By Karen Tocque, Blue Ventures volunteer, Madagascar It was blowing hard from the south – about 35 knots and lifting the sand up into your face on the way down to dinner. We weren’t diving for a couple of days … Continue reading
By Charlie Gough, Marine Research Coordinator, Belo-sur-Mer, Madagascar. The word “swamp” conjures vivid images of squelching muddy bogs, sulphurous eruptions, and mosquitos laden with fever inducing parasites. However the mangrove swamps of western Madagascar have a much more ethereal quality … Continue reading
By Brian Jones, Community Research Coordinator, Blue Ventures, Belo-sur-Mer. I feared a revolt as I brought our group of weary travelers together at dusk, and told them that we’d be having our first evening session with the Velondriake Association committee … Continue reading
Over the last several days, Velondriake committee members welcomed more than twenty guests from Blue Ventures’ second site in Belo-sur-mer, located north of Andavadoaka. The group consisted of members of several local communities, representatives of an environmental group and Madagascar … Continue reading
By Shawn Peabody, Madagascar Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Coordinator. I travelled to Mombasa, Kenya last week to attend a workshop developing a proposal to investigate the role that marine ecosystem services play in poverty alleviation around the Indian Ocean. … Continue reading
By Kame Westerman, Velondriake MPA Project Coordinator. Mangroves are important habitats for juvenile fish, crabs, shrimp and sea cucumbers. Mangrove forests are also popular fishing areas for many local villages, and, without proper management, can become over harvested. In order to protect these … Continue reading
by Christiana Hayward. Lying on the jetty looking out over the lagoon towards the barrier reef I marvelled at huge white breakers boiling, crashing, thundering over the reef, unable to hold back the tempest allowing rolling waves into our normally calm lagoon… Continue reading
by Christiana Hayward-Kourabas. Between the barrier reef and the shore is a huge shallow expanse of calm crystal clear sea the blues interspersed with dark patches of reef. We followed the jungley coast for about ten minutes until we reached two tiny wooden jetties, one broken down and falling into the sea on almost each remaining post a cormorant stretching out its wings and pelicans resting, waiting. Continue reading
by Alasdair Gilchrist. As is sometimes the will of the weather gods we woke up the other morning to winds powerful enough to prevent us passing through the cuts in the reef to reach the deep outer reef. Rather than writing the day off we decided to concentrate our efforts on other environments. Continue reading
by David Chanter. Hola amigos. Life at Bacalar Chico Base Camp is unreal. The best way I can think to describe it is to imagine the film ‘The Beach’ but less developed. Continue reading