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WHY VOLUNTEER WITH THE BAYWATCH PROJECT? OUR LECTURERS TYPICAL WORKING DAYS OTHER
ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICAL SESSIONS --- Why volunteer with the
Baywatch Project?Unlike many other marine operations, ours is owner-run and managed. We are a compact, yet vibrant company driven by our passion to ensure the safety and preservation of our marine heritage. We generally run only one marine tour per day, the morning session, putting as much personalized attention and detail into it as possible. Besides, the afternoon’s are usually not conducive to charter’s and we feel that we cannot give of our best trying to cram more than one charter into a day. We would hate having to cut an interesting excursion short because there was an afternoon group waiting to be taken out at a specific time!! The content of our many whale lectures is not only gleaned from other people’s research but also from our extensive observations made during cruises. We are also the first organization to produce a marine photographic and textual guide to the marine animals and birds of Algoa Bay. This is a ‘first-of-its-kind’ publication in South Africa dealing with a specific bay along our coast. We have two full-time and three part-time skippers with over 100 combined years of experience at sea. Our two catamarans are specially equipped and designed for the demanding nature of the sea conditions of the Indian Ocean off the southern coast-line of Africa. The success of our marine project and the charter business as well as our 100% safety record is a reflection of our commitment to excellence. The course programme intensifies during the months of July through to November during our peak “whale season” when migratory Southern Right whales visit our region. This allows students as much exposure to whales and dolphins as possible. --- Our lecturersThe course consists of many practical as well as a series of theoretical sessions. The minimum duration of attendance is one month. Most lectures will be conducted in Seaview. Besides sessions led by our personnel, guest lecturers that we assist in various aspects of marine research, will also present papers. We are currently busy with shark, whale and plankton research with different organizations. Our lecturers will be the following; Lloyd Edwards He set up the Baywatch Project and Raggy Charters. He is a British citizen who was born and bred in Port Elizabeth. The highlight of his career was the publication of his book entitled “Scenes from Algoa Bay”, a photographic guide to the marine mammals and seabirds of Port Elizabeth. During 1998 he was appointed as an Honorary Nature Conservation Officer and last year as an Honorary Ranger for the marine side of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park. He has also been the Chairman of the Tree Society of the Eastern Cape since 2002 and specializes in teaching people about how to identify indigenous trees and the need for their protection. Graeme Lund Accountant by profession, Graeme pioneered tour guiding in the Eastern Cape during the 1990’s. He was one of the first tour guides in Port Elizabeth and was the first person to offer professional tour guide courses. He owns and runs his own design company in Port Elizabeth and gives frequent lectures on marketing especially with regard to tourism. He has been a part time skipper and guide for Raggy Charters for the past seven years. Gea Groenhof Gea grew up in the Netherlands at the Harderwijk Aquarium (Dolfinarium) where her father was the director as well as being responsible for the well being of all cetaceans throughout Europe. Gea always had a problem in her youth deciding if she wanted to be a dolphin or a Killer Whale! She and her husband run a guesthouse and a farm in Addo, which borders on the National Elephant Park. She has been a part time skipper, guide, lecturer and photographer for Raggy Charters for the past six years. George Rodacarnachi George knows pretty much all there is to know about boats as he has been skippering them in Algoa Bay for the last 150 years! He has also been a commercial fisherman for a number of years. He has represented South Africa as a game fisherman on numerous occasions and has held various world records in various classes. As a result of his experience at sea he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the movements and state of local fish stocks and has proved to be an invaluable source of information to organizations responsible for fisheries management. He is now a full time skipper with Raggy Charters. Professional associates Other lecturers who, subject to their availability, will participate in the course are as follows: • Dr Malcolm Smale who has been associated with us for some years now and specializes in Shark Research in Algoa Bay. Lately we have been assisting Malcolm in the catching, tracking and monitoring of Ragged Toothed Sharks along the South African coastline. • Dr Stephanie Ploen, the senior marine mammologist at Bayworld who studied in the USA and worked with whales in Australia. She trained in the taking of DNA samples from whales on the SA West Coast for implementation of a tracking programme in Algoa Bay. • Dr Nadine Strydom who is a marine biologist from Rhodes University and specializes in plankton research. We have been assisting her with plankton trawls to determine the quantity and distribution of certain fish larvae in Algoa Bay. • Dr Norbert Klages who specializes in marine birds and has also written a book on the islands of Algoa Bay. We have been assisting him during the last 10 years with the monitoring of Seabirds and Penguins on the islands in the Bay. • Mr. Malcolm Turner who wrote the most definitive book on shipwrecks in South Africa entitled “Shipwrecks and Salvage” will lecture on this topic • Mike Proctor-Simms who is the television news reporter and an Environmental Journalist for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Mike will lecture on the role of the media in promoting marine awareness in South Africa. • Dr William Fold is a vet for large mammals and operates at one of the game parks in the area. We have a reciprocal arrangement with him whereby Lloyd lectures his students on the marine aspects and he does likewise for terrestrial animals. --- Typical working daysA Typical Lecture Day. 08h00 to 08h30 Breakfast - provided 08h30 to 10h30 Morning Session 10h30 to 10h45 Tea break - provided 10h45 to 13h00 Morning Session 13h00 to 14h00 Lunch - own account 14h00 to 15h30 Afternoon Session 15h30 to 15h45 Tea time - provided 15h45 to 16h30 Afternoon Session 18h00 to 19h00 Evening meal - provided In addition to what the guest lecturers cover the following topics will also be presented, • The Physical Marine Environment, namely, introduction, waves, major South African currents, rip currents, upwelling, sediment transport, tides and