Travels with Tam

Discover the story of An African Owl and a Beautiful dive

August 14, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

May 23

African Owl.

Today has been so eventful I really don’t know where to start. I guess I will start this morning. Leslie (my roomie) and I walked down to the market, I wanted to buy a couple of things. She had to leave for an ocean safari after 30 minutes or so, at which point every guy in the market bombarded me. They need to eat, feed their kids, they are my friend, they make good price….omg. It went on and on. And yes, I bought. I also ran away, down the road to Fatimas, a sort of beach bar/restaurant. Two guys followed me, but when I shook my head they left. I guess they didn’t want to get the Fatima staff upset by hassling their customers. Fatimas is nice…a lovely place to sit and just watch the waves roll in. I had breakfast, then walked back through the market, up the stairs of death and to the house. I don’t know how many miles a day I’m putting in, but it is miles, up and down hills. One cannot avoid hills in Tofo.

I chatted with Katie about her dive for a while, she is one of the project coordinators. I went out onto the porch and saw Daniela talking to some guys across the road. She called up saying there was a bird hurt, so I went down. A group of 4 or 5 men were lighting a fire. I looked down and there was a beautiful, green eyed, tawny owl on the ground, with what looked like a badly broken wing. The men said they were going to burn it alive. Felix came down around that time, he speaks Portuguese and began to talk to them. We tried to explain that owls are good, they eat mice and other rodents. They didn’t care, they said the owl was evil and they were killing it. I don’t really remember what Felix was talking to them about, but I knelt to take a look at her. A beautiful owl. Felix let the men know we were not going to allow the burning, and then they walked off, but not before the whole neighborhood came out to watch. Daniela gave me her blanket and I threw it over the bird. She scooped her up and we carried her to our back yard. I uncovered her, and she tried to fly, but couldn’t. We called vets and found one in Inhambane who said she would take a look at her. I put a blanket over her, picked her up and put her in a large plastic container which I covered with the blanket. Birds know it is time to rest in the dark, I’ve always put sheets or blankets over bird cages at night. After she settled down a bit, we gave her water and a piece of bacon. It was time for Daniela, Ross (the other coordinator) and I to do an afternoon dive, so after putting the owl in the dining/work area so Katie and everyone else could make sure the cat didn’t get at her, we left. The vet gave us an appointment at 530p in Inhambane.

Tofo, Mozambique — Gorgeous anemone on Marble Arch

Off to the dive. We went to Marble Arch where the visibility was awful, maybe 25 feet. I am posting a few pictures of what we saw on the dive. It is so difficult to take photos….there is so much plankton in the water, and there is surge. After we came back, we beached the boat, and up the stairs of death again. It was close to time when we needed to go to Inhambane. We managed to get a “chappa” (taxi) and we hired it only for ourselves, we certainly didn’t need 25 people in it with the owl. We went to the vet, Sonia, and she was lovely. She called a couple who run a lodge here and love birds, and they agreed to take her. The vet readied everything for putting the wing back together. Katie, Felix and I were overjoyed that she would be cared for, but then we all saw the damage. The wing was not only broken, it had been ripped off of her body and it was hanging by a very small tissue. It would be like if someone tore your arm off and it was hanging by a ligament. The area under the wing had been torn from her body. The vet worked on it a while, but at last said the damage was just too great, the owl would never fly again, and the wing would probably have to come off. I wish this had happened in the states where I could have taken her home to care for her, but obviously, I am not home. The poor thing was in so much pain. I stroked her head and her feathers were so soft and light as air. The four of us discussed the situation, and decided to put her to sleep. I have never seen damage to an animal like that, they were beating her with sticks and pulled her wing out of her body. After the owl was gone, Katie, Felix and I rode back to the house. I was very, very upset, of course.

I have seen much cruelty and ignorance here in Tofo. They kill and slaughter sharks right on the beach, cutting off their fins and selling off the meat. I realize how poor they are, and at least they believe they are just fishing and sharks are fair. But those men with the owl…it was nothing but cruelty. No one eats owls, there was no reason in the world to hurt her. But there they were, laughing, hitting her, and starting a fire. The fire was already lit as I came out into the road to see her. It was very tense as we wondered what they were going to do to us, at first they had no intention of letting her go. I am horrified and saddened by the pleasure they took in hurting the poor owl. New figures came out today about the populations of mantas and whale sharks here: whale sharks are down 65%, mantas 87%. No wonder I haven’t seen a whale shark, and haven’t seen a manta on a dive.

