The alarm sounds at 05h15. We crawl out of our tents and head to one of 11 loggerhead turtle nesting sites along the Crete coast in Greece. The beach is still deserted and basked in pre-dawn light and we start the daily search for any sign of nesting activity from the night before.
In an attempt to give these endangered creatures a chance of survival, it’s vital that we complete our survey before thousands of tourists swarm the beaches and jeopordise the nests. We finish as the sun comes up and I take a solitary dip in the Mediterranean, feeling fulfilled in knowing I’ve made a tangible contribution to conserving these animals.
Programmes such as these have become a movement known as volunteer tourism or voluntourism. They provide an opportunity for a more challenging and rewarding way to explore exotic coastal destinations. By spending a part of your holiday assisting in conservation efforts, you’ll go home not just with a sense of accomplishment, but you’ll have had the chance to explore every inch of a beautiful beach or reef.
There are many different marine volunteering projects to get involved with. You could join a team that counts migrating dolphins and whales from a boat or dive beneath the surface to monitor coral reefs and manta rays. You could also get involved with environmental education and habitat restoration, or work with a community’s children.
And you don’t need to travel all the way to Greece to take part. For example, the Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation Pond in Zanzibar is where the endangered green turtle is traditionally hunted for its beautiful shell and meat. A natural lagoon on the seafront just outside Stone Town forms an ideal place for turtles to breed in a protected area and volunteers are tasked with collecting seaweed, feeding, cleaning the baby turtles’ tanks and leading guided tours of the nesting beach and aquarium.
A volunteer on this project pays about R8 000 for the first month (it decreases the longer you stay), which includes a private room in the local community and your fill of delicious local food. On weekends, you’ll be free to explore the island, go on diving excursions or relax on the beach. The only prerequisite is a love for the ocean and its animals.
Contacts for marine voluntourism
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