The time has come to put theories into practice!
While conducting fisheries research, I was consistently amazed by the skills of the local fishermen. Spear fishermen, armed with homemade tools, fearlessly ventured into the ocean to catch fish. They navigated the waves with expertise and managed to sustainably catch a sufficient amount of fish to support their livelihoods. I was fortunate enough to witness a local fisherman on a kayak using his pole and line fishing skills to reel in a 2.5m sailfish! On the other hand, we also observed net fishing, which resulted in the capture of a large number of juvenile fish. This highlighted the unsustainable nature of net fishing.
This area serves as a breeding ground for humpback whales. Unlike the previous week, our task now was to record the activities of these whales in a scientific manner. We focused on documenting cues and interpreting their behavior. One of the highlights for me was listening to the enchanting sounds of the humpback whales. It was my very first time hearing humpback whale’s songs resonating throughout the sea. I couldn’t help but wonder about the meaning behind their songs.
As someone who enjoys scuba diving as a leisure activity, it was time to transition into serious scientific research. Conducting transect dives proved to be quite challenging. It involved not only capturing footage of the ocean habitat but also identifying the various coral species and other organisms residing within it. After the dives, my team and I spent six hours meticulously reviewing our video recordings and engaging in discussions to identify the corals and species we had encountered. Our eyes grew tired from staring at the computer screen for such a long time, but we were all filled with excitement and a thirst for knowledge about the ocean habitat.
And now, it is the time for us to be tourists! We are going to visit one of the most renowned tourist spots in Mozambique: Tofo Beach. We are ready to have some fun and fill our tummy with food!
