So often we can travel all over the world to see the sights and sounds of foreign soil before ever really exploring the wonderful places and things a little closer to home. So it has proved in the Maldives, too. We hosted a school trip around the south Ari Atoll yesterday, an excursion which was supposed to be an ‘exciting voyage of discovery’ for them, as I thought. As it turned out, I think I was more surprised than they were. Most of them had never seen a whale shark. Period. I asked one of the teachers if they had seen one either. ‘Oh yes’, she replied. Relieved, I asked where she had experienced this doubtless magnificent spectacle. ‘On television…..several times’ was the response. Hmmmm….

It is amazing to me that many Maldivians have never even seen the biggest fish in the ocean, when the whole area is a veritable “hot-spot’. Its like living in Central Park and never seeing a pidgeon. Then again, its seems that a connection between the whale sharks and the local people has been lost. Fishing for these animals has been banned for years now, but the connection between them has also been cut. Much of the work that the MWSRP is doing out here is to do with re-establishing that connection between the people and the sharks; there is much to be gained on both sides.

So the trip itself was a lot of fun. It started with a brief introduction to the whale sharks through a presentation from Rachel and I, and then we were out onto the reef to look for some sharks! The kids were great fun from start to finish. Although they were a little shy to start off with, they really got involved with what we were doing and they seemed really excited at the prospect of seeing a whale shark.

We took them for a cruise through the FenMaDhiguRan Marine Protected Area on the hunt for some sharks (figuratively speaking, of course). The area -MPA- was created by the maldivian government based on the reasearch of the MWSRP, and is now the cornerstone for creating sound economic and ecological guidelines for those who use it. We didn’t really think in the limited time that we had for the trip that we would be able to find a whale shark, so instead we went to a quiet spot for some snorkelling. You can see from the pictures that it went down quite a storm! 

The students had had a great time, but just as we were heading for home, we struck gold. 3 whales sharks in quick succession! Not all of the class wanted to get in the water, but even those who stayed on board looked amazed at the sheer size of the animals. It made me smile to see the same expressions on their faces as I know I would have had on mine oynl weeks previously.

I think I always just assumed that the work the team did out here was 100% about the sharks, and although that is undoubtably important, it seems that community mobilisation is the top priority. After all without the support of the local community, the programme cannot realistically continue to exsist, and it is with these people that the future of the MWSRP lies.

The students and teachers alike went home with a smiles on their faces; happily chatting about the day and sharing photos with each other. I think we can can all be happy that, for this group at least, the connection with whale sharks has been found again.

Before I came out here, and indeed since i’ve arrived, I was/am asked many questions about the programme.

Most of them are fairly straightforward…. normally such menial questions as “What are you doing there” or “Are there many whale sharks in the Maldives?”. My ususal response to such inquiries is a prompt referral to the MWSRP website, which is far more detailed and interesting than I would ever have the patience to be. Indeed I wouldn’t attempt to convey the range of activities undertaken by the programme in this blog; it would be too laborious for me and too long winded for you. Occasionally, however, I’m asked a question that requires a slightly less automated response. Yesterday, for example, I was asked how the MWSRP was involving the local community and what the perception of the research was with the Maldivian people? How can I start to answer that with a weblink?!

I’ll come back to that question in a minute, but first, a quick rundown of how things work here. There is a core team of Richard, Adam, Rachel and Ben, and then the volunteer team, currently comprising of myself, Ayesha, Darren and Karen. We split our time between the Conrad on Rangali island (a ‘six-star’ resort and principle sponsors of the MWSRP) and our little Dhouni, or research boat. A lot of what we do is cruising up and down the reef, looking for whale sharks, which is far more tiring than I would have thought possible.

Anybody seen a shark?

When we’re not squinting into the water all day there may be a visit to a local island or a meeting with local fisherman. Every week or so there will be a guest trip, where the team will take out guests from the Conrad to experience the joy of swimming with a whale shark. Then in the evenings its back to I.D the sharks seen that day and catch up with emails. By about 9, we’re all absolutely knackered, and we might get through one episode of Entourage (we like Ari’s ranting) before the lights go out. 6am next morning the whole process starts all over again.

