Friday, March 07, 2014

Shark Volunteer in Fiji!


And here's another one!
My name is Viktor Hesselberg- Thomsen. 
I am 19 years old, live in Fredensborg and graduated buzzer 2013. In my gap year I came to Fiji for six weeks with the organization Projects Abroad to work on a project that aims to protect and conserve sharks primarily here in the South Pacific . We do this by collecting data to hajforskere , develop educational material about sharks , and to train local people in our neighborhood about sharks.I have always been fascinated by the sea and the animals that live in it. When I saw this project , I had to simply join me . I pushed the plans I had at the start of the new year, and wrote me up for the project.

After 35 hours of travel I arrived in this amazing country with a very friendly locals .  

In the project we are 20 volunteers, and the age difference is great. There are about ten , which is between 17 and 25 years. The rest are somewhere between 26 and 63 years. Although there is huge difference in age and background between us is really good atmosphere in the group and I have made friends all around the world.

Two to three times a week we'll go diving .  

Here we collect data by counting how many and which sharks we see. We also an underwater camera with a feed box . In addition, we develop training materials or game / play ( involving sharks) , these we use when we are once a week take off for a school or a local village to give sharks a positive ' image ' of the people especially the children. We also try to catch baby sharks to take DNA samples and to cause them a ' tag ' that makes it easy to follow them.
 
Once a month , we take a dive center out and watch them feed the sharks. 

Here we have 40-45 bull sharks swimming around , you see how easy and elegant grabs tuna heads , as they are fed . This is one of the best experiences of my life , and along with the rest of the project and unity with the other volunteers have it pushed to my view of sharks and the world at large. I really think that those who get the opportunity to see sharks in the wild , must seize it ! 

Viktor diving with sharks in Fiji.
There you have it.

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