Overview
The course
This FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) endorsed, professional Marine and Adventure Guiding course is based on the beach just south of Pemba in Northern Mozambique. The on-site training lasts for 6 months with an optional 6 month work placement as a Marine or Adventure Guide at a lodge on the east coast of Africa once you are qualified.
The course is facilitated by a marine biologist and three experienced guides and trainers from South Africa who between them have more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Learners are nurtured and mentored on an individual basis, resulting in successful graduates who display impeccable ethics and are highly skilled and knowledgeable.
The training is both theoretical and practical, with a series of Adventure Expeditions as well as the Marine Guiding component forming the core of the course.
This course is suitable to provide you with an extraordinary African experience and/or kick-start your marine or adventure guiding career.
Curriculum
Training follows the FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) and THETA (Tourism, Hospitality and Education Training Authority) curriculums, and qualifies learners with certification from both. The focus is on outcome-based training, with 23 weeks academic and practical training at the campus. We also include in the training several exciting adventure expeditions.
The FGASA Marine Guide curriculum includes the following subjects:
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Introduction to marine guiding
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Creating a guided coastal marine experience
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Geology and the coastal environment
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Astronomy
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Weather and climate
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Marine Ecology
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Taxonomy
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Sea plants
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Coastal and Marine invertebrates
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Amphibians
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Marine reptiles
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Marine fish
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Marine and coastal Birds
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Marine mammals
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Animal behaviour
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Conservation management and historical habitation
Additional Training topics included in the course:
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Guiding ethics
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First Aid
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Vehicle maintenance and 4X4 driving
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Ocean safety
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Hosting
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Presentation and communication skills
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Navigation and Survival
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Kayaking
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Bush cooking
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Camp set-up and logistics
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Wilderness ethics
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Terrestrial environments
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General knowledge of Mozambique & East Africa
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Marine Reserve management and Ecotourism
Adventure Expeditions
Northern Mozambique is one of the most remote and unexplored parts of Africa, and we utilize the areas potential for adventure to the maximum by including a variety of Adventure Expeditions which together with the marine guiding component form the core of the course.
A minimum of four Adventure Expeditions are included, usually lasting a week each. They may include, but are not restricted to the following:
Dhow Adventure Expedition to remote islands in the Quirimba archipelago where we will camp on the beach and learn about the local reef ecology.
Cultural Adventure Expedition either to Ibo Island or Ilha de Mozambique. These islands played a huge role in the history of East Africa, being slave trading ports occupied by Arabic and Portuguese colonists.
Walking/Kayaking Adventure Expedition along the Lugenda River in the remote Niassa Reserve. Labeled by many as the wildest, most remote park remaining in Africa, the area offers the opportunity of spotting elephants, lions and other iconic African wildlife.
African Wildlife Adventure Expedition to wild inland areas where we will track elephants and other wildlife on foot while savoring the wild, