Brief from the Reef Blog

We have several volunteer abroad trips for travelers who want to “do something good” while they experience new destinations. Check out these unique opportunities.

Lord Howe Island Volunteer Trip. Underwater survey data collection helps the marine park.

Reef Protection Volunteer Trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Join community volunteers with local conservation efforts.

Reef Protection Volunteer Trip to Orpheus Island, Australia. Become a coral reef surveyor with Reef Check to help their sustainability efforts.

Ask any serious traveling animal enthusiast to name his/her top 5 destinations in the world and the Okavango Delta in Botswana must be on the list. Although Botswana is much more than the Okavango Delta, it is the Delta that inevitably attracts the traveler and I was no different. Botswana is a country almost the size of Texas with over 40 percent of its land protected in some form or another. The country has a strong tradition of a representative democracy and is one of the safest, most stable countries in all of Africa. For me, Botswana was high up on my personal checklist of places to see at least once and I am happy to say there is one more box checked on my infinite list.

Upon arriving in Maun, the Delta’s gateway city, I was met by a representative from Wilderness Safaris and assisted every step of the way from the international terminal through the domestic terminal and onto my light aircraft flight to the Okavango. There are a number of operators that work in Botswana but I chose Wilderness Safaris because they have a wonderful reputation as being a leader in sustainable eco-tourism and conservation. They truly strive to deliver the once-in-a-lifetime experience for each individual but not at the expense of the environment or the local people. Building mutually beneficial relationships with many of the local tribes is critical to the success of Wilderness Safaris not only in Botswana but also throughout southern Africa.

The first camp I visited, Kwetsani, was in the Jao Concession. As we drove into the camp a herd of elephants were grazing and a troop of baboons greeted us. What struck me most was neither of the groups appeared at all interested in us. They just went about their business. When I got to my stilted tent, I heard the loud noises of what seemed to be large tree branches being broken. The camp director casually pointed to an elephant that was directly below where I was going to be laying my head for the next 2 nights. Looking out from my tent I had 180-degree views of the grasslands that at the moment were partially submerged in water but scattered with lechwe, waterbuck and zebra. It was at this moment that I felt the rush that one gets when they are about to embark on an epic journey because I felt at any moment I might witness and photograph a “kill.”

The next seven days were filled with experiences that could have been documented in nature program like Planet Earth. On my first game drive I watched an adolescent leopard unsuccessfully stalk a herd of zebra even attempting to get his paws on one! We continued to watch the leopard as he feigned interest walking away into the brush only to appear a short time later to try his luck again. On another drive I was lucky to come across a pack of wild dogs, one of the world’s most endangered species. By some estimates there are less than 5000 left in the world. They were relaxing after the previous night’s successful hunt. The pièce de résistance was an eagle suffocating a crane to death by standing with one claw on the crane’s neck as it gasped for air. Then after the crane had taken its last breath, the eagle took flight barely able to fly with the weight of the crane. Sure it might not have been the kill of a lion of a zebra but it was my first kill and an occurrence that is rarely seen. It felt like an initiation.

These were just a handful of the interactions I witnessed on my African Safari in Botswana. While I was able to cross this destination off my list, I now see why my clients return to Africa again and again.

Cliff Comfort is a Travel Consultant for Reef & Rainforest. Cliff takes full advantage of being able to work remotely by splitting up his year between New York, Florida and Brazil. Thanks to technology, he can be reached by phone or email just like all our other agents. Please reach out to him to learn more about his African travels.

P.S. Cliff is also an expert on scuba diving travel to destinations such as the Maldives, Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Palau and Yap.

Dive the Reefs and Explore the Rainforest: Malaysian Borneo

Why not pamper yourself in an over-water bungalow with an uninterrupted view of the sea, amazing muck and macro diving right off your deck? Fleets of turtles, schools of barracuda and leopard sharks are just a short boat ride away. How about a blue ring octopus or a pygmy seahorse you ask? They’re all here in this trip, just waiting for you.

Very few of the top diving destinations offer exciting wildlife experiences topside, but this is one of them. One of the last strongholds of the wild orangutan, Malaysian Borneo has some excellent jungle lodges and experienced guides who can show you the red-haired ape, proboscis monkeys, hornbills and if you are lucky, pygmy elephants.

Reef & Rainforest has put together a special 10-night itinerary where you can experience this spectacular destination for a very reasonable rate, but hurry, this offer expires 15 September.

Reef & Rainforest Dive & Adventure Travel, an agency specializing in exotic dive travel, announces plan to offer more trips to the Caribbean.