There seems to be so much to do all the time, and I can’t emphasise how hard Adam and Rich have to work to make the programme viable. As volunteers we have it lucky, we can concentrate on spotting sharks and having a good time. For the team  here permanently, its a challenge to make sure that the whale sharks are protected and the local people incentivised; the hope is that one day the programme will be run by the Maldivian people.

So back to that question. The perception is, by and large, very good. Since the programme was launched in 2006, they have constantly met with island chiefs, spoke to local operators and done everything possible to engage anybody who is interested in listening. In April there is the first ever school exchange between the Maldives and the UK- all to raise the issues facing the whale sharks of the Maldives and the wider community. Tommorow we’re taking a class of students from the local island, Dhangethi, out to swim with some whale sharks. Should be ‘interesting’ (what could possibly go wrong?). 

Time to practice some time filling games I guess. And I should probably prepare myself for a few more questions….

 It didn’t occur to me to be scared or nervous. The idea of jumping into an unknown ocean with a 40ft shark perhaps should have worried me more, but the adrenaline kicked in and that was that. 

A lot of the work done here is waiting and looking, scanning the ocean for shapes and changes in colour. Every once in a while someone will shout “turtle” or “dolphin”, and it will be noted in the log, but what we’re really after is a whale shark, and when one is spotted you have to be ready. If the boat is going one way, and the shark the other, you can lose sight of it pretty quickly, so the first job is for somebody to get in the water and ‘mark’ the location. In this case, that somebody happened to be me.

So in I went. Being completely honest, I forgot everything I knew about snorkelling and tried to inhale whilst still 2m under the surface. Smooth. Remembering that air is normally prefereable to water when it comes to breathing, I kicked towards the surface and took a deep breath to steady myself. I knew roughly which direction our quarry was located, and wasted no further time in kicking my fins towards it. At first I could see nothing; visibility at this time of year is limited to about 10-15m. Then, like some mythical beast appearing through the gloom, I spotted my first whale shark.

At this point I would just like to give any of you who still think of whale sharks as “just big fish” a quick biology 101. The Whale Shark, or Rhincodon typus, to give it it’s proper title, can be up to 20m in length, although more commonly between 10-15m when fully grown. At up to 45,00o lbs, it is by far and away the largest fish in the world. It has no bones; it’s skeletal structure is made from cartilage, and, thankfully, its teeth are tiny and not used for feeding. I was particularly thankful of this last fact, but nevertheless it is still a powerful animal and respect has to be shown at all times. There are important guidelines on swimming with the whale sharks:- Never swim in front or block its path; stay at least 3m from the body and 4m away from the tail fins at all times. Trying to remember all of these, and also to breathe, I made the last few strokes.

I suddenly remember what I was supposed to do, and I stuck my arm in the air and waved it around, indicated to the boat that i was with the shark. As I did so, I saw Rachel, one of the resident Marine biologists with the programme and all round star, was next to me, camera in hand. Now the work could begin. The mainstay of the MWSRP’s work is identifying whale sharks and measuring their size, and I watched as photos were taken from both sides. My job done, I concentrated on enjoying the experience.

I dived down towards the shark. I would later learn that he had been named Orlando by the team, a young male frequently spotted in the area. At under 7m in length, he is on the small side, but non of that registered with me as I stared across at a fish the same size as a minibus. To me, he was huge. I appreciate ‘huge’ may seem like a bit of an inane description, but pictures and video just don’t do these animals justice. It is a real privilege to be in the water with them.

All to soon, we had reached the reef drop-off and with it the point at which we could follow. Orlando glided into the deep blue, and I watched him all the way. We climbed back onto the boat to ice-cold coronas and high fives all round! ‘What do you think then Jay? Pretty awesome,aye?,” Adam asked me. I couldn’t quite put into words what I was feeling, so I settled for a happy grin and drank my beer.

Coconuts, my grandma informed me just before I left, are the number one threat in the Maldives.