I have always been idealistic and believed there was hope for every creature on this earth, but it seems these animals have no chance. I respect and admire the biologists and conservationists here for continuing to try, but when the government won’t listen or do anything, there is little hope the people here will do anything. I don’t know, what can you do to fight against this? I wish I still believed that people are good at heart and mean to do the right thing…I am beginning to realize that some people really are sadistic and cruel, and have no care for anything or anyone but self. It is so late, and I am tired, but I needed to write this blog. I will carry the memory of what I saw today with me always. She was so beautiful, a small owl, there was no reason for this but those men enjoyed torturing that poor creature.

I am with Walt Whitman:

“I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self contained;

I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition;

They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;

They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;

Not one is dissatisfied-not one is demented with the mania of owning things;

Not one kneels to another, nor his kind that lived thousands of years ago;

Not one is responsible or industrious over the whole earth.”

― Walt Whitman

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?

Villancula on a shoestring

August 4, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Vilancula on a shoestring. It took from 9a until 2p to get here, we are staying at a backpackers hostel. Not exactly what I am used to….but for two nights I can survive. We stopped on the way for a picnic where Ben found a chameleon. Everyone photographed it repeatedly. THEN Ben spotted a green tree snake. I said, I think that snake is venomous, but they said it was not. Photos again! Then Felix checked it on his iphone…and yes, it is a very poisonous snake whose bite can be fatal. I’m grateful no one grabbed it. Right now I am in the “restaurant” of the backpackers, and a momma dog has 9 pups in here. They are so cute, but life is too tough here for these poor dogs. People cannot take care of themselves let alone animals.

Back from snorkeling. Apparently, they do not know what clear visability is in Mozambique. Oh well, it was an interesting trip over on a wooden boat that looked a hundred years old, and it had a campfire on it to cook on. The mast was made of wood…and I mean, it used to be a tree. I actually fell up and into the boat. Yes, it is possible to do. It is all very primitive, and a fascinating study. Overall, I would say the trip really wasn’t worth the trouble it took to get here, but it is an experience. I have never traveled this way, staying at backpackers in a closet like room with 4 bunkbeds and no hot water in the shower. We did ask about hot water…and they brought us water in a bucket that had been boiled. As I said, I have never traveled in this manner before, and I am keeping my mouth shut and just going with the flow. I don’t want to be the American bitch who complains about everything, so I choose to be amused instead. After all, I am learning a new culture, new way of diving, new way of living and eating, and getting to know new people. Overall, a great experience for me. Very eye opening in many respects. Absolutely no regrets.

Bazaruto with Ben, Marcel and "Messiah" — Bazaruto with Ben, Marcel and “Messiah”

I thought the poverty in Mexico was bad….it is as bad as the worst poverty in Mexico. People live in huts with no running water, no electricity, no easy access to medical care or the ability to travel very far. For the very poor, life is extremely hard in Mozambique, and it is no wonder the life expectancy is mid-forties here. You see very few old people. It is difficult to put what I am seeing into words, and I hesitate to take photos…I don’t want to make them feel like their poverty is worth taking photos of. It is distressing, and certainly I feel like I am roughing it, but I am living like royalty in comparison. I would not survive this kind of poverty, I am sure I would never have made it past 2 years old. One’s immune system has to be iron here.

My luxury suite at the "backpackers" — My luxury suite at the “backpackers”

Tomorrow it is the long drive back to Tofo, then a “work” week ahead I’m going to go on the ocean safaris and do the dives required, but I doubt I will do extra diving. There is abundant life on the reefs, amazing life, but I am a bit disappointed that in nearly 2 weeks I have yet to see a whale shark, and have seen only two mantas, and no mantas on dives. Hopefully there will be something next week. Mantas used to be abundant here, but with a population that is down 87% in 10 years, they are not abundant anymore. I don’t think Randy will like the diving….it is much harder than the California diving we did, and he did not enjoy that. I can hear “this is bullshit”, a famous Randy phrase. It would be worth it if there were mantas on every dive, but as I said, I’ve been diving every day for a week and I’ve seen nada. The weather is supposed to turn bad next week, and I have decided that if it is really rough on the ocean I will not dive. I can only imagine how difficult it would be in bad weather, but I don’t think I will take the chance to find out. Hopefully, it will remain nice and calm (for here). Time for bed…or should I say board? The mattress is less than 5 inches thick, and a damned rooster crows from about 4a until 8a. I might decide to eat chicken if I stayed here much longer! Yes, a new experience for Tam!

