Ostriches

I haven't written for a while, but I am going to stop apologizing for that because it has become the norm. Someone asked me this week whether I was still blogging and my reply was that I am finding the world very uninspiring at the moment. And I am. It is more than that even, I don't want to think about all the things that are going terribly wrong. I want to stick my head in the sand and think about the little white eyes fluttering outside my office window or about what I am doing this weekend or what the next (happy) book I will read will be (suggestions welcome - but rainbows and happiness, OK?)

I definitely don't want to think about the Guptas, Nkandla, Thuli no longer being Public Protector, SAA, SABC, poor Pravin, the Nuclear deal, Bexit, Trump or #Feesmustfall (which is particularly difficult because I really want to give UCT a big hug). It is very difficult to avoid thinking about these topics though but I know little about the intricacies involved, so I won't even try to talk about them (because I only really know what the media tells me). 

I do know a bit more about the environmental issues I would rather not have to (but can't avoid) think about. For instance, I know that I want to bang the door down of the Namibian environmental ministry and ask "WTF" (possibly even in the full words, even though I am not a fan of the last one). What are you thinking NAMIBIA? WHAT? First, there is the company wanting to catch LIVE AND FREE marine animals to put in to an aquarium! Ridiculous. How dare you even consider it. And while the CITES conversations are happening in Johannesburg? How can you think it is a good idea to catch ENDANGERED African Penguins and dolphins from what is probably a small, (~100 individuals) closed population resident in Namibia. It is crazy! But how can you think it is a good idea when there has relatively recently been such public outcry about marine mammals in captivity (even those born in captivity)? (I haven't even watched Black Fish because I know it will make me too angry/upset). 

And now, they are considering (? or allowing?) marine phosphate mining! Huh? You can check out the Safeguard Our Seabed website for details on how terrible an idea this is, but let me just say that it is open strip mining but in a marine environment it will impact the whole marine ecosystem and the scale of it is INSANE. All for something that is actually available on land and shouldn't be used in such huge quantities because it contributes to eutrophication (Google definition: excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life.) which is a whole other set of problems. 

I am not meaning to pick on Namibia, South Africa is also doing silly things! And one of the reasons (although one of many) I am worried about phosphate mining in Namibia is that it sets the precedent for the same to occur in South Africa. 

And now this blog is already too long and I haven't gotten to the other thing that is making me mad (mad enough to rant about to my poor, wonderful mom when I was meant to be just wishing her a very happy birthday - The rant came about because we were chatting about the crazy weather, particularly in Bloemfontein).  Climate Change! I feel like South Africa is acting as though the drought was a surprise to them when meanwhile, the El Nino event (that are associated with droughts) was forecast and climate change modelling has shown increased likelihood of drought and extreme weather events in South Africa. And yet, what measures are South Africa taking to deal with this? I know that the people in power have their hands full with all the things I listed in the second paragraph, but climate change is an issue we NEED TO BE PROACTIVE and NOT REACTIVE to. And yet, we haven't ratified the Paris Agreement. Let's be clear, Climate Change isn't a luxurious problem, it will impact the poor and marginalised communities the most. 

So, unfortunately, we can't be ostriches. We need a rational and active citizenry who hold the government to account for both its economic , social and environmental (which will impact social and economic conditions) decisions.... without throwing faeces or petrol bombs.

Update on 28th October: We also need this

What can we do for conservation?

Have I mentioned - I WORK HERE!

I consider myself a conservationist but I sometimes feel a little like a fraud. What have I really done for Conservation? My research programs have had management value but not sure how much my findings have really influenced management. 

I try to eat ethically and live ethically, of course I recycle and eat free range eggs, but these feel like trivial things when one is bombarded with news of coral bleaching, global climate change, rhino poaching and over fishing. Besides, living truly ethically is expensive and being a PhD student isn't exactly lucrative.

I decided at the beginning of 2014 not to eat pork (YES, BACON TOO!) This, by no means, has been easy but I have worked hard to stick to it. It was much more difficult than deciding not to eat seafood which was a decision I made when I was about 10 years old and had heard something about over fishing that decided things for me - it turns out forever.

