Sal Rei and the Island of Boavista, Cabo Verde

2024 TBA

US $7090* Per Volunteer

* with 100% Employer Matching Program. Single supplement $260.

25% due upon booking

Balance due by April 15th

8 days

7 nights

6 activity days

A unique opportunity to advance tropical marine research in Cabo Verde, West Africa

MarAlliance invites you to immerse yourself in a once-in-a-lifetime experience among the incredible islands and waters of Cabo Verde. Join our team of marine biologists, guides and fishers for an unforgettable week helping to research critically endangered sharks, rays, turtles and other charismatic marine megafauna. You will be on the front line of marine megafauna monitoring and directly contribute to the conservation of these iconic species within Cabo Verdean waters.

Dr. Rachel Graham and her team will train you to be directly involved in each aspect of field work, including launching Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs), conducting in-water snorkel surveys, setting longlines with hands-on work to capture, measuring and tagging sharks, and mega-planktivore (whale shark & manta rays) monitoring, where you will swim with and witness satellite tagging of the biggest fish in the world!

We are excited to have the opportunity to share our findings with you and the field work will be complemented by presentations by our research team during the course of the week.

Why are marine megafauna important?

Megafauna play an essential ecological role within marine communities, helping to balance and maintain fish and reef populations. Throughout the world these important creatures face multiple threats, and populations are in decline due to overfishing and destruction of their habitat. Knowledge of the diversity and abundance of marine megafauna and how their populations change over time is crucial to managing and conserving these populations.

Monitoring through fisheries-independent methods enables researchers and government officials to understand the status of marine megafauna populations and the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas, as well as filling in gaps in our knowledge of their life history, including their habitat use and movements throughout their life cycles.

Our work in Cabo Verde

The archipelago of Cabo Verde provides key habitats for many species – both resident and migratory – including giant manta rays, whale sharks and tiger sharks, yet scientific data is in short supply. In recent years shark populations have become the focus of foreign-industrial fishing efforts, and West Africa has one of the highest rates of Illegal Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU) globally.

Boavista, known locally as the island of dunes (ilha das dunas), is where the cascading sands of the Sahara meet the rich turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Such abundant white sand beaches and guaranteed sunshine have made the island the focus of the recent tourism boom; nonetheless, fisheries and environmental regulations are lagging behind. It is not known to what extent rapid development may be affecting the marine environment, including artisanal fisheries and critical nursery habitats.

Recent studies conducted by MarAlliance have indicated Cabo Verde contains a rich diversity of marine megafauna as well as potentially important nursery habitats for endangered species, including several species of hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini and S. zygaena). Furthermore, it is believed to contain significant aggregations of ‘mega-planktivores’ (whale shark, oceanic manta ray and other mobulidae spp.). In spite of their vast sizes, very little is known about the mega-planktivores in this region, and possible connections between populations in West Africa and elsewhere in the Atlantic remain unknown.

By working with traditional fishers we aim to investigate these current shortages, establish baselines and promote the protection of threatened marine resources. Through a combination of scientific monitoring, education and capacity building we strive to raise awareness of the importance of marine megafauna to marine ecology, and in doing so, safeguard these populations and the communities that depend on the sea for their survival.

Travel and accommodation

On your first day you will arrive at Rabil international Airport on the island of Boavista, Cabo Verde. Once at the airport, transfer will be arranged by Orquidea Guest House to take you and your luggage to your accommodations. Orquidea guest house is a true tropical oasis, steps from the beach. The rooms are centered around a courtyard bustling with life and the owners maintain a family atmosphere without sacrificing any of the elegance. The guest house is sited in lush tropical gardens filled with hibiscus, palm trees, and flourishing banana trees, which add to Orquidea’s overall Cabo Verdean charm.

You will stay in Ocean Front rooms, which include double beds, a large bathroom, AC, in-room safe, balcony with sea views, and free Wi-Fi can be found in the breakfast area of the guesthouse. During down time, enjoy a short stroll to the beach and relax, or explore the capital of Boa Vista, Sal Rei and all its charm. The guesthouse offers breakfast in the morning and can accommodate most dietary needs and requests. Orquidea serves the freshest fruits and vegetables all of which are grown locally on the island. Evenings will be spent dining at Orquida or enjoying the culinary scene of Sal Rei, so be prepared to be well fed, enjoy communal meals with the team, and good company discussing the amazing things you experienced during the day’s work.

