From forests to deserts- The Namibian experience

By Lauren Melchionda, Intern with the NDP Aug 2015

I love trees. I love stratified bark, whorled branches, and long taproots.  Most of the biology that I took part of in my undergraduate career happened in the Vermont forests.  My woodsy scientific upbringing instilled in me a passion for conservation and the environment.  As I approached the end of my third year in college, I sought out internships to gain more experience working in the natural world.  The Namibian Dolphin Project Internship leapt out at me as an opportunity to study new creatures in a totally different environment.  I applied, was accepted, and a few months later I found myself on a plane to Namibia!

Namibia could not have been more unfamiliar to me. There was sand instead of soil and rather than studying plants, I was studying marine mammals.  There was definitely a learning curve.  Dolphins are harder to find and much harder to photograph than conifers and angiosperms.  Despite the adjustment, working with these animals was a life changing experience. Our boat, The Nannuuq, was very small so I really felt like I was a part of the cetaceans’ habitat.  I got to see humpback whales, bottlenose and Heaviside’s dolphins, seals and penguins, all while working! I grew particularly fond of the Heaviside’s dolphins which swim and play right along the side of the boat!

Working with The NDP equipped me with many useful skills. I learned all about cetaceans, data collection and entry, and working on a boat.  This was also a great opportunity to learn about the Namibian culture, a place I previously knew nothing about. I got to work with people from all over the world and the diversity in all of our homes, educations, and interests made the summer extremely enriching.  Working with cetaceans and with all of the different biologists made me realize that even though we study different subjects and come from faraway places, our love for science and passion for conservation is universal. 

LAUREN  DATA RECORDING FOR BARRY, WITH ENRICO SKIPPERING

PHOTO OF A HUMPBACK WHALE BY LAUREN MELCHIONDA

Experiental learning in Namibia

by Ellie Poteat - NDP Intern, July 2015

Coming from a ranch in Montana, I didn’t come here with a lot of relevant marine biology knowledge. On my first boat day, I almost launched the trailer into the ocean instead of the boat! After working here for a month, I have gained a better understanding of what it takes to work with wildlife, and I learned how to launch the boat! 

Although I had a more challenging time adjusting to fieldwork in the ocean, it was worthwhile to be able see the animals we study thrive in their natural habitat. When we approached the Heaviside’s dolphins with the boat, it’s like coming home to a pet puppy, they bounce around the boat as if they are happy to see you! No matter where people come from, I think they can appreciate the feeling of sharing a positive experience with these dolphins, and to be able to help these dolphins continue to thrive is really fulfilling. After going through the photos dolphin’s fins in the office to try and ID them, I started to recognize some of the individuals. In a way, it felt like I got to know some of them, so it made the work feel more meaningful. Working here made me develop a deeper connection to the animals that inhabit this area, and I will take back with me a greater appreciation for something that was previously completely foreign to me.

Enrico goes to Walvis Bay

By Enrico Corsi - Namibian Dolphin Project intern June-Aug 2015

I’m almost halfway through my internship with the NDP and in this brief period, I feel like I’ve learned more about the research world than in all my previous academic and field experiences. Every day I learn something new, gain new skills and become more confident about myself.

I’m becoming more familiar with the day to day running of the project and the research techniques we use. I am also enjoying meeting the public and teaching them about the animals we study.

Boat work is by far the most rewarding and exciting activity I’ve ever done in my life. Every cetacean encounter is just as amazing as the first one, I never grow tired of looking for dolphins and whales. The bottlenose come so close to our house that sometimes we can jump on a kayak and be surrounded by them in a matter of seconds.

The team is great, I couldn’t possibly have asked for a better group. All the people who work or study here are fun and welcoming, they manage to create the perfect learning and  working environment, you’ll never be homesick, you’ll start feeling at home in a matter of days.

I’m here until the end of August and am really looking forward to the time I have left. I just got off the boat and, in all honesty, I can’t wait to jump back on it tomorrow!

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN LEAPING IN THE LAGOON WHILE WE WERE OUT ON THE KAYAK COLLECTING ACOUSTIC DATA - PHOTO BY ENRICO CORSI

ENRICO AND THE TEAM  (AND TEAM MASCOT ) SEARCHING FOR DOLPHINS FROM SHORE ON A NON GREAT WEATHER DAY

FANTASTIC HUMPBACK WHALE BREACH 

Bottlenose dolphins in the shallows

By Olly Johnson - NDP Intern March 2015

What an amazing month I spent in Walvis Bay, from quad biking in the dunes during my spare time to recording the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins from the boat! Everything was incredible and I learnt a huge amount, not only about dolphins but the sea birds too, something which at the start of the month I wasn't particularly interested in but I grew to really enjoy! 

I met some amazing people during my time as well, all of whom I hope to stay in touch with! The accommodation was great as well, being so close to the lagoon where I regularly saw dolphins feeding in really shallow waters, just 5 meters from shore at low tide! 

I would love to still be there, and no way could I pick a favourite moment from my time but some would include seeing a Heaviside’s dolphins now riding, quad biking in the dunes and the Sandwich Harbour tour! Another great moment was during one of my bird counts with Titus where we confidently concluded that the water was too shallow for dolphins and right at that moment they swam immediately in front of us in the lagoon. 

Thank you so much to everyone whose my time there so incredible!

[All photos by Olly Johnson]

Titus at sea

By Titus Shaanika -

After completing my thesis about human impacts on Heaviside’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus 
heavisidii), I have now taken up the opportunity to do a 3-month internship with the Namibian Dolphin project (NDP), where I have been involved in the daily running of the NDP office in Walvis Bay.

