Snorkelling in Gibraltar with The Nautilus Project
Summer ’ s finally here , and after months of keeping kids entertained at home , many will wonder what on earth else to do to keep their young ones engaged , learning and entertained until September comes around , especially if you are in two minds as to whether to join the crowds heading to the beach .
With that in mind , local marine conservation NGO - The Nautilus Project ( TNP ), have come up with a Virtual Marine Summer Camp due to take place in July . The week of online activities will teach kids more about our diverse marine life and conservation .
All being well , TNP is also looking to launch a week-long Summer Camp in August , which will combine learning activities with snorkelling trips to the best spots around Gibraltar .
So , in early June , OTWO were invited to join Nautilus on one of their snorkelling trips to Rosia Bay , to show us why Gib offers some of the best snorkelling around .
Goggles , snorkels and flippers on , we tentatively ‘ goose-stepped ’ our way into the water , knowing full well that the crystal-clear conditions on this bright , westerly morning were going to be a touch on the cold side …. and we weren ’ t wrong ! After several minutes of flailing waste deep in the water and pointlessly exclaiming how cold we were , our bodies acclimatised and for the next hour , we didn ’ t think about the temperature once .
As we swam about , Lewis from TNP told us a bit more about the species living in Rosia , many of which can be found just a few metres from the shore , some of which are harder to spot . Some of the most surprising marine animals found in Rosia are the endangered short-snouted and long-snouted sea horse , which sadly we weren ’ t lucky enough to see . They dwell in the centre of the bay , where the typical calm conditions make it the perfect feeding ground for these beautiful creatures .
After about 10 minutes , Lewis spotted a Cotton Spinner Sea Cucumber , which he gently brought up for us to hold . Not long after , we found several large Spiny Sea Stars lying on the sea bed , which we also held , learning that the purple dots on the end of each of its five arms are their eyes .
We quickly realised how little we appreciated the diverse marine life we have right here along our coastline . In just a couple of hours , the species spotted at Rosia included brittle sea stars , snakelocks and beadlet anemones , sea urchins , triton shell , nudibranchs , cuttlefish , mauve stinger jellyfish , salps , common octopus and the endangered orange star coral .
The best part of snorkelling with TNP is having a swimming marine encyclopaedia alongside you the whole time , affording us a better understanding of the species in Rosia and the dangers these marine animals face every day .
If you fancy having a go and would like help identifying the species in our waters , TNP offers guided small-group snorkelling trips for people of all ages .
The Virtual Summer camp is available to kids aged 7-11 years and will run from 13th – 17th July . Throughout the week , children will learn about our marine diversity with a focus on conservation through a series of online activities covering topics such as sharks and dolphins , plastic pollution in our oceans , turtles and jellyfish and the protected species of Rosia Bay .
Limited spaces are available . To reserve email : info @ thenautilusproject . co .
Watch this space for an announcement about the possible Summer Camp in August !
28 OTWO 12 / JULY 2020