Do and Go and See NOW

July 23, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Crazy day. Today is Daniela’s birthday, and right now Felix is baking her a cake and playing some techno disco music. Where to start? First, I received an email that Rex is not doing very well and he is in the hospital. (My father-in-law). Apparently he has fallen and broken his tailbone, has a ruptured lumbar disk, and has had a somewhat difficult time cognitively. I’m very sad about it…he will go into rehab after he gets out of the hospital. I hope cortisone will work for his disc. It is troubling to watch our parents become infirm, it certainly lets us know that time is passing. I am glad he has done so much travelling in the last 5 years, he has been everywhere. None of us know when we are going to have problems, so we have to grab every moment, and I believe he has. I have always known this truth, I grew up going to the funerals of those who never made it to retirement, so I have always taken opportunities when they come my way, to travel, meet new people, experience new things. Age is creeping up, people my age have become ill, so I am going to do and go and see, before I cannot.

First dive this morning I saw a honeycombed whip tail stingray, the most dangerous ray in the world (or so I hear). Not close enough to go to the trouble for a photo, but it was big and beautiful. This was ray day….the whip tail, blue spotted rays, an electric ray, a Jenkins stingray, but no mobulas or mantas. Quite interesting animals on the second dive this afternoon: a Spanish Dancer egg case, for one thing. It looks like a gorgeous pink ribbon. The dive this afternoon was a mess: they forgot to bring my weight belt, prescription mask, and fins…. That was not the worst of it, though. We did the dive, I cannot see very well (no prescription mask), and of course I cannot push myself out of the water onto the boat, though I tried and ended up swallowing too much salt water. The reef, Salon, is only 10 minutes out of the bay, and when we return from a dive we “beach the boat”. Beaching the boat means that the driver runs at top speed ONTO THE SAND. It can be a bit harrowing, but today, I flew up out of the boat and landed in the middle, on a metal rod that runs the length of the boat. Embarrassing? Completely. I am quite sore. You know, it has to be said, I am a true walking, talking disaster zone. I am clumsy, often falling for no reason except I guess I don’t look where I am going, I am accident prone, and I cannot seem to stop these stupid incidents from happening. And yes, I spent most of my childhood in the corner, always in trouble for something. No matter where I go, these things follow me, I guess it is just part of being who I am. It ain’t easy being me!

Tomorrow we are off to Villancula and Bazaruta Archipeligo: Daniela, Ben, Suzanne, Marcel, and myself. I hear it is beautiful up there, especially around the islands….calm, warm seas, no current, hopefully a bit of a rest. I won’t have access to internet until Sunday night (as far as I know at the moment) so I will check in then. As everyone says here, cheers!

PS: Just had the big birthday celebration for Daniela. Darren (former bartender) mixed up some punch and everyone ended up playing some sort of truth telling card game (of the questions were mostly sexual in nature, and I have to say, they took it easy on me!) It was one way to get to know everyone!

A Giant Manta Ray and White Tip Shark!

July 22, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

May 16

moz 12 office honeycomb throat — Beautiful Office Honeycomb Eel

Marcel and Ben continue to work on their Advanced, and the Open Water Group passed their tests so they are certified and working toward their Advanced Diver, well, except Melissa. She is dating the dive instructor though, so I have a feeling she will pass. They all seem to enjoy diving….if they like it here, they can dive anywhere. It is lovely to hear them all talking about their dives, so excited by everything! I love it.

Today we all circulated and signed petitions regarding the massacre of sharks and rays yesterday. The Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna is rushing them to Maputo (the capitol) tonight. Most of the fishermen here have small rowboats, but this was a much larger, motorized boat. They have been told to fish 3 kilometers from shore, but they were in the bay. Even so, it is not illegal here, hopefully it soon will be. Darren, the marine biologist from the Seychelles, filmed it and there are many photos of the event. Let’s hope the government will understand that tourists are here to see these animals in the ocean, not being butchered on the beach. Rumor has it there is a Chinese mystery man in Maputo who pays top dollar for shark fins….some of the local guys who work in the dive industry are trying to find out his name.

