Dive Adventures in Tofo, Mozambique

After returning from a Trip to the Socorro Islands, I Learned Scary News about our Conservation Superhero Dr. Andrea Marshall, Queen of Mantas

April 27, 2024 By Tam Warner Minton Leave a Comment

Queen of mantas, andrea marshall, marine megafauna, superhero — **Superhero Dr. Andrea Marshall,**

**Queen of Mantas**

I recently returned from a trip with conservation superhero Dr. Andrea Marshall, known as the Queen of Mantas. We dived the Revillagigedo Islands, aka the Socorro Islands, a group of four volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean. They are part of Mexico and are located approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) off Mexico’s western coast. The islands are known for their diverse and abundant marine life, making them a popular destination for diving enthusiasts like me. Some species in the waters around the Revillagigedo islands include 11 species of sharks, giant manta rays, dolphins, and whales. The islands are also home to a variety of seabirds and unique flora. It is the only place on earth where I’ve seen so much human and fish/mammal interaction. The mantas love to swim above you enjoying your scuba bubbles, and on my last trip, I danced with a dolphin which was a magical experience.

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In a rut? Do something EXTRAORDINARY.

February 10, 2015 By Tam Warner 27 Comments

The Zodiac...not easy to get into, or over the surf! — The Zodiac…not easy to get into, not easy to get over the surf!

A few years ago, I saw a BBC documentary that prompted a life reinvention. The documentary was about two marine biologists living in Tofo, Mozambique, studying Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. I was captivated by the Mantas…I had never seen one while diving or snorkeling before, only through binoculars on the surface of the water. Having already had some experience with Whale Sharks, I was also extremely interested in their ecology. The scientists, Dr. Andrea Marshall (aka Queen of Mantas) and Dr. Simon Pierce, were studying these species which at that time were so abundant in Mozambique waters. (Sadly, the populations are now significantly impacted by unsustainable fishing practices). Their organization is Marine Megafauna Foundation.

I began searching for dive trips where I could do some volunteer work, even to just do fish counts. All Out Africa (alloutafrica.com) had a program working with Whale Shark Identifications and fish population counting in Tofo, Mozambique….helping with the whale shark program I had seen on the documentary! I thought, why can’t I do that? It was for adults, not a high school or college program or a gap year, but for adults. My family had a few reasons they did not want me traipsing off to Africa by myself, and I suppose there were some good reasons among them, but I made the decision to go. I booked my trip.

Our washing machine...ourselves! — Our washing machine…ourselves!

It appears crazy, absolutely nuts, to pick up and head off to Africa for 6 weeks by yourself, to live in an unpopulated area where there are no doctors, and the closest thing to a town, Inhambane, was at least an hour away. Was there a Decompression chamber in case of getting “the bends”, or decompression sickness? No. The closest one was in Johannesburg. Not a hop skip and a jump away. The message? Don’t get sick.

So off I went, a midlife woman with a passion for diving and animals, off on my very own adventure. It was the best gift I ever gave myself. I was tested physically (I’ve had two back surgeries and a few other physical limitations), and I was tested mentally… the experience empowered and helped me understand my abilities in an entirely different light. The trip was challenging, the environment both exhilarating and disturbing, and certainly the living standard was not what I was used to.

Diving in rough water was a new experience because the currents and surges off of Mozambique are strong. The water is cold. It took me a few dives to get comfortable, and my first two dives were pretty awful. But, I adapted. I learned. I stayed in a house of volunteers, sharing a bathroom with the house and a bedroom with a roommate, and ended up with some close friendships even though I was the oldest one there, most of the volunteers being Europeans in their twenties. I have seen these friends since the trip, we keep in touch, and we have enjoyed diving together in other locales. I also went on another “citizen science” trip just this year, to Ecuador. I can’t wait for the next one. There will be more “citizen science” trips in the future, count on it.