changes in the sea level. • Rocky Shores, namely, the marine environment, geographic distribution of animals along our coastline, wave action and intertidal communities, effects of tides, biological interactions, food and space, zonation, exploitation by man and pollution. • The Ecology of Sandy Beaches, namely, introduction, physical conditions, the interstitial system, macro fauna, phytoplankton, zooplankton and food webs. • Estuarine Ecology, namely, evolution of estuaries, physical processes in estuaries, biological processes in estuaries, ecology of selected species. • Coastal Conservation, namely, the philosophy of coastal conservation, reserves, the management of exploited species and the management of recreational activities. • Cetaceans, namely, the evolution thereof, the different groups i.e. toothed and baleen, anatomy, behaviour, identifying individuals, the different species throughout the worlds oceans, their migration routes and why they do it, feeding strategies, reproduction, cow and calf relationships, strandings, hunting, how to approach them while at sea and marine regulations. • General Marine Life, namely sponges, cnidarians, worms, crustaceans, bryozoans, molluscs, echinoderms, ascidians, sharks and rays, bony fish, reptiles, coastal birds and seaweeds. A Typical Practical Session. 08h00 to 08h30 Breakfast - provided 08h30 to 13h00 Morning practical 13h00 toh14 00 Lunch break - buy-out or packed picnic 14h00 to 16h30 Afternoon practical 18h00 to 19h00 Evening meal - provided A Typical Boat Day. 07h00 to 07h30 Breakfast - provided 07h30 to 08h30 Travel to Yacht Club / Marina, boat preparation 08h30 to 08h45 Welcome briefing and orientation of guests 08h45 to 09h00 Safety briefing and harbour cruise 09h00 to 10h00 Cruise to Penguin Island Marine Reserve (26km) 10h00 to 11h00 Talk on animals encountered, refreshments 11h00 to 12h00 Cruise back to Port 12h00 to 13h00 Clean boat, restock, record observations 13h00 to 14h00 Crew lunch at yacht club 14h00 to 16h30 Marketing or other activities. 18h00 to 19h00 Evening meal Volunteers will eventually all be expected to participate in the various briefings and talks to tourists on the boat. They will also be taught the basics of boat handling and be expected to drive the boat on occasions. They will also be expected to undertake some proactive marketing and make constructive suggestions to improving our marketing strategy. --- Other
Activities and Practical SessionsOur experience demonstrates - beyond any doubt - that the longer one is on the programme, the greater chance they have of doing more of these activities. Similarly, a greater diversity of exposure is both stimulating and adds to the individual awareness of the complex inter-relationship that exists between seemingly separate eco-systems. Intertidal Zones After a lecture on Rocky Shores the volunteers will be taken on a practical outing to this zone. The various zones and animals will be located and observed. Snorkelling gear will be provided. The same will be done on Sandy Shores. Outing to Bayworld Volunteers will be given a guided tour around the Oceanarium, Museum and Reptile Park to view exhibits and meet the staff and discuss various issues with them. It may be possible to shadow one of the dolphin trainers during and after their presentations and experience a close live animal encounter. Fishing Charter This will be a bottom fishing charter conducted from one of our catamarans within the confines of the bay. Volunteers will be shown how to prepare fishing tackle, locate and find fish, fishing regulations, how to bait up and catch fish, how to clean, prepare and to cook fish. Game fishing charter This will also be from one of our catamarans but it will necessitate a journey out to the continental shelf and Agulhas current, which ranges from 50 to 80k offshore. Generally Yellow fin Tuna between 15 and 80kg are landed although dorado, marlin and mako sharks are sometimes also caught which are tagged and released. Research Cruise At least one research cruise will be undertaken if not more. It depends on what is available at the time but it could either be shark, plankton or cetacean related. Boat maintenance Volunteers will be shown how to carry out general maintenance on one of the catamarans and be required to do an actual engine service. Bookings Volunteers will be required to handle telephone bookings for a least one full day. You will NOT be required to sit in a shop, we don’t have one! African Safari This is a full day trip to the Addo Elephant National Park as well as a guided tour of Schotia Safaris. Besides having seen the two marine animals that make up the big seven, whales and sharks, we will hopefully be able to see the rest namely, elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo and the elusive leopard. Outing to Woody Cape Reserve The Woody Cape Section of the Greater Addo National Park is headquarters of the marine component of the park. It also includes the Alexandria Dune field, which is the largest mobile coastal dune system in the Southern Hemisphere. The area is littered with middle and late Stone Age sites and middens. Tree identification course A very basic course with special attention to trees that are in close proximity to the marine environment. Attending a whale lecture / Presenting a whale lecture Volunteers are required to sit in on a public or school whale lecture. They will then have to research and prepare their own lecture and present it to a class of schoolchildren at one of the schools at which we are involved. Commercial skippers ticket Should you opt to participate in this recognised training programme and meet the qualification criteria, you will be able to be appointed to skipper vessels in excess of nine metres and of less than 25 tons. The formal lectures including first aid, fire fighting and lifeboat operation training as well as the examniation elements of this course will be run separately at a private institution that specializes in these courses. The practical part, which includes the 450 hours at sea that are needed before the exam can be written, will be done and signed off by Raggy Charters. The price to complete this professionally recognised programme are available on request. Scuba Diving Course For those who are already certified, we have Scuba gear available should they wish to dive our shores with colleagues. This gear is also for use by those folk who may wish to complete a formal dive training programme whilst with us. The costs, dates and duration of such programmes are available on request. For further activities you can take a look at our Activities page. |
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CONTACT DETAILS PHONE: + 27 (0)41 378 2528 MOBILE: +27 (0)73 152 2277 PO BOX 15317 EMERALD HILL 6011 email: INFO@THEBAYWATCHPROJECT.COM www.THEBAYWATCHPROJECT.COM | Funded by:
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