Even when it is rainy it is still lovely

My latest experiment in reducing my impact on the world was to stop using shampoo and conditioner and therefore decrease the amount of evil chemicals I add to the world (I have heard that they are evil chemicals, but I haven't actually done much research into it). To be honest, I hate washing my hair anyway, so this wasn't a completely selfless act. (And very low risk because if my hair looks horrible I can just wash it with shampoo). 

I decided my month in Walvis Bay would be a good time to try (dolphins don't care what my hair looks like, right?). I had read (on all-knowing Internet) that you can use bicarbonate of soda mixed in water and then rinse with vinegar mixed in water as an alternative to shampoo. I couldn't find apple cider vinegar in Walvis so I just used normal white (wash windows with this stuff) vinegar. I did it once every two weeks and I promise no one said my hair looked gross. I had an independent sniff test to check for vinegar smells and that passed too. I was feeling pretty thrilled after the 6 ish weeks actually although my hair was feeling a little more knotted than usual and quite dry (JHB winter will do that to the best hair).

Check out the Green Point Park - it is lovely

No worries, I had also read on all-knowing Internet that you can use coconut oil as a conditioner. Big tub of expensive coconut oil later, and I am set to try my hair treatment. "Work melted coconut oil thoroughly into hair and leave for two hours then wash out"... wash out? Hardly. Bicarb and vinegar made no impact on my thoroughly greasy hair. It looked terrible - rats tails. I had to shampoo multiple times and my hair didn't even seem more moisturised afterwards (good thing you can use coconut oil for cooking).

I'm trying to get back into no shampoo now so all is not lost. I am at the stage where I am wondering how much damage does shampoo really do? (I am so tempted to just finish the shampoo that is already at home). But I'm hoping that will pass because I like to think even the little things can help.

This is where I park my car for WORK!

My next experiment might be a worm farm (composting is tricky in a second floor flat). I have always wanted one but they are so expensive and I worry the worms would die while I am away but I might have found a way to get some worms....

Let me know of you have any other eco tips (that actually work!!!)

A month in Walvis Bay

So, I didn't keep you updated at all but now it is time to catch up. I went off with hopes of sunshine and desert warmth... but, in the first couple of weeks there it was colder than I had hoped. I might be imagining it, but it definitely felt like there was only about a half hour of sun a day. Thankfully, in the second part of my month, there were many glorious weather days, and even when it was misty at the coast, the sun was shining in the desert. Besides, being really close to Humpback whales and dolphins and lots of rad wildlife and cheap wine can cheer me up even on a misty day! 

The lagoon and The PUB

I have mentioned that I have worked with the dolphin project before, but only in lovely Luderitz. (I was sure that Luderitz was warmer and sunnier but my colleagues told me that I was always cold in Luderitz too... oops, I  am clearly a whiner). It is difficult not to compare the two places, just like it was difficult not to compare the first trip to Luderitz with the second. A good and bad thing about Luderitz is that we were pretty isolated from the public while doing field work, meanwhile, in Walvis Bay, there are dozens of tour boat operators and we would launch at the waterfront to the ABBA soundtrack being played at the coffee shop next door. Thus, all the embarrassing, completely ungraceful jumps on and off the boat are in the public eye and I was less excited about wearing scruffy field work clothes but there were coffee shops that played ABBA and had with free WiFi so that made up for it (and my scruffiest field work clothes are in Cape Town). It still felt like there was only one pub (there were more I am sure but who knows where) and that didn't have the same great atmosphere as Barrels, in Luderitz, but it did have R11 wine!

The pretty Namibian Dolphin Project office
at the Walvis Bay Waterfront.
Note the cool baleen sample from a 
Sei whale that stranded in WVB.

The other fabulous thing about WVB is that sea conditions are amazing (in the mornings anyway) which is important for someone like me (how unfair to suffer from sea sickness when you are a marine biologist?). We also had a much nicer office set up where members of the public could come chat to us about whales and dolphins and tell us what an awesome job we are doing... Well... that happened sometimes at least. 

This poor shark was rescued in Henties Bay, Swakopmund
and Walvis Bay - but he kept up his friendly grin.
(There were no dolphins in stock)

Seriously though, the Namibian Dolphin Project is doing an awesome job. OK, I know that sounds like I am bragging, but I was only there for a month so I can't take any credit for the awesome stuff they are doing so it really is sincere praise. They are pretty much the only people doing work on cetaceans in Namibia and have done some great novel research. They are the point of call for the strandings network too, and during my month there now we held a number of workshops trying to get the public aware of what to do and who to call in the event of a dolphin/whale stranding. They are also the people that speak up for dolphins when Environmental Impact Assessments might otherwise ignore them. Check out their webpage for more information - but if you don't have time just trust me that they are awesome.