(I blogged about these experiences, you can find them in the categories “Adventures in Mozambique”, “Dive Adventures in Tofo” and “Diving Ecuador”. )

moz 12 cb baby — We entertained children from the orphanage at the beach.

Have you ever wanted to do something you thought was “out there”? Do you have a desire to get out into the world and make a difference? There are volunteer programs all over the world for adults. Most of them have nothing to do with scuba, and there are plenty of them on all continents. I have some advice for you: be bold. Why not look into it? Eco-tourism, volunteer tourism, will take you to places you’ve only dreamed of.

Let’s face it: if you dream of doing something, you’d better do it now. Tomorrow is promised to no one, and in midlife who knows what is coming next? Do something Extraordinary for yourself, you won’t believe how empowered it will make you feel!

For more stories in Public Radio International’s Across Womens Lives series check out http://www.pri.org/verticals-listing/across-womens-lives.

Mantas, Whale Sharks, and the Marine Megafauna Foundation

September 25, 2013 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 25, 2013, 15 DAYS AFTER MY HUSBAND HAD A DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT.

I volunteered in Tofo, Mozambique in May 2012 and met many of the scientists of the Marine Megafauna Foundation. I admire these people so much for their dedication to saving important animals in our oceans, animals threatened by ignorant beliefs, shortsightedness, and unsubstantiated medical claims. I signed up to go to Komodo in January, on a 2 week research trip, looking for mantas and encouraging young women, through Ocean Gems, to go into marine science. I also thought about going with them to Ecuador, but decided to wait. In Ecuador right now, they are seeing some of the largest Manta Rays ever discovered, and they also saw a huge, pregnant whale shark. I just watched the video on this trip, you can find it at Project Mantas Ecuador. Amazing.

I must confess to a few tears….do not get me wrong: Randy’s health comes first, absolutely. I canceled trips because I had to, and because we have to get Randy back to health before we do anything else. But still….there is a little part of me feeling sad because I am missing out on trips that I had planned and dreamed about doing. I realize it doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do them, it just means I cannot do it NOW. I have always had an awareness of the fragility of life…and I have wanted to travel and take part in the bigger world as a consequence of it. I know I must do what I want to do while I can still do it. This is just a setback, I will be back under the water.

Randy may or may not dive again, it is certainly not advisable for at least a couple of years, so he can see how well he does with all of the medication. For all I know, maybe he will be diving again in a year, 5 years, or never again. It doesn’t really matter as long as he is healthy and strong. I am perfectly capable of going off on my own.

And yet, I feel the loss of my dive buddy, my dive partner. Of course, there are other possibilities now, like mountains, hiking, and more adventures in the USA. Maybe Alaska! I will enjoy any of these activities. I will enjoy sitting in our backyard, playing with our dogs. My passion and focus remains under the seas….but as I said, I will get back to my ocean and its creatures. If Randy is doing great in six months, perhaps I will take a live aboard trip. We’ll see.

The journey of the lung transplant doesn’t only have a major effect on Randy, but on his family and loved ones as well. I think it is important to be honest about our feelings as we continue down this path. We all have fears and hopes, and while Randy is at the center of them, we each have our own lives to live. We just have to go with the flow, there is no way to force the river into any particular path.

One of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck, gives what is sage advice: “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”

