Top view of the bay
Going back to Italy for holidays was of course amazing. I spent time with my family and friends, ate all the good food possible, gained 2 kgs (of course!), brought back some divine chocolate treats from Italy to share with my colleagues, and the time ran so fast I cannot believe it’s already gone! However I am now really glad to be back at work. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe it, but I am one of those lucky people that loves her job so much she is happy to be back at work.
Moreover, when your office is Petite Anse, in Seychelles, where the WiseOceans team is based, then returning back to work after holidays cannot be nothing but amazing!
Once back the first thing I did was get in the water to check my baby corals. Of course I could see that they are all doing very well (even without me, how come?!). But, to be honest, I knew that they would be in good hands: Lindsay, was taking care of them while I was away, and this (and only this!) is reason why I could truly relax under the Italian sun. Thanks Linds!
Georgie visiting the coral nursery
As far as the exciting news from Petite Anse is concerned, I was excited to meet, on my return, a new WiseOceans at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles team member, Georgina! Georgie was not new to WiseOceans, as she was part of the UK team, but now got the great opportunity to join us in our little piece of paradise. She will help Charlotte with the marine education and awareness raising, but I am sure she will give an amazing contribution to the Reef Restoration Project too. Welcome Georgie!
Where did the lobster go?
Many things are also happening at the Coral Nursery. A shy lobster chose one of the coral boulders in the nursery as her home (how sweet!), but disappeared the day I went out to take a photo of her. Instead I found a couple of “rare” sea urchins. Well, they are not “rare”, but hey!, their presence in right numbers is important, as they feed on algae that would otherwise cover the corals and kill them. Good job urchins!
And finally some of the coral fragments we rescued at the beginning of this year are growing so well that we can now use them as a source of coral fragments themselves, thus making our Coral Nursery self-sustaining. In addition, these “second generation” of coral fragments we are now planting have withstood different and difficult conditions throughout the year, making them more resilient to stress and more likely to survive in the future. Check out our “coral growth” gallery to see the progress of our baby corals.
For more information about our Reef Restoration Project at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