I feel as though I have been here much longer than 10 days. I have become much stronger physically as the hills and treacherous stairs to the beach are unavoidable. It has been good for me. I have been diving every day since Friday, and I’ve done 3 ocean safaris. Launching the boat is no picnic, either, everything here involves physical exertion. I’ve started to know the scientists and divers….grad students, research assistants, biologists, they are all doing awesome work. I usually dive and safari with Ben and Marcel, and Darren is on every ocean safari as he is here from the Seychelles to measure and film Whale Sharks. Not much luck for him yet!

There have been few sightings in the last couple of months, and I sense a little concern. Great news filtered in today: a Humpback Whale was sighted off of Barra (one of the points of the bay)! I would love to see one. They come here to breed in late May, early June, so I may get lucky. I am also posting a photo of Marcel doing his laundry, and yes, I have to hand wash my clothes, too. A first for me.

I am very glad I decided to do this trip, and I hope it will be the first of many. I am diving in the morning and again in the afternoon, Friday morning a group of us leave for Bazaruto, a chain of island off of Villancula….it is said to be beautiful and serene, with incredible snorkeling. I am looking forward to it.

The Marine Megafauna Foundation in Tofo

July 21, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

I attended a talk on Manta Rays last night by Dr Andrea Marshall. Casa Barry Lodge hosts the Marine Megafauna Foundation, so the researchers are based there. Casa Barry is up a hill, then down a hill, from the volunteer house, but hey, everything in Tofo is up or down a hill. Andrea Marshall is so charismatic…her passion for the conservation of Manta Rays is infectious. I saw a Discovery Channel special on the work she does with mantas and that is what sparked my interest in coming to Tofo. I want to help support this effort to the best of my ability. (I am scheduled to go to Komodo with a research team on Mantas January 2014!)

Andrea arrived here 10 years ago to do her graduate work, the first study of Mantas, and 10 years later there are 87% FEWER MANTA RAYS. I’ve been here a week and I’ve seen only one manta, and no whale sharks. The reason for this is obvious: today, on the way to Outback reef for a dive, we saw a fishing boat pulling up sharks and rays in a NET. It is not illegal, these animals are being fished for their fins so quickly they cannot sustain the population. After our dive (where I saw a mobula ray!) we saw them dragging sharks to the market from the beach, so we followed, and everyone is standing around watching guys cut them up. The rays were just babies. These people are so poor, the life expectancy is so low here, that the locals just cannot understand that they can make more money over the long haul by keeping these animals safe. For them, it is about RIGHT NOW. Eating right now, making enough money to last for a month for fins, they do not comprehend that the reason the tourists are here are the animals they are killing. It is so sad, so demoralizing. We all walked away in disgust, anger, and deep sorrow. Here are photos.

I have started doing fish surveys and research dive logs, and today I am learning to search the whale shark database and mark the shark ids. They use the NASA system for charting stars to chart the spot pattern on the sharks. I’ve also contributed turtle id shots. The dives the last two days have been much better…Mozambique is not easy diving. It isn’t easy, period. The walking is very difficult, up and down hills to get anywhere, but I am managing. Today there were a few older divers…it was nice not to be the oldest one in sight! I have to admit that it is a mixed blessing…I do feel stronger every day, but I also feel worn out and in pain a bit. I am pacing myself, and I will absolutely be able to complete this program.

I am comfortable here, this is not luxury, but it is fine. Compared to the people of Mozambique I am living like a Queen in this volunteer house. I feel like I have known this group forever….the bonding takes place so quickly when living in the same house.

My admiration for these people grows daily. My 22 year old roommate, Leslie, is from Switzerland, and has done volunteer work all over the world, including Antarctica! After 2 months here, she is off to Simon’s Town (right outside of Cape Town, South Africa) to work on the Great White Shark project. A small Great White was seen here day before yesterday…it was speared by local fisherman, of course, so it is probably being eaten by now, its fins on their way to China. These animals are going to be gone in 10 years if something is not done soon.

I confess I am feeling sad today to miss my daughter’s 25th birthday, but I think it was more important that I was there the day I gave birth! Happy, happy birthday, sweet and darling girl, I love you so much! I wish you could be here and meet these amazing people! What a way to travel the world! They really are an inspiration.

I’m exhausted already….an ocean safari, dive and manta ray talk yesterday; today an early morning dive, computer work, and two talks. Oh, and laundry. It is never dull here.

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