Operation Wallacea to South Africa 2023

Eighteen students from our Sixth Form raised and saved money for 18 months, in preparation for their conservation project trip last summer run by Operation Wallacea, the environmental research and conservation expedition organisation. We spent a week in community-owned Somkhanda Game Reserve, helping the expedition scientists collect data on the impact of elephants on the other wildlife. We had encounters with elephants, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, zebra and many other small mammals. We heard the lions rumbling in the mornings from the safety of our tents, but didn't get to see them this year.

In the second week, at pristine Sodwana Bay National Park, students completed their PADI Open Water dive qualification. Along with diving around the beautiful coral ecosystem, we were able to swim with dolphins and manta rays, and spent our recovery time on the beautiful sand beach watching humpback whales breach in the distance. The students also completed a marine ecology course led by our expert tutors. 

It was a life-changing experience, and we look forward to booking the next expedition for 2025.