A Summary of my Volunteer Trip to Tofo Mozambique

September 1, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

June 2

Ah, I now have to time to catch up on my blog as I fly over Mozambique, headed to Joburg. On Monday I came down with a stomach bug. It must have been the stomach bug of all time, because I have never felt so sick in my life. I was sick enough to call upstairs for a doctor, and the owner of Peri Peri was at the guesthouse with his wife. I think I have already blogged about how he tested me for malaria, and no, I don’t have it. My CPAP was out, and most people here seem to think it is some kind of oxygen or ventilator, I guess people in the rest of the world don’t have CPAPs or sleep apnea, mine gives me a solid night of sleep but isn’t a big deal. Where did I get the bug? Who knows, but for a month I shared regulators, fins, wetsuits, shower and bath facilities, water, and various other things. I also spent several hours with little children. It would be easy to pick something up. Either that, or I ate something. I slept the next day, and then Randy arrived. By Thursday I felt 110%, better than I have felt for years. However, the owner of Peri Peri saw me ill, and even though I feel great, I was not allowed to dive on my last day. I was quite upset, but I have put it in perspective. As I have already written here, the diving was extremely challenging, and the first two dives were very poorly done on my part. I did adjust, and dove for the rest of the 3 weeks without issues. My last dive would have been no problem at all and a wonderful finish to my trip, but I didn’t argue although I was deeply upset. I did everything on the trip I was scheduled or asked to do and more.

The dive conditions varied tremendously, from the worst current and visibility I have ever been in to maybe 30 ft visibility with surge. Not easy. The diving turned out to be a great disappointment as I did not see any mantas while diving, no whale sharks, leopard sharks, bowmouth guitar sharks, leatherback turtles…. I came on this trip for many reasons, but one of them was to see these animals. I have seen documentaries and read that Tofo is the epicenter of mantas and year round whale sharks. Perhaps it used to be, but I was there for one month, and the only one of these creatures I saw was a manta while snorkeling. I saw more dead sharks and rays than live ones, sadly enough.

My first manta! — One of two mantas I saw in month!

In summary, I am quite pleased with my trip in most ways, and I really enjoyed being there, the scientific community is terrific, but I doubt I will return to Tofo. My son Wes would love it and do great there, and his girlfriend Carisa (who is an organic farmer) could teach or start farming in Mozambique. As for me, I’m thinking Thailand or Egypt or Indonesia…..on a luxury live aboard, haha.

This trip was a challenge I set for myself. Never in my life had I travelled so far, alone, never have I volunteered on such a project. I wasn’t trying to prove anything, not even to myself, but I was challenging myself and my lifestyle, and the fact that I have hit midlife. My youngest is a senior in college, and I am done raising my family (well, as finished as a mother can ever be). I enjoy my career immensely as I care about, and like, my students. I do not want to just “age gracefully” now and wait for grandchildren so I can bake cookies (hardly my style), this is the time of life for me and my interests.

Many of us do not really know who we are until we are older, and in some respects it is true of me. I have never really fit anywhere. When I was a child and a teen I tried to fit in. In my twenties I appeared to blend in, and by my 30s I was comfortable. All of my life I have admired those people who seem to have it all together, who seem to fit into groups with ease: everything is in its right place, it is all organized and planned ahead, things are not left behind, forgotten, or broken, they don’t forget their weight belt or to put the jacket on the tank before hooking up the regulator. Shit, I just remembered I forgot my prescription mask at the dive center. Sometimes I make myself crazy! I’ll ask Ben to bring it back to the US and mail it to me. Anyway, I do so admire those got-it-all-together people, but I have come to full acceptance that I will never be one of them, no matter what I do or how hard I try. I leave things, forget items, drop and break things. I trip on flat surfaces and go flying, I fall down on boats and buses as well as off of boats and buses. I am accident prone, ever since I can remember I have had cuts and bruises with no concept of how I got them. I am the true version of the absent minded professor of the old Walt Disney movie (it is an old one, I really cannot remember it except for the professor who barely knew where he was most of the time). We are who we are. All of those things about me anger me, embarrass me, and frustrate me, but really, I need to just accept it. I’m better when I take my Focalin for ADHD, but I didn’t know if it would be okay while diving so I didn’t take it. I do have many redeeming qualities. One of those is a commitment to service, to giving back, to helping others. My volunteer mission in Mozambique served 3 purposes: to challenge myself physically and test my endurance, to give my time and energy to a worthwhile project, and to learn even more about my passion for marine animals (any animals, really). So how did I do?

Stairs of Death, a challenge met and mastered.

