Have you seen one yet?
I love to challanging myself. After more than 5 years of competition and new work challenge, I got very tired and my battery are almost empty.
Since years, year by year I postponned one of my dream to swim with the biggest fish in the world. But this year will be the year of the whale shark!
So here I am, at Dhigura. Humide and nearly 27 degree at 10 pm ; ) after a nice welcome juice of TME Retreats, Alex and Iru explain me my part as volunteer of the project.
The next morning I meet the other volunteers by the breakfast and we walk together to Alex and Iru’s house to pick up some equipment and get ready for my first day as volunteer.
1st day no shark, 2nd day no shark. Hmmm mayby more luck today? Spotting on the surface when the sun is quite low is very difficult. Anyhow Inuq one of the other volunteer point and indicate with his finger on a moving tear trop. A few seconds later the snorkling gears are on position and we are in the water and guess what? This is one of the “YES” moment 😉 Just stunning and overwhelmed!!!
Later this day we are lucky and got total 5 encounter.
In addition to our daily business on the water, we also collect data for megafauna and vessels. The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme also has the opportunity to introduce their work at the local’s school. We were lucky during my stay, we are invited for the children day. We got the task to create something which should give an idea, how to identify the whale shark from each other. So we created a 3D whale shark out of cardboard. We pre-painted it and the kids uses their finger print as spot pattern to identify the whale shark. Actually it is girl 😉
After two weeks and in total about 16 encounters, some swimming with manta rays. I can say that my batteries are fully recharged.
Once Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
To be honest after all competition and demanding hard work on myself, I nearly lost my passion about sport and work! But thanks to MWSRP I got my inspiration back and I found a new part of myself that I love. I really appreciate for this company with all staff member and the other volunteers.
Some words about our lovely staff members. Alex, Iru and Lisa are having a high knowledge about whale sharks! You can really feel their passion what they do.
Once again a big THANK YOU to all the people I met during my time on the Maldives. For sure it will not be my last time, I’m looking forward to come back soon 😉
