Taking time out with the tortoise

This week four of us visited Curieuse Island, to help Ben, Rachel and Colin get the base prepared for more volunteers over the next coming months. We helped shovel and rake sawdust (which will be used for the organic toilets), cut palm leaves for the roofs and moved loads of wood which will shortly be transformed into furniture for the house. Curieuse is also home to Giant Land Tortoises which roam around the island freely, you can observe their natural behaviour without any disturbances. One tortoise must have had a good breakfast as we found it half way up a mountain, unlike most of the tortoises which can be found roaming or lazing around the rangers station.

The ten week volunteers continued to survey sites around the North West for fish and invertebrates whilst the 5 weekers continued on with their studies and fish spots in the beautiful BTC reef which is located right on our doorstep. The last few dives saw an increase in schools of huge bumphead parrot fishes. Come to momma mega fauna!

When we returned to base the new five weekers had been helping out with some new projects such as preparing the vegetable garden, planting the seeds, hanging up a home made new extra large super duper hammock and brainstorming fund raising ideas for the upcoming Seychelles Regatta.

They are also working with us in groups to help fill the tanks for diving, assisting on the boats, maintaining the grounds and of course helping out in the kitchen.

Last Friday night we all sat outside together under the stars and watched the movie - Finding Nemo. Not one of us could resist from calling out the scientific names of the fish so it was part revision as well!

Taking time out with the tortoise