Volunteer - Southern Leyte, Philippines
Added to website: 05 January 2005
When my friend and I first started surfing the net, in search of a simple escape from our mundane jobs, I could never have imagined that it would lead to 5 weeks of intensive Scuba diving in The Philippines on a marine conservation expedition, let alone the beginning of a whole new career and set of ambitions.
It was around February 2003 that we came across Coral Cay Conservation’s website. Instantly hooked by the images of exotic destinations and the mesmerising tropical fish on every page, we read the site from beginning to end learning exactly how the not-for-profit organisation carries out scientific surveying of both coral reefs and rain forests in developing countries around the world.
Over the following months we put all our efforts into fundraising for the trip; friends and family donated junk to sell at boot fairs, we hosted belly dancing classes, Easter egg hunts and strawberry teas, all ideas were welcome!
The nerves kicked in when it was time to meet our fellow volunteers at Heathrow airport, but by the time our plane touched down we were all agreed that a night out in Manila was well deserved. 24 hours and another plane journey later we finally arrived at our destination - Happy Dove in Southern Leyte. Our welcome couldn’t have been more perfect as we stood in the open-air dining room, watching the sun set over the sea and listening to ‘Pure Shores’ echo around camp.
There’s no getting away from the fact that the first three weeks of the expedition were tough; I went as a dive trainee so week one was all about practising our Scuba moves. Only ever having done a couple of try dives previously, my scuba skills were limited but we were lucky enough to have a fantastic scuba instructor on-hand 24 hours of the day to give us the kind of training that no ordinary dive school could provide. After successfully achieving our PADI advanced Open Water, the next hurdle was science training - two weeks filled with hard and soft coral, algae and fish. We spent a great deal of the time on practical sessions, revising the diverse range of marine life whilst under the water. It was certainly a fascinating way to learn a subject, and meant that we were able to take in far more than we could have done by just sitting in a lecture theatre.
On passing all of the science exams and practicals, our graduation night soon came around and was celebrated with a ‘Miss World’ theme night extravaganza. Staff and volunteers whipped up some impressive costumes from Miss Egypt to Mr Taleban, and with a local live band performing, the evening proved to be unforgettable!
The rest of our expedition was spent carrying out survey work of the local reefs; working in groups of four, each person had their specific role to carry out. On the whole, the dive sites were spectacular, with high coral cover and almost pristine conditions. As well as the array of colourful Angelfish, Clownfish, Anemones, Nudibranchs and corals, it became a regular thing to see the resident Sea turtle gliding overhead and jet-propelled, chameleon, Cuttlefish swimming by. The highlight for me though has to be moments before a survey dive, with all the volunteers on board the Coral Cay boat, when a Whale Shark was spotted circling us - knowing of its notably shy nature, we were so lucky to catch a glimpse of this gentle giant.
Once a month volunteers at Happy Dove prepared for a community day when local teachers brought their pupils in, to meet the volunteers and learn about the work of CCC. I was lucky enough to be there for one of the community days, with the job of helping to teach the children how to snorkel. It seemed incredible to me that living with the Ocean on their doorstep few of the children could swim, and even fewer had ever seen the blue starfish or green sea slugs that swamped the seabed. The children and adults alike were completely in awe of their findings, a reaction that I found to be totally refreshing and rewarding.
During my time on the Coral Cay expedition I managed to clock up over 40 dives, gaining in-depth experience into scuba diving, as well as learning how to carry out the sport with minimal impact to the marine environment. I’ve been on other expeditions in the past, but my CCC experience was by far the best thing I have ever done. By the end of my trip I genuinely felt that I had played a significant part in achieving something for the local community. I know that, even after I had left, volunteers will still be carrying on the work, helping to make a difference for the long term.
I went to the Philippines with a passion for marine issues, but with my degree in Marketing I had always been set on a career in commerce. After returning to the UK, and still buzzing from everything we had seen and learnt, I became a Volunteer representative for Coral Cay giving presentations on the organisation and attending National exhibitions. I also enrolled as a volunteer for a local Coastal Project, helping out at beach cleans and collating survey information taken from around the Kent coast.
Frustrated with my PR job, I soon made the decision to pursue a role in coastal management and explored several different options, including the possibility of doing a Masters in Coastal Zone Management; a year later I find myself working as the Education Officer for the Thanet Coast Project. My work with Coral Cay was not only the reason for me realising my ambitions, it was also the defining factor for me in securing the position.
Since my appointment with the Project I have worked hard to launch the UK’s second ‘Volunteer Coastal Warden Scheme’ and am continuing to build links with the community to raise awareness of our coastal issues. I am finally doing something that I actually believe in, something that will hopefully make a difference to the local area. It’s fair to say that my personal journey over the last twelve months is somewhat of a success story, and I can say with confidence that it is all thanks to my experience with Coral Cay Conservation.
NAOMI BIGGS, Volunteer