I was successful meeting physical challenges I thought were beyond me. After the 10 year debacle of my back surgery, MRSA infection, and other various health nuisances (nothing serious or fatal, thanks be) which included this awful weight gain, I doubted my physical endurance and capability. I have just spent a month walking miles a day, climbing up steep hills or stairs, pushing a zodiac into the water, diving in tough conditions, snorkeling in a sometimes choppy sea, and here is what I have to say: bring it on, I am ready to do anything. I have lost weight, gained strength, and found more confidence in myself than I have ever known. I’m ready to go anywhere, and I am really looking forward to my girl’s trip to Lake Tahoe in August, because I have no qualms now about climbing, hiking, or rafting. Of course, I’ll probably fall on my face doing it, but that’s ok, situation normal. I have always wanted to go sky diving….I wonder if it is as fun as jumping off a cliff to handglide or cage dive with Great Whites? I think I’ll put it on my to-do list.

I wish I could have contributed more to the whale shark project. I actually do more surveys and logging for REEF on my own than I did at this project. I enjoyed learning about the databases for whale sharks and other animals, and I always have confidence in my mental ability to do those kinds of things well and in a very thorough manner. Once you learn the old Scientific Method in grad school, you never lose it. I did learn some new information, but really, not a whole lot, and that was a bit disappointing too. I had hoped for more real research activity.

So, the success of my trip was personal success, and I am happy with that. I didn’t complain about anything, though a few times I wanted to. I kept my mouth shut, another amazing feat for me since my foot is usually stuck in my mouth (or as my dad used to say, “don’t let your mouth get your ass in trouble”.) The other major success of this trip is due to my housemates and fellow volunteers. They were wonderful to me, and I enjoyed my time with them very much. It is amazing how quickly bonding takes place! I am old enough to be the parent of some of them, but I will consider them as friends for the rest of my life. I hope they all come and visit me in Cozumel or Dallas! I’d love to dive with them in a relaxed holiday environment. Of course, I am always planning a trip to Europe, and now I have even more reason: Daniela in Munich, Leslie in Basel, Marcel in Zurich, Felix in London…..) Age is really just a number, it does not define who you are or what you can do. Besides, 50 is the new 40!

SO. I am on my way to Joburg with Randy, who had a bit of trouble with the walking and hills in Tofo, and tomorrow we will set out for Arusha, Tanzania and a new adventure! BRING IT ON.

The Worst Dive EVER

August 23, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

May 25

moz 12 tt need id — I have no clue what this is!

I finished my last dive for All Out Africa today, though I will continue to dive until Randy gets here. I have to say I am disappointed that I did not participate in collection of id photos on anything but turtles. I have learned so much from this trip, and I am still ruminating on it. I will share as I get my thoughts in order. I did participate in fish id surveys and I logged dives into the research database. The diving has been interesting and I wouldn’t have missed it, but what was once a common sight here, leopard sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, are common no longer. The decline in these populations is disastrous for the people here, as tourism will be affected, but they are the ones causing the decline by overfishing, longlining, targeting sharks and rays. I have another week here, I still hope to see a humpback whale, whale shark, small eye sting ray, leopard shark, or a manta on a dive. I will be very happy to trade in my bunkbed with 2 inch mattress for the Casa do Mar on Monday. They even have washing machines! Sleeping on a real bed will be heaven. I have enjoyed living in the house with this wonderful group, but I am starting to miss the luxuries I am used to (washing machines, bath tubs, microwaves, and crisp French fries, aka chips.)

moz 12 tt emperor angelfish — Table Top visibility was very bad on this dive

I have an ocean safari tomorrow, so hopefully I will get my wish. ONE of the housemates saw an oceanic sunfish (mola mola) today, but of course, I wasn’t on that dive. Maybe tomorrow.

May 25 morning update:

They saw a leatherback turtle on their dive today. No, I wasn’t on the morning dive. Shit! And a leatherback and manta cruised by us on the ocean safari…did I see them? No, they were gone in a flash.