The two common dolphins species that are fairly resident in WVB are the Heaviside's and Bottlenose dolphins. The Heaviside's dolphin only occurs in the Benguela region (west coast of South Africa and in Namibia) and my highly scientific opinion, they are adorable! The ones in Luderitz were particularly playful and awesome to watch. In WVB they are less acrobatic but that's OK because the Bottlenose dolphins make up for it.

This is a Bottlenose dolphin fin. You can use them to ID
individuals and estimate population size.
This is just taken with my normal camera from a tour boat.

Bottlenose dolphins occur around the world, but the different populations are not necessarily mixing with each other. They are also highly social animals, and each population could have unique cultures. This makes the fact that there are fewer than 100 individuals in the Namibian population really scary. The great thing is, we saw at least 2 calves this trip and some dolphins mating. I had been hoping to do a post doc on their population genetics to see if there was any mixing with the other populations in southern Africa, but unfortunately haven't been able to secure funding yet (which is crazy because obviously I am awesome, but more importantly, these dolphins deserve some attention and protection!) 

Ruddy Turnstone

The best thing about Walvis Bay is definitely the wildlife. From the cottage we could look out on the lagoon which is home to thousands of flamingos as well as pelicans and dozens of wader species. I actually fell for a new bird species, the Ruddy Turnstone. I am not sure why in a sea of pink flamingos these LBJs caught my eye, but they are really just so cute and, AND, they actually turn stones (got to love the people that name birds).







You are pretty much guaranteed (I base this on my 2 out of 2 experiences) to see black-backed jackal near the salt works. Even the dolphins came right into the lagoon which is a much cheaper way of seeing them. Of course, if you want to have luxury encounters (i.e. they include Old Brown Sherry, delicious snacks and champagne), WVB offers a bunch of tour boat options for wild life encounters with informative guides that are a great experience but might be just a little too up close for some (fancy a seal on your lap?)

This trip was also the closest that I have even gotten (or hope to get) to a Humback whale. Unfortunately I almost never take me camera or phone on the research boat but you will have to trust me that it got VERY close. It feels a little bit unreal to think that that happened last week and now I am back in Johannesburg loving the fantastic autumnal weather and on the job hunt again.

Yip, many, many people -
it was so crowded
I didn't bother going to the top -
nothing to do with the
super soft sand and steep slope. 

PS For those of you that are thinking of going to Namibia as tourists, I highly recommend Swakopmund and a day trip or two down to Walvis Bay. Swakopmund is a beautiful little town whereas Walvis Bay is only beautiful near the lagoon and at sea. Obviously you would go to Dune 7 anyway, EVERYONE does... I suggest going during the week because then it might be a little quieter.

I have entirely failed to mention all the seals, which is
unfair because they are so much fun to watch as they
play in the waves. This is one of MANY at Cape Cross
(He had the coolest hair!).
Seriously, the tour guide comment is there is one seal for
every person in Namibia.

The big smoke

"The big smoke" - That's a common enough description for the city of gold, red and orange (and not what I would be calling Cape Town because that would be insensitive after all the huge fires they have had). Of course Johannesburg is a city of many colours, from bright green in the Summer time to gold, red and orange in autumn, distinctly brown in Winter and just about purple in Spring. It is a city I love. And I have loved being here for the last two and a bit months. I have mentioned that one of the secrets to being happy is to love being where you are, wherever that happens to be (unless it is Pretoria - didn't manage that) so I am very ready to fall in love with Walvis Bay next week. 

I will be sure to tell you all about it but I am not sure that I will be able to post pictures until I get back - internet is very expensive there and last time I was in Luderitz my computer ate my R50 data bundle almost instantly with automatic updates. (I have hopefully switched those off). But, before I head off into the desert I thought I would post some photos of beautiful green Johannesburg (taken by my brother-in-law but with my camera and at my insistence so I have some claim to them - I just didn't want to miss out on the Easter Egg hunt we were having a week early). 

