Wildest dreams come true

Where do you start with the beginning of a great story, a story very much worth sharing with the world? This is a story of two friends getting together in South Africa to make their dreams come true!

Two friends from the Netherlands reached out to us with an interest in scuba diving. At the time, they found themselves on two different continents: the one friend was on a gap year as a ski instructor in Austria and the other one in San Diego, California, participating in an English language course. As you can imagine, snow makes for perfect ski conditions, but it is very cold! This encouraged the ski instructor to plan his next adventure where there would be lots of sunshine and white sandy beaches. He was not only interested in spending his time on land but also keen to explore the rich diversity of the ocean as well as being involved in efforts to make a difference.

The English language student in California, there for his personal development, also ended up discovering diving for the first time. As he said, “sadly, it was not the most satisfying!” With his interest diving sparked, he investigated a Scuba Diving Project offered by Good Hope Volunteers, situated within the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, a world heritage site in South Africa. A scuba diving expedition was the main reason for his choice but he also chose this project because he is very passionate about helping people and contributing to the conservation of our planet.

The scuba diving project offered an experience of a lifetime with a volunteering and diving vacation. This was a new way of volunteering for them, contributing to marine research efforts focused on turtles, manta rays, ragged-tooth sharks, whales and even nudibranchs. This project also offers volunteers the opportunity to obtain a PADI dive qualification, although Sodwana Bay has not made it to the be listed amongst the top 10 places to dive with whale sharks on most PADI blogs and websites. But it should be.

While both friends were in the ocean diving off the coast of Sodwana Bay, they soon found themselves beside an adult whale shark. They couldn’t believe their luck! Whale shark sightings have become very rare in the area because they are poached off the coast of Mozambique and South Africa. The friends were amazed by the temperament and the breathtaking size of this adult whale shark within their reach. Back on land, they told the diving crew that it has always been a dream of theirs to swim with a whale shark in open water and that it had certainly been on their bucket list!

May this story of two friends’ dream-come-true inspire you to continue with hopes to do good. For this was the purpose of their involvement in the project and, of course, the project offers a lot for anyone who is interested in making memories with unforgettable new friends in a sub-tropical paradise. There are many ways to make a difference; in doing so, it can be exhilarating and it can be where your wildest dream can come true!

Yours,
Edward Julius (Volunteer Manager)
The Good Hope Volunteer Team

To be part of our amazing volunteer community, please contact us.