Wow, what a week it's been! Aili, Bre, and I flew into Malindi from Nairobi on Sunday and have been settling into our independent study at Local Ocean Conservation in Watamu. LOC is an organization working to protect sea turtles and conserve the Kenyan coast. One of their programs is a bycatch and release project in Watamu so that local fishermen can call LOC when they accidentally catch a turtle in their fishing nets. After receiving a call we drive to the turtle, collect data and tag the turtle, and then release it back to the ocean on a stretch of beach protected by the Kenya Wildlife Service. LOC pays fishermen a small amount for calling in a turtle, in recognition that they could alternatively sell the turtle for meat on the black market. It's been really inspiring to see the success of this program, and the relationship that has developed between LOC and the Watamu community.
Though I'm certainly not yet adjusted to the heat (or the massive spiders), no complaints when I'm surrounded by fantastic beaches and work is rescuing sea turtles.
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| Lallie's Place, our home at LOC. The dunk pool is my new best friend, and the outdoor kitchen and couch area is dreamy. |
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Just a short distance to the beach from LOC! Spending lots of time in the waves, and getting some nice walks along the beach.
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| LOC's bycatch program is tied closely with their turtle rehab center. On Wednesday we responded to a call and found a turtle with a fishing hook in its shoulder. We brought the turtle back to Local Ocean where it stayed for a few days and was treated by a vet. Aside from fishhooks, another common issue with turtles is fibropapillomatosis, a disease causing tumors to grow over the turtle's fleshy areas. While the disease is caused by a virus, ocean pollution is increasing the susceptibility of turtles to the illness and worsening the problem. We watched a vet perform surgery on a large turtle (it weighed 44 kilos!) to remove some of the tumors. Really sad to watch, but interesting to learn about the treatment process for the disease. |
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| Tuktuk ride back from the market! Aside from boda bodas, tuktuks are the most common form of transportation around Watamu. |
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| Sushi right on the beach! |
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Been doing a lot of beading in my free time.
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Some young Rhizophora mangroves we saw while conducting an anti-poaching survey. There are 9 species of mangroves found on the Kenyan coast, and during our survey we learned to identify 7 of those species. Mangroves are protected, but are often poached for their valuable wood. Additionally, when fishermen dig for bait too close to the tree, like pictured here, the trees can fall over and die when the tide rises. I'm hoping to get more involved with the mangrove project and learn more about this fascinating ecosystem.
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Fresh coconuts make for a refreshing drink and snack after being out in the sun all day.
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We went snorkeling! Bre, Aili, and I, plus two other students working for LOC, had the boat to ourselves. The company we went through took us out to the Watamu reef where we snorkeled for a couple hours. The corals and tropical fish were stunning, it almost didn't feel real. We also saw a stingray floating along the bottom of the ocean. So so cool.
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Cheese!
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Got to watch a turtle nest hatch and assist the nestlings in making it down to the water safely. Pretty special to be on the beach under the stars with baby turtles!