Quite apart from wondering why she was bothering to tell me this, I can only assume she read this on the back of a beer mat, as I can confirm that the Sun offers a far more present and dangerous threat to the average person than a coconut. I found this out the hard way today, and am now a delicate shade of crimson, having basked in the mid-30′s sunshine for maybe a little longer than was sensible. I doubt, however, that many of you will sympathise with me, given the weather most of you will currently be ‘enjoying’.

So from the hustle and bustle of Male to the beautiful tranquility of the atolls: all the postcard pictures you might be thinking of are certainly true of many of the islands here. I arrived two days ago from Male onto a beautiful little place called Dhangethi- a simple and charming community of local Maldivians. Soon after arriving I met the MWSRP teaam- Rich and Adam, who run the programme, and the volunteer team I was soon to be joining, Sian and Ayesha. I can tell already that i’m going to like everybody connected to the programme… each person has a sense of humour and common interest in the welfare of the whale sharks. I can tell you now that I didn’t get much sleep that first night; the idea of swimming with such a magnificent creature had me itching for the morning to arrive.

Our first day was an eye opener for me, but ultimately disapointing as we didn’t see any whale sharks. We did, however, see a manta ray, which was a stunning spectacle in its own right, and for me, who has never dived with anythingof  worthy note, it was especially exciting. Mantas seem to just ‘fly’ gracefully through the water, and it was with all too much ease that it disapeared as quickly as it had come. Nevetheless, my appetite has been whetted and I can’t wait to see my first whale shark.

The day was rounded off with a visit to Vilimandu, an island aimed predominantly towards divers. Rich and Adam gave a presentation to the guests about MWSRP, and although I was familiar with much of what was being said, it brought home to me the importance of the programme and really made me happy to think I was going to contribute towards their vital research.

Touch wood, this time tommorow i’ll have seen my first whale shark! Time to go and apply some after-sun… and watch out for falling coconuts, of course.

Well I’m here! I’m currently in Male, the capital of the Maldives
and shown in the picture above. It’s a crazy place, not many tourists here it seems; more locals and businesses. There are motocycles everywhere! It’s very warm- about 28 degrees, which is splendid when I consider it was struggling to rise above 2 in London!

I’m actually posting here from my phone (god bless the iphone!) which is why it is a little on the basic side, but tommorow I should be able to upload some pictures and videos to compensate! The experience really kicks off on the morning when I get the ferry to Dhangethi and I’ll meet the rest of the team.

Right, I’m going to explore Male whilst I have the chance… See you on the reef!

OK.. so here goes nothing- 3 days left in the country and then its off to the land of a thousand (ish) islands.

(note- number of islands may not be any where near a thousand)

Funny thing,  isn’t it; the period in between Christmas and New Year? Most people seem to be confused about whether it’s appropriate to still be eating mince pies yet deciding its too early to start the new-year crash diet. Resolutions. Out with the old and in with the new and all that. In my case, this means gloomy London (out) for lovely Male (in), which doesn’t really sound like a bad way to start 2010 if you ask me.

I’ve been looking forward to getting out to the maldives ever since it was confirmed some two months ago, but i’m not very organised, as as such i’ve only just packed my bags. I should state at this point that I really dislike packing, and generally leave it to the last possible minute to do. However, on the occasion of this trip, my sister decided that I needed to be much more organised, and there was even a “list” involved. I have now checked and rechecked everything I could possibly need to take to a archipelago paradise, barring a freak snow-storm, and i’m ready to go. Hat…check…suncream…check…board shorts…check. All the essentials then.

To be truthful I don’t really know what I might need when I get out there, but not knowing just makes the whole experience more exciting anyway. I’m just going to dive straight in (no pun intended): its all part of the adventure.

Hi everybody!

My name is Jay, and over the next few weeks I will be blogging my experience

with the MWSRP,a charity protecting the welfare of Whale sharks in the Maldives.

Honestly….. the closest I’ve come to anything like this is snorkelling in north Wales, so here goes nothing!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting regular updates and and pictures so you can see what it’s like to come face to face with the largest fish in the world. With any luck there will also be some vidoes as well (providing they leave my dignity intact!), and if i’m feeling very ‘tech’, a podcast (don’t get your hopes up).

Next stop paradise…..