My day is mostly spent attending to curious and interested visitors that walk into the office and working on photographic data from Lüderitz, Namibia. I’m involved in two projects currently run by NDP: 1) the lagoon survey (done on foot along the 3 Km long walkway around the lagoon) and 2) the tour-boat surveys (done on boat in the 100 km2 Bay). The lagoon survey is carried out in order to determine how frequently bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) use the lagoon, a RAMSAR site under threat from urban development such as an “Eco-tourism” hotel proposed to be constructed at Lover’s Hill right along the lagoon. The tour boats surveys are carried out in order to determine the abundance of bottlenose and Heaviside’s dolphins as well update the existing ID catalogues of both species. Walvis Bay is a vital dolphin habitat which also faces threats from a harbour extension currently under construction. There needs to be extensive monitoring of the bay and lagoon to assess the severity of these developments on the natural environment which is currently not fully understood. The NDP is able to carry out boat-based surveys in the bay, thanks to the kindness of three tour boat operator companies Mola Mola, Catamaran Charters and Laramon tours.

Reflections of a volunteer

“Hi Phoebe. We would be happy to have you join the team in Namibia for November and December”.

That was it. I was booking flights and on my way down to London to get my visa sorted. I arrived in Walvis Bay in early November.

Now, six weeks later, I am incredibly sad to be coming to the end of my volunteer time with the Namibian Dolphin Project. But instead of being sad, I’m going to try and give you an insight into my experience and why I’m already planning my return to this part of the world. To put it briefly I have fallen head over heels in love with Namibia, the people, the places, the food and of course the dolphins!

Before coming to Namibia I only had a small amount of marine research experience so the past 6 weeks have been a huge yet thoroughly enjoyable learning curve. In the Namibian Dolphin Project office at the Walvis Bay waterfront both Steph and myself are involved with the logistics and day-to-day management of the project, quite a unique experience and one that I believe to be incredibly valuable. In addition to this, learning dorsal fin photo ID skills, editing videos from previous field seasons and explaining the function of baleen to tourists has enriched my time significantly.

Working with the team in the office is fun, but for me the best part is getting out on the tour boats. There are a number of marine tour companies in Walvis Bay, all of whom take boats out on a daily basis to offer tourists the privilege of seeing Heaviside’s and Bottlenose dolphins in the wild, as well as Cape Fur Seals, maybe some whales and even the odd penguin. As volunteers we get to do this a few times a week! Every time we collect data on the location, number and activity of the dolphins we see and I can assure you that the novelty never wears off. Seeing bottlenose dolphins bow ride or Heaviside’s dolphins swimming underneath the boats for the twentieth time is just as exciting as the first.

But my time in Namibia has been made equally as memorable through the experiences had outside the office and dolphin boats. By meeting so many Namibians and South Africans, all of whom are immensely friendly, I have been able to stand on top of dunes that plummet straight into the sea at Sandwich Harbour, drive 4x4s along the beach to Pelican Point and to sit only metres from a lion roaring its head off at Erindi Game Reserve. Now, future interns, my advice to you – dive head first into the dolphin research, you will learn a huge amount but also take all opportunities you get offered, you will head home with some amazing memories!
Tonight we, and members of the Fisheries Observer Agency, are attending an end of year soirée hosted by the Albatross Task Force. Working with the Namibian Dolphin Project has been immensely rewarding for such a short period of time, it has exposed me to the inner workings of an international research project and has helped to direct my future plans, both academically and career based.

October - Walvis Bay

by Tess Gridley

To many on the outside it may look like we have been keeping a low profile in Walvis Bay - have we been on holiday? Do we still care, where are Glen and Sara??? Others (those who don't hang out at the waterfront) probably haven't noticed we've been gone!

Well to provide a bit of an update, Simon and I (and Lucas, Glen and Alan) moved down to South Africa in July to start setting up a research station there - Sea Search. A large reason for the move was so that we can develop and maintain closer relationships with the key universities  (UCT and Pretoria) and set up an NPO which can help to finance research in both South Africa and Namibia. We've made important steps towards these aims, bought a big house to run research from and are expanding our research team and planning for a very productive 2015 both in  Namibia and for research in False Bay and along the Garden Route.

So although you may not have seen our faces around on the water too much recently,  We've been working 24/7 behind our computers writing grants, raising funds and awareness of issues affecting dolphins in Walvis Bay so that the coming years we can monitor Namibian populations and collect research data on a range of species. We've also published a few papers on our finding on bottlenose dolphin signature whistles and Namibian humpback whales, which will be available on the website.

We've also welcomed Dr Daniela Maldini to the Namibian Dolphin project and together with her husband Jon, they will be spending more time in Namibia over the coming months - so keep an eye out for them. .

- Highlights so far from our funding drive include:

Support from De Beers  to run Marine Education Day in 2015 in Walvis Bay

Support from the Walvis Bay Municipality for education materials for the Waterfront Environmental office

Three years of research funding from Nedbank Go Green to support dolphin monitoring in Walvis Bay (well, enough to keep the boat on the water for about 50 days a year, but there are a lot of other costs for research and we are still a long way off our target. Importantly - we still trying to get funds for local students and interns - but feeling positive about the future and what we have achieved so far....

We've also been attending the 3rd Large Marine Ecosystem and the 6th annual Benguela Current Commission meetings in Swakopmund and talking with UNam lecturers about student projects for next year and giving some courses there for the current undergrads.

No visit would be complete without getting a little stinky, and within 48 hours of being in Walvis we were conducting a necropsy on a dead Heaviside's dolphin calf and a few days later searching for a 4m stranded something on the way to Swakopmund..(which turned out to be a pygmy sperm whale which was reported drifting at sea in August.

So as you can see we've been busy and very much putting Walvis Bay at the top priority for our future research plans. We look forward to keeping you updated on your results and please remember to get in touch if you come across stranded animals!!