Tonight is the goodbye “party” for Patty at TofoTofo, a restaurant/club. We have a turtle talk at 6p, then we will head off to dinner. I’m diving in the morning so I won’t be out late.

Shark Week

August 11, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

May 20, 2012

Back in Tofo after a LONG and bumpy ride back in a van that rides rougher than a go-cart! Ouch.

Of course, in the 2 days I was gone a whale shark was spotted on a dive, a tiger shark, and a gray reef shark. Apparently the strong currents bring them in. Of course, the flip side is that the visability was 4 meters (12 feet). To see a tiger shark within 12 feet would be a harrowing experience I think, but often when you are afraid of something, if you dive with it once, you feel fine about it. I actually jumped in the water the other day when we sighted a Hammerhead Shark. Sadly, I didn’t really see it. I’ve always wanted to see one. So I am unsure about the way the rest of the week will play out. Of course I want to see things and dive, but it is all so difficult when it is calm so I can’t imagine it choppy. Of course the first day or two I dove it was fairly choppy, but I have my “diving fins” now (as opposed to sea legs, haha) so it will probably be better. There is an Indian ocean website called windguru, and winds are rated from calm to storms, and they don’t dive if it is too windy. We’ll just have to play it by ear.

I just did a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (personality “test”) on Patty, and she turned out to be exactly my guess: ISTJ, the Inspector! LOL. She’s awesome, and she laughed through it as it is completely accurate. I really like most everyone in the house though I know some better than others. It has really been enjoyable, getting to know them all. Patty is an American, from San Francisco, one of my very favorite cities. I’ve been giving my housemates the MBTI, with interesting results. So far we have an ISTJ, 2 ESFJ’s, an INTP (Cooper, your type!), and myself, an INFP. Rather an interesting collection of people. And Yay! I have a reason to go to San Francisco now! And I have reasons to go to London, Zurich, and Munich…and the Seychelles…and………just resting up for the week and getting ready for what it will bring!

May 21

Knocked on the head by a Great White Shark!

The big event today was a non-event….nothing on the ocean safari. Two whale sharks have been sighted at Barra Point, so we are going to head that direction tomorrow. Also, four Great Whites have been sighted not far from here, apparently it is unusual to see them in these waters. After my last experience with one I can’t say I’m anxious to meet one in open water, the cage was rather helpful last time! Today it rained, and it is cold for the first time since I’ve been here. Chilly. It will be cold on the water tomorrow. The water temperature has dropped 4 degrees since I’ve been in Tofo, so winter is coming (Stark words). Rain and wind shut down the power here in Tofo, so we’ve been without power a few times today.

An observation: The car ride to and from Vilanculas was the first time I’ve really had time to think since I’ve been here. It is always so busy with dives, data entry, ocean safaris, or people in and out, there is no time for reflection. I did have a few introspective moments during the 8 hour round trip car ride….watching the people on the roads and seeing the villages where they live. People in town do seem to live a bit better, and there is the occasional stucco or brick house, but for the most part, these people have nothing in a material sense. Their huts are not as big as our living room, made of palm fronds woven tightly to keep out the rain. Most of their time seems to be spent outside of the huts, under a shade tree, or around a fire cooking. Water is brought from wells. Today is Sunday and there were people all over the roads, in their Sunday clothes, headed from or to church. I feel certain it is a major socializing event, much like the market where they sell goods if they are close enough to town. Their reality is harsh, and their needs simple: survive, feed yourself and your family, have babies, and die young. I’ve heard it is estimated that one in five in Mozambique are HIV positive. I couldn’t survive a week in their world, I feel sure I would die of some infection or virus pretty quickly given the water and unsanitary conditions. One of the million chickens walking around would give me bird flu. It is a lesson in appreciating the things that you do have….running water, electricity, clean water (relatively)….it is disturbing to see how poor the people are here, and I realize, what do I have to complain about?

Dive Adventures in Tofo, Mozambique

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