Training

Your objective is to assist MarAlliance’s Cabo Verde-based research team to undertake annual monitoring of marine megafauna around the island of Boavista. To prepare for your trip and help us collect the most valuable data, we will provide you materials in advance to assist you with species identification and size/distance estimation. On your first days in Boavista we will hold training sessions to review the methods and fine-tune your size and distance estimation skills (on land and in the water).

Activities

Species identification of sharks, rays, turtles and West African fish

Identifying marine megafauna and mega-planktivores by species is an important part of assessing biodiversity. Species ID will be used during in-water visual transects, analysing Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) recordings and Mega-planktivore monitoring. We will further ask you to familiarize yourself with species prior to the trip to improve identification in the field.

Mega-planktivore identification and monitoring

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the biggest fish in the world, and oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) the biggest rays, reaching lengths /widths in excess of 16m and 7m, respectively! Yet, in spite of their huge size, their diet consists almost entirely of plankton (microscopic animal and plant organisms floating in the water): hence the name mega-planktivores. In the last couple years working with local fishers, we have identified an area of high abundance and recorded over 30 individuals.

Whale sharks are listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Species (redlist.org) and are protected in Cabo Verde, yet in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic (ETA) very little is known about their populations. Both species are known to migrate huge distances and in certain areas are the basis of long-term studies, however, in Cabo Verde there is almost no information on their status or behaviour. Thus understanding what they are doing in Boavista, where they go and ultimately how many there are, is key in compiling global information for these global wanderers.

Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveying

Baited Remote Underwater Video monitoring is a relatively novel and non-invasive method of monitoring marine species, particularly sharks, remotely. BRUVs consist of a frame constructed from PVC or metal, a camera , and an extended arm with a bait cage. BRUVs are deployed on to the sea floor at various sites around the Island of Boavista for 65 minutes in order to assess species diversity and relative abundance of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). These videos are later analysed to record the species and number of individuals and assess diversity and relative abundance. We will collectively review videos taken and annotate these to record target species and frequency of occurrence.

Nocturnal scientific long lining capture and tagging of juvenile sharks

Scientific longline is another method to assess shark and ray diversity and abundance, especially over long periods of time. This technique involves setting a line with baited hooks in order to capture individuals and collect more specific measurements. Once captured, we tag the animal with a marker that will identify them in future capture sightings, and collect tissue sample for DNA and contamination analysis. You will assist with baiting and setting the longline, collecting environmental data, and will learn proper handling techniques for safely tagging and releasing sharks and rays.

Night patrol on the turtle nesting beach with Turtle Foundation

Boavista is world-renowned for its breeding population of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Although the species was reclassified as ‘Vulnerable’ world-wide (IUCN redlist.org), in Cabo Verde it is given an ‘Endangered’ status due to the high level of poaching that still occurs. The Turtle Foundation has been working in the protection of these populations since 2008 alongside the local community. Between June and October dedicated rangers and volunteers patrol the beaches nocturnally, monitoring these animals and protecting them from poaching. Together with trained volunteers and rangers you will be able to observe the protection of these animals, see the nesting process and learn the scientific methods used to monitor their populations.

In-water visual transects and West African fish identification

Transects are a non-invasive method for assessing diversity and relative abundance of marine megafauna using in-water observers. Each transect involves four snorkelers positioned side by side in the water 15 meters apart. Snorkelers then swim along a bearing and for a predetermined length (usually 1km), observing and recording sightings within their 15 m transect area. Throughout the transect each swimmer is responsible for recording species identification, quantity, the distance each animal is from their transect line, and a size estimation for the sharks, rays, turtles and piscivorous fishes they see within their transect area.

Swimming transects are a common research method conducted by MarAlliance, however this will be our first time using this practice in Cabo Verde. You will pioneer data collection by swimming transects for the first time in the region.

Our research vessel

Our research for the week will be carried out aboard the Simply No Stress, a 17m motor yacht owned by a resident couple and captained by a local captain. The Captain has over three decades of experience boating around Cabo Verde. With their collective and extensive knowledge of the waters around Boavista they embodies the island’s laid back motto of ‘No Stress’.

The Simply no Stress is a motor yacht designed for harbour cruises, fishing excursions, whale watching, snorkelling expeditions and of course research expeditions. While completing our work be sure to take in the breath taking scenery and landscapes of beautiful Boa Vista.

Sal Rei and the Island of Boavista, Cabo Verde

Day 1 – Saturday

13:00

International flight arrival at Rabil international airport. Pre-arranged transfer to Orquidea Guest House

Afternoon

Relax and acclimatisation / time to explore

16:00-18:00

Overview of the coming week’s research and Species ID instruction and/or review, instruction on survey methods and data collection.