Not 'just' a drop in the ocean.

Hi I’m Sally, a Brit with itchy feet! I’m taking a year out to go refresh my spirit and hopefully do some good along the way. I’ve been an EFL and primary school English teacher for the last 20 years, quite enough to drive anyone close to insanity! Maybe this is a mid-life crisis trip, or maybe it will be a new beginning.

I’ve been diving for around 20 years, though there was a break in the middle where I tried to pursue a domestic life (don’t ask – I’m over it). I love the oceans and being in the sea. I’ve signed petitions, raised/donated money to charities; given to crowd-funding projects; but I want to do more. Unfortunately, I don’t exactly have the science background or the skills to move into conservation or marine biology as a career. I do, however, have passion, and I’ve made time, so gap-year volunteer projects are my start.

July 23rd 2014 will see me flying to Fiji to join a shark conservation project in Pacific Harbour on the main island of Viti Levu. I am really excited about so many aspects of this project. I’ll get the chance to be involved in conserving/planting mangrove forests, assist with tagging baby sharks and shark ID and counting in the world famous Beqa Lagoon. Not to mention I’ll be living in Fiji for 3 months!

After Fiji it’s off to Raja Ampat in Indonesia – a place on many diver’s bucket list. I’ve been lucky enough to dive in many sites within the coral triangle, including Komodo National Park; but Raja Ampat is a place I’ve dreamed of going, so the chance to go for an extended period and actually learn about the creatures in detail is amazing. I’m blessed to have this chance and will savour every minute.  This area is one of the most species diverse and if I am really lucky I hope to see wobbegongs and walking sharks, oh and the area is rather well known for mantas, and you can never see enough of those graceful creatures. I’m taking my GoPro and getting a new camera for stills shots, so stay tuned for up-dates.

I haven’t committed to anything past Raja Ampat, but the world is my oyster and you could see me visiting far flung places in either Africa or the Americas… Keep checking in to see what I’m up to, and hey, if you think you know something I could get involved in, let me know 🙂