Blogs from Seychelles, Africa - page 5

When I was in Egypt the club I dived with were passionate about preserving the sea for the future and have set up a Marine Conservation group on facebook called The Tank Bangers . Anyone on this amazing site who loves the sea and wants it to help conserve it click on the link and request to join. WE NEED YOU! Now I know this is a blog site to update people on exciting travels around the world but I am going to use right now to save Sharks! For those that haven't heard two people where attacked in the Seychelles in the last month. This has driven St Ange (the CEO of the Seychelles tourism board) to start a mass killing of all sharks in the nearby area. People seem to forget that sharks LIVE ... read more

“Welcome to Paradise FM!” a chirpy radio-voice announced while I was preparing breakfast. When turning on the tap produced yet again nothing but a faint and distant hissing noise I felt a tinge of frustration in my heart. My hopes for a clean kitchen followed by a refreshing shower were once more dashed. The problem is: there is no water in paradise. It’s the dry season and for weeks there has been no rain. And Seychelles cannot cope. The exclusive tourist resorts are eager to preserve the cocoon of paradisiacal perfection in which they keep their wealthy clients by supplying them with round-the-clock water including their private infinity pools. For the rest of us it means water only for a few hours in the evening (if we are lucky) and with that dirty clothes, piles of ... read more

I remember my first dive as if it was yesterday – the sense of awe and wonder that filled me as I was entering this other world of unexpectedly intense colours, unusual shapes and serene stillness. At the time I did of course see the different fishes around me but only in the way one might perceive flowers in a field or birds in the sky – beautiful and exotic but essentially anonymous. And it has remained that way ever since – until now. Over the past few weeks I’ve learned to identify and name around 120 species of fish. It is a little like being introduced to 120 strangers who you consequently recognise and acknowledge and I cannot dive without thinking out the names of the now familiar fishes –a pair of coral rabbit fish ... read more

We wake up with the noise of familiar sound of birds. They are everywhere. Today's plan is to catch the local bus to Valle De Mai. The bus journey takes forty five minutes to run around the entire island. The bus services are regular and the ticket price is fixed to 5 rupees, regardless of where you get off. My first experience was not that much pleasant in terms of taking buses. They drive off the road. You feel it. When the bus reaches a sloppy hill, or sharp bends the drive accelerator and drive crazily. All you can do is, hang on to a seat and pray that you don't end up 100 meters below in the sea. (Such a painful death could be unlucky indeed) Today's sky was clear and the atmosphere was hot. ... read more

In my second week at the British High Commission, the main focus of activity was the arrival of a Lifeboat donated by the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) to the Seychelles Coastguard. I got to exercise my press skills, writing the press release and speech for the handover ceremony and more thrillingly, got an invite to the handover itself - how’s that for dediciation (and a desire to do anything different) that myself and the other one found ourselves up early on a saturday morning to bear witness to this event. For Queen and Country and all that. As we strode through a type of Guard of Honour formation and the band struck up as we entered the marquee, I have to say I was a little embarassed- like being the second cousin of the bride’s ... read more