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Mtwara & Pemba, Tanzania
 The eating banda in Mtwara |
 Octopus |
 Giant clam |
During January to March 2001 I joined the Frontier marine research expedition in Tanzania. The expedition started in the capital, Dar es Salaam, and it took us a full 24 hours on a ferry to get to the base camp at Mtwara in the south of Tanzania.
We were supposed to stay in Mtwara for only the first few weeks during the training period and then move to Pemba, however due to political unrest and riots in the Zanzibar islands the move was delayed and we ended up staying in Mtwara for six weeks.
The camp at Mtwara consisted of a collection of palm leaf thatched huts known as bandas which, being a few years old, leaked quite badly when the heavy tropical rains came.
After finishing the scientific training at Mtwara we surveyed an area of the bay that is slated for an extension of the port. Fortunately we found that this area doesn't have much in the way of corals or wildlife.
Then we moved to Pemba which is the second largest of the Zanzibar islands. Our first task upon arrival was to finish the building of the camp, including putting the walls on the bandas, installing the (solar) electric system and many other jobs.
The purpose of the expedition being in Pemba is to survey the marine areas around Mesali Island, which is a protected site and the island itself is considered a sacred site by the Islamic religion. It is also rumoured to be the place where the infamous pirate Captain Kidd hide his treasure!
As ours was the first phase of the project to survey the area (it is expected to take three years) our job was to start the mapping of the reefs around the island. The reefs themselves were very badly hit by El Niņo a few years ago and were obviously in much better state before than they are now, although they are regenerating.
I did however see some impressive fish, including one school of five Humphead wrasse and several schools of barracuda. Also, snorkeling off of Mesali Island I was, for the first time ever, attacked by a fish. The Moustache triggerfish, normally quite timid, becomes aggressive when guarding its nest and, swimming along, I suddenly found myself being rammed in the head by one, maybe 30-40cms in length. It kept going after me until I swam out of the area, but I was lucky coming off unscathed as the triggerfish drew blood from some other snorkellers with bites to their legs.
 Bennett's butterflyfish |
 Blackfin barracuda |
 Meyer's butterflyfish |
 Starfish |
 Blackspotted sweetlips |
 Moustache triggerfish |
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