I have been living and working in Seychelles for just over one month now and it has gone so fast. I am enjoying all aspects of the job and I love how varied it is – you never get bored here.
It’s great having a job where I can go into the ocean most days of the week and see the amazing marine life this area has to offer. The best creatures I have seen so far out in the water are some whitetip reef sharks, a hawksbill turtle, a large school of bumphead parrotfish feeding on the reef, octopuses and two eagle rays displaying courtship behaviour.
It’s fantastic being able to combine education with science. I definitely feel like I’m making a difference by educating guests on the importance of marine ecosystems and being able to contribute to important research, including beach profiling surveys, coral health assessment surveys and fish surveys. I have also been on two SCUBA dives to carry out important maintenance work on the coral nursery where we are re-growing coral fragments to regenerate the local reef.
I have also been able to put my design and illustration skills to use by creating a new kids card game, where you have to match different cartoons of marine animals. It has felt a little bit like cheating as it’s the kind of thing I like to do in my spare time! I love being part of the team here and I’m looking forward to what the next year is going to bring.