This post isn't really to say anything other than HAPPY PUBLIC HOLIDAYS and hot cross bun eating, I will hopefully see you soon. 

P.S. If someone could please find me a job for when I get back - that would be GREAT! Or if you know someone to help me try publish my little children's book - also rad! (I feel this is an overly-ambitious hope but hope is good, right?!)

Carpe Diem

Kolmanskop Ghost Town

In 2012 when I thought I would OBVIOUSLY be finished my thesis soon, an opportunity arose to do some volunteer work in Namibia. I applied, I met the awesome people I would be working with and they said yes. Simple as that - of course it wasn't because I didn't finish the thesis in time. There was some or other reason, or maybe there wasn't, but the thesis wasn't done and it was a big decision as to whether or not to still go to Namibia. 

Although, in a way, it wasn't. I had said I was going to go and had committed to two months up there and this was a chance to volunteer, in a place I have never been to before, on dolphins. (It also meant escaping Cape Town Winter for a bit) Rad! I love going to new places and doing new things so, of course I went. 

Namtib - our weekend camping spot

This wasn't a completely smooth process, it involved a very early flight on a very wet and cold morning and a forgotten-at-home passport and bad packing but once I got there it was obviously awesome (especially after I bought sunglasses). I loved Luderitz, the people I met and the work that the Namibian Dolphin Project was doing there. We had loads of fun at Barrels, on the boat and in the office (which used to be a mortuary - before it became part of the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources). 

It truly was two months that I will never forget and never regret. I wrote a blog about it even... (this was obviously before I had this blog) and my friends and family had to endure long gushing emails. I had a week off and got to explore parts of Namibia I had barely heard of thanks to a dear friend living up there. I was treated to a night in Etosha with all the magic that brings including a lion kill that I didn't quite capture on camera (I can be such a wolly, I only pressed the record button after it was finished - so I didn't record it and I spent the whole time diligently watching it through my lens because I thought I was recording).

Kolmanskop

Driving through the desert

Namibia is a country like no other (with the disclaimer that I haven't been to any other desert countries - unless you count the airports in Dubai and Doha which I suspect I am not allowed to). There is so much space. Luderitz is like an island of civilisation in the middle of the desert. I was thrilled to meet the northern contingent of the African Penguin population and the awesome lady that looks after them. I have never seen so many dolphins, or large seabirds for that matter. I had certainly never followed a whale at speed through thick offshore mist before. Visiting a ghost town with sand flooded rooms but perfectly-preserved wall paper (of questionable taste) and being dwarfed at sea by dunes of golden sand will change your perspective on the world.

Between Swakop and Walvis

Then... in 2013 I had the opportunity to go again for a month. Of course, this time I had finished the thesis (for the moment). In fact, I handed in the day before I was due to drive to Luderitz. (This meant I had a very subdued celebration of the handing in - which is probably a good thing, considering that I would have another chance to celebrate handing in in 2014). 

Adorable Lucas - the new
dolphinologist

That month was awesome too. It was great to see the Luderitz locals again and its seasonal visitors of course. The team was a little different and we had an adorable new member, although he wasn't much help with the data entry and a crazy manic new member that was very good at finding interesting bone samples. It was a great way to pretend to be human after finishing off the thesis. This is definitely something I would recommend - do something completely different after you finish your thesis so that you can get out of the thesis funk and realise the world is bigger than your PhD. I also recommend taking nice long drives through a desert with cool music (which in my case is music you can sing along to - even if very badly).

Near the border

Near the border

Last time I was in Walvis Bay -
a misty day trip from
Swakopmund in May 2009. 

When I was offered the opportunity to help out with dolphin field work this April, I had to say yes. This is not only because the dolphin work and the dolphinologists are so awesome, but also because I am trying very hard to get funding to do some dolphin population genetics research of my own and it will be great to see the northern half of the Namibian Dolphin Project. This time I will be based in Walvis Bay, and while I will miss the Luderitz-ites, Barrels and the mortuary I am excited about visiting a new place. I have, technically, been to Walvis Bay before, but only on a day trip when I was in Swakopmund for some PhD work. It was quite misty and cold on that day, but I am hoping for some more sunshine and happiness that I associate with Namibia. I think that I would call being able to take up this opportunity another perk of unemployment (although the job/funding hunt continues). I will, of course, keep you updated.