Blue Ventures Settle In On Leleuvia, Fiji

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Resort point / Photo by Blue ventures

We’ve made inroads into mapping the coast line of Leleuvia this week. Working in teams of five, one person swims out fifty metres from shore holding a tape measure, another holds the end at the tide line, then two people swim out on either side of the tape looking for marine life – bottom dwelling invertebrates as well as schools of fish, eels and the like. The fifth person follows behind making a note of the substrate – coral, algae, sand and so on. We then move ten metres round and do it again, while the shore-bound team member writes up what has been recorded on our dive slates.

We hope that by the time we leave we will have completed a circuit of the island and managed to paint up a board with a large map to help future visitors to the island. Once we’ve completed the map of Leleuvia the plan is, I believe, for later sets of volunteers to complete maps of neighbouring Caqalai and other nearby islands, to give the Department of Fisheries a strong indication of what sorts of creatures can be found in and around this area.

Daily routine

Part of the fun of being on the first expedition to Fiji is helping the Blue Ventures staff work out the best way to schedule the day and to build up the lists and photo bank of fish species to be monitored. We recently changed the pattern of diving from half the group going out in the morning, and half in the afternoon to both dives leaving early. The first bunch are on the new boat (which Tristan picked up from Suva last week, along with a brand new 60hp outboard) at 07:30, returning around 09:00. The second set then leave around 09:45 and return in time for lunch, leaving the afternoons free for lectures, first-aid training, studying fish books or other productive work, such as studying the insides of your eyelids from the comfort of a hammock.

A bit of ‘me time’

Everyone is, for the most part, one big happy family now, although we all need a bit of ‘me time’ every now and again. For me, it was Wednesday evening of this week when I wandered alone to sunset beach and sat for an hour or so watching the sky change from light blue to dark and the clouds reflecting the light of the setting sun, changing slowly from light yellow right through the spectrum to a dusky orange, then to rich vermillion, cherry and ruby reds before finally it was night and the brilliant half-moon cast shadows on the beach as I walked slowly back to join the rest of the crew, who had been sitting at the bar drinking fruit smoothies before dinner. As I sat alone, sipping a chilled beer and taking far too many photographs, my thoughts turned to home and my beautiful wife, who I miss terribly. We have not been apart for so long since we were married and it is difficult for both of us, but particularly, I think, for her as she is still going through the day to day routine of working in England in a cold and icy March, while my biggest worry is whether I will be able to get someone to rub some aftersun on my back.