from forms and seeing whether these are influenced by anthropogenic factors.
Thursday 25th August 2002
Local Community Interaction
Di, the Project Scientist was going up to Castaway staff village to a talk to the staff on threats to coral reefs, she allowed me and two other volunteers to join her. On arrival, an enthusiastic game of volleyball was in full swing and we were invited to join in but elected to sit and watch- it would have been hard to partake while wearing our sulus (Fijian sarongs) anyway. Shortly afterward, Di called everyone to attend the lecture and we all went and sat on a large straw mat. After a brief introduction, everyone split into groups of around 4/5 and with the help of us volunteers, each group made a list of all the threats to coral reefs that they could think of. My group, “the sharks” came up with a pretty extensive list, including a couple that I was unaware of- corals being burnt by the sun at low tide and people extracting coral directly to use as souvenirs, to use as crockery in particular.
The Castaway staff were very enthusiastic in their approach to learning about the reefs. They asked Di plenty of questions and happily cut short their volleyball to come and listen. The talk itself was at a pretty basic level, Di oscillated between informing them of reasons why certain actions damaged the reef and appealing to the staff to change their actions. The choice was always left open though, her tone was never commanding- Di used phrases such as “the choice is yours”, “it’s up to you guys” etc. It was obvious that they remembered what had been discussed in past lectures- much more conscientious than the students I am used to! Di had a good rapport with them, laughing, joking and addressing many of them by their first name. It was interesting to see that women were getting involved in the discussion although they were far outnumbered by the men. Di says that this is always the way at all talks she gives- the ratio of men to women tends to be quite high.
Saturday 27th August 200
Boat Trouble
The day was intended for surveying as opposed to the traditional rec dive, as we had done our premature rec dives on Thursday. The plan was to finish off Waidigi but as it happened, this was all academic because once again, Taiken broke down. We had dragged ourselves out of bed half an hour early so that Api, the boat driver, could get back to his village on time whilst fitting our surveys in. However, we were left stranded on the walk out to the boat. After standing weighed down by our kit in the wind for half an hour, we decided to go in and warm up, forsaking the morning survey. Api attempted to rewire the gearbox but it was to no avail. He and Miguel were to spend the rest of the day coming back and forth from Castaway resort trying to fix it. A disappointing and rather boring day. Went for a run around the island, did a bit of data entry and updated the survey board, adding Malolo Island to the record in anticipation of our finishing Waidigi in the near future. All we need now is a boat! Saturday evening theme- pirates and mermaids. We put on a production for everyone; I think the new vols thought we were lunatics. Especially as we had staged an algae ceremony earlier on the beach, that we timed to coincide with their arrival. Di chanted algae names and we sat in a circle holding hands and repeating them. They got off the boat wandering what on earth they had let themselves in for.
Thursday 22th August 2002
CCC Scholarship Programs for Local Stakeholders
Had a long talk with Saki, a student from the University of the South Pacific who has come here on a scholarship for 5 weeks. He does a lot of work raising awareness of the way reefs operate among other Fijian communities. This involves living for a short time in villages, building up a rapport with communities. He told me about a successful tambu (marine nature reserve) that has been installed near Pacific Harbour, off mainland Fiji. He also showed me a report he has written for his degree about his own experiences of working in communities and told me about the work of the “Locally Managed Marine Area Network”- a conglomeration of organisations concerned about reef health across the globe. Apparently they have quite a support base in Fiji.
Saturday 24th August 2002
Recreational Diving
Two rec dives on “Rainbow patch”, a popular dive site among the tourists. Apparently, coral harvesters in the area have abused this site although I didn’t see any evidence of this. It was a series of beautiful pinnacles, with a strong current flowing between them. Got close to two big trumpet fish, they were floating together, looking both lovely and slightly intimidating (they have a big tooth protruding from the front of their mouths). A smaller one came to join them which we assumed must be one of their offspring but was chased off quite violently so this probably wasn’t the case after all.
Also managed to go for a night dive with Rob and Emma, which was very exciting. I had expected to be scared as a result of the darkness but this wasn’t the case at all. The sea feathers had all opened out to display their intricate feather structure with lovely colours, which closed up when we shined the torch on them.
Fantastic evening spent dancing on the veranda table with the glow sticks left over from the night dive. We sat around the fire on the beach early evening, reminiscing about what great times we’d all shared at Raviniake.
Sunday 25th August 2002
Goodbyes!
Everyone rather thick headed at breakfast. Big camp clean up, Rob and I soaped and scrubbed all the scuba equipment. Spent the remainder of the morning sorting out the GPS and getting everyone to sign my dive logbook before Ana, Brendan and I had to leave. It still seems like yesterday that I arrived, has all gone far too quickly. All three of us were very sad to leave, each promising to return one day. I really hope that will happen.
