· While reflecting on the past month I can’t help but smile to myself, I find it hard to describe Zavora as it is just simply unique. It is full of great people who have helped me a lot since my arrival and in every direction there is a beautiful view to take in; it really is a treat to be here. This month really has been full of many firsts for me, and I can easily say I will never forget any of them. Between doing my first dive, helping teach the kids in Inharrime, swimming with turtles and mantas and also lending a hand in the construction of the research centre (which is nearly finished), the last few weeks have certainly been full of surprises to say the least! I have already learned so much about the diverse marine life that resides here through the daily fieldwork and data collection but also by listening to people’s stories. I feel privileged to have seen the great manta rays of Mozambique and even some of the tiny rainbows like nudibranchs, which I have to say, are very hard good hiding in those corals!! Already the mantas have given me some of the most awe inspiring moments I have had to date, the feeling you get when the manta effortlessly glides over head is indescribable. I think one of the best sites this place has to offer is definitely the new ship wreck, the Rio Sainos, it was something that was once so destructive towards marine life, but now, it provides a new abstract sanctuary and safe haven for juvenile fish to grow such as angelfish, butterfly fish and also the rare brindle bass. It definitely is a diamond in the rough and with time this site will flourish to become a great artificial reef and monitoring its colonisation will provide endless and vital data for the research team here which I am lucky to be a part of. I would without hesitation recommend this internship programme to anyone who is interested in marine life, Zavora really is a hidden treasure and I am ecstatic knowing I still have 2 more months here as everyday there is something new to learn here, the place really is a classroom of its own.· While reflecting on the past month I can’t help but smile to myself, I find it hard to describe Zavora as it is just simply unique. It is full of great people who have helped me a lot since my arrival and in every direction there is a beautiful view to take in; it really is a treat to be here. This month really has been full of many firsts for me, and I can easily say I will never forget any of them. Between doing my first dive, helping teach the kids in Inharrime, swimming with turtles and mantas and also lending a hand in the construction of the research centre (which is nearly finished), the last few weeks have certainly been full of surprises to say the least! I have already learned so much about the diverse marine life that resides here through the daily fieldwork and data collection but also by listening to people’s stories. I feel privileged to have seen the great manta rays of Mozambique and even some of the tiny rainbows like nudibranchs, which I have to say, are very hard good hiding in those corals!! Already the mantas have given me some of the most awe inspiring moments I have had to date, the feeling you get when the manta effortlessly glides over head is indescribable. I think one of the best sites this place has to offer is definitely the new ship wreck, the Rio Sainos, it was something that was once so destructive towards marine life, but now, it provides a new abstract sanctuary and safe haven for juvenile fish to grow such as angelfish, butterfly fish and also the rare brindle bass. It definitely is a diamond in the rough and with time this site will flourish to become a great artificial reef and monitoring its colonisation will provide endless and vital data for the research team here which I am lucky to be a part of. I would without hesitation recommend this internship programme to anyone who is interested in marine life, Zavora really is a hidden treasure and I am ecstatic knowing I still have 2 more months here as everyday there is something new to learn here, the place really is a classroom of its own.
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