In preparation for expanding to the Caribbean, the company’s staff has revamped the Caribbean section of their website, negotiated rates with resorts and added staff who are experts in the area.

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Capture stunning images, dive action-packed atolls and cruise on an enchanting vessel in the Maldives! Photographer Ethan Gordon will lead this exciting journey, offering guidance on composition, technical adjustments and other valuable tips to get the very best shots. You will have plenty of great subjects to practice on from tiny critters for macro to mantas and pelagics for wide angle.

Your home on the sea will be the Maldives Siren, a beautiful gaft rigged schooner complete with charging stations and computers for editing in each cabin.

Luxury Boutique liveaboard, Dive Damai is offering a new itinerary in Cenderawasih Bay.

Travelers who prefer distant and undiscovered dive sites where the coral reefs are undisturbed and the wildlife is abundant will be interested in a new trip available at Reef & Rainforest Dive & Adventure Travel. Especially if you like to experience nature’s wild side from the comfort of the world’s most luxurious scuba diving liveaboards.

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Whether you’re a diver or a manta ray, Mozambique is a secluded place to retreat and rejuvenate yourself.

The plastic-bucket sandcastle beach-brigades are missing and there is no need to muscle for rank on a crowded dive boat. Mozambique is a secluded place for divers to relax. Your toughest choice for the week will be whether to take the golf cart to your bungalow, or to walk along the long over-water path to your room.

Flamingo Bay Water Village is a jewel of a resort; a perfect home-base for divers wanting to see the best of Mozambique. Built on stilts, each luxury chalet hovers above a peaceful ocean. You can jump off the back deck to snorkel in turquoise water and go diving with handsome marine life.

The Republic of Mozambique is in Southeast Africa. It is bordered on the south by South Africa, Zambia is to the west and Malawi and Tanzania are north and northwest. The closest airport to Flamingo Bay is Inhambane Airport. Most flights arrive from Johannesburg. African waters are far off, but you’ll find it to be worth every second of time it takes to get you there.

BarraDive, is a PADI Gold Palm operator who specialize in diving the Manta Coast of Mozambique. Manager Megan Williams leads the team that will send you on your underwater safari to discover unspoild reefs, dolphins, manta rays and whalesharks. “We have a huge variety of marine life here, ranging from large marine animals like the whaleshark to tiny crustaceans such as the harlequin shrimp (every photographers delight). The diving here is truly spectacular and a must see for seasoned divers as well as perfect training conditions for beginners.” says Megan.

Humpback whales migrate through the waters June through October. Whale sharks and giant manta rays can be found any time of year but are more common December-May. While November through February bring the rainy season, it also brings a reason to take your camera out of the housing; excellent bird watching conditions.

Mozambique is known for hosting a population of Mantas that return each year. Marine biologists have learned that Mantas go to Mozambique every year for a very important part of their life cycle. They come to breed and to visit the coral reef cleaning stations. This is where a manta will hover over a reef and let cleaner wrasse climb aboard to remove small parasites. Sometimes several wrasse line up to wait their turn.

Reef & Rainforest invites you to follow the migration of the manta rays to Mozambique. Find your “cleaning station” human-equivalent and rejuvenate yourself at Flamingo Bay.

Seven nights accommodation based on twin/double occupancy, round trip charter flight from Johannesburg to Inhamban, 5 days of 2 tank boat diving, meals and non-motorized activities. 

2010 Rates start at $2850 per person for low season..

Newlsetter

The dive travel experts at Reef & Rainforest would like to tell you about several openings on popular dive trips this summer. This means there is still time to book your scuba vacation!

Anyone can offer diving with a regular-kind of sea star. Reef & Rainforest goes one step further by of offering diving with the OTHER-kind of sea star… the famous kind.

Having just left a Sous Chef position The Fat Duck, which was voted 3rd Best Restaurant in the World in 2010, Chef Gavin Baker will be at the Misool Eco Resort. If world class dining is as important as world class diving, you won’t be disappointed with this trip. Details: Misool Eco Resort Special

Howard & Michele Hall return to Indonesia where they filmed the IMAX 3D feature, Under the Sea 3D. Photo enthusiasts are invited on this Raja Ampat expedition, where you’ll rub elbows with underwater film’s most important figures. Details: Hall Expedition

Stan Waterman, 5 time Emmy winner and underwater film pioneer wants to host your next vacation at CoCo View Resort in Roatan. Details: Waterman in Coco View