We can only guess how long its been since dolphins and other marine mammals have made the Red Sea their home. But we know they've been there for quite a long time – certainly far longer than most of the new villages, towns and cities currently creeping and expanding along the coast towards the south. With such rapid coastal development comes an expansion in tourism, and usage of relatively untouched marine areas for recreational diving, snorkeling and other water-based activities which might potentially endanger the habitats of our marine mammal populations and countless other marine creatures which make profitable tourism possible. Thus, it becomes clear that there is an urgent need to properly identify sensitive areas and plan coastal development and tourism in a sustainable manner. But how could we protect such delightful and important creatures and save our income-generating natural resources if we do not even know yet what species are present, how many populations there are, how large these populations are, where they feed, what they feed on or where they rest/nurse/socialize? For the first time ever in Egypt, a research project was launched this year to identify, enumerate and locate the dolphin and whale populations of the southern region of our Red Sea waters. The project was made possible by the efforts and support of the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) – the leading environmental NGO in Egypt – in collaboration with the Italian Cooperation as part of a debt swap program. The new project was named “The Red Sea Dolphin Project” (RSDP). The first boat-based RSDP expedition took place from the 6th to the 27th of June 2010. The research team, which I was fortunate enough to be a member of, consisted of three researchers and three research interns of Italian, Egyptian and Australian nationalities. In addition to the scientists, three paying eco-volunteers from Europe and the United States joined the research effort, participating with their own personal skills and learning about the creatures of interest, the nature of the region and about the research. The twenty days at sea were spent on board “the Red Sea Defender” – a beautiful safari boat built perfectly to withstand rough sea conditions and cut the waves regardless of the strength of the wind. The wonderful members of the crew did their best to accommodate the researchers and volunteers and provided them with all their needs with luxury. The work on board the Red Sea Defender involves navigating in a zigzag pattern from the shore to the open sea and back, from just south of Marsa Alam to the border with Sudan. While navigating, three team members take positions on the sundeck and check the sea for dolphins, whales or anything interesting or unusual. Dolphin sightings are extremely exciting on board! Dolphins usually approach the boat to bow-ride, often whistling and jumping spectacularly out of the water and often accompanied by adorable newborns that are delightful to watch! Once there is a sighting, all members of the team rush to battle-stations, some taking pictures, some entering data to the computer, some counting the dolphins and looking out for more. Since each dolphin has a unique dorsal fin marked with notches and scars, pictures of dorsal fins are used to identify and catalogue as many individuals as possible. Whenever a protected, shallow lagoon was found with resting dolphins inside, part of the team would also go snorkeling with the dolphins, taking pictures and videos underwater for photo-identification, always taking care to cause as little disturbance to the animals as possible. During the cruise, four species of dolphins were sighted repeatedly: spinner, pan-tropical spotted, indo-pacific bottlenose and common bottlenose dolphins. The spinner dolphins were the ones seen most often, sometimes numbering in the hundreds! More species are expected to be found in the future. But dolphins are not the only interesting aspect of the research cruise, while on board, we came across a number of other interesting creatures and got a chance to engage in environmental activities. For example, when diving or snorkeling after working for a whole day, we came across some of the most beautiful coral reefs in Egypt. We sighted many turtles, tunas, barracudas, a couple of sharks, a sailfish, a manta ray, three dugongs, exceptionally beautiful corals and many other interesting and strange creatures. More importantly, we had the opportunity to collect some floating rubbish encountered while navigating, rescued a small turtle entangled in an oil-soaked net on Wadi El Gemal island and reported a number of illegal non-Egyptian fishing boats which were promptly intercepted by Egyptian military forces… Life is never boring on board the Red Sea Defender! The research is scheduled to continue for the next three years with three similar research cruises each year. The next cruise will start on the first of this coming August, 2010. If you are interested in joining as an eco-volunteer for the first or the second ten days of the cruise, all you need to do is email HEPCA at [email protected]. If you are a science student/graduate interested in joining as an intern on subsequent cruises, you can also send your resume to the same email address. It is even possible to join the cruise at a discounted rate in certain special cases. For more information and details about the project and the cruises , go to www.hepca.com and find the detailed project briefing in PDF form. The cruises are guaranteed to be an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience and a priceless opportunity to learn firsthand about one of the most beautiful parts of the country and the creatures we share it with. If you are interested, don't miss it! Eco Options Egypt
