Media Centre for Volunteer in Ghana

Jen Whitney

I finally managed to get back to the nesting beach yesterday and last night and got my first look at turtle hatchlings!! So beautiful and such brave little ones. They're only about 2 inches long when they emerge from the nest and it was an amazing site watching them trying to pull themselves along the sand and up and over little ridges of rock or plant material to get to the water. Sometimes getting snagged on a blade of grass, but always struggling on. They certainly have a great sense of direction - onward to the sea!!!

When we'd walked to the end of the nesting beach, we sat and rested for about 45 minutes before heading back - this is to allow time for any adults to emerge from the sea to come up to nest. As we lay down on our backpacks and looked at the Vanuatu sky (similar to ours at home), Kalo (our local turtle monitor) and I talked about everything!!! It was great to get to know him and his culture even more and he was equally fascinated with my culture.

We talked about our families (he knows all your names now kids), and many other things. He seemed particularly interested in comparing restaurants in Australia to those in Vanuatu, and thought that the restaurants in Australia seemed amazing. I told him that the local ni-Vans had the best restaurant of all, right at their home - the Pacific Ocean. As we sat there, a storm passed over us with much lightning. At one point Kalo asked "where does all that light come from"? Boy, do we take so much for granted! He was also fascinated by the concept of the internet and asked how I'd heard about this volunteer work. So he's been in here with me this morning and I showed him the GVI website, which had a big photo of himself on it!! He loved it.

Last Tuesday, Bec and I went back to the school to visit the children and give them the books, pencils and assorted other things we'd brought over for them. They were very excited and there were big white grins all around. Bec had also brought a toy Curlew for them - complete with Curlew call. That was a real hit.

When we returned to Moso from Vila, last Friday, our Bungalow living area had been freshly decorated with flowers and the locals were preparing "stick meat" (aka kebabs!) for a big BBQ for us. Friday night is party night on Moso! The band was there and there was a bit of dancing and sillyness going on. I taught the locals how to do the "Twist"....now known as the Turtle Twist! So, no doubt, more frivolity tonight on our return.

We've also been busy this week checking nests during the day. We do this about 15 days after the due hatching date, to gather data on egg numbers, live hatchlings and mortality rates. Often when we dig up a nest, we come across some of the hatchlings as they're making their way to the surface, for the long haul to the sea. It is truly amazing to watch these little ones struggle over the terrain to get to the ocean. They are so small, yet so determined. I think it's probably as amazing as seeing a silverback gorilla rip a stem of bamboo out of the ground in front of you. Nature sure knows how to bring a tear to a girls eye!!!

We had a day off last Thursday and went across to Tranquility Island Dive resort (at the western end of Moso), to do some diving!

My co-volunteers have all had diving experience and brought their gear with them to do some dives. Last Friday, I decided to buy some snorkelling gear, so that I could at least enjoy a view of the reef from the surface. I did a bit of snorkelling with Bec, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but when we went to Tranquility, Bec convinced me to do a "Discovery Dive". After a thorough briefing on how to use a regulator to breathe, how to equalise (unblock) my ears, and how to clear my mask underwater, I headed into the deep blue with my instructor buddy, Fabby. She was great and I had a fantastic time gliding over the coral reef and exploring a whole new world below. We dived to about 9 metres, which was great for a "first time". Something I may have to pursue!

This trip has really given me opportunities that may never have eventuated and I'm very grateful for that. As some of my new Vanuatuan friends have been telling me, "Jen is a lucky Woman"!

Bec and I have been getting on really well with all the locals, and have made some truly wonderful friends. Both of us have been given a "Custom Name" (which is quite an honour! I am Leiwia (which in Bislama means "Good Woman"). I've obviously got these guys fooled!!! Bec is Leisalewia (Woman who has come from across the sea (or something like that) ).

I think we'll have many pen friends when we get home. They want to know so much about the outside world - even though there's is almost idyllic!

This coming week will be busy. More midnight turtle taggings, assisting with a reef survey (we have to snorkel a certain distance along the reef and count different marine species (fish, coral etc, and remove Crown of Thorns starfish from the reef). Sounds like hard bloody work, but someone has to do it!!!

The community is planning a Big Farewell for us for next Thursday Night. No doubt it will be a real party. These people sure know how to have fun. Many of them have said they don't want us to leave, so I'm sure we'll all feel a little sad too!

Cheers,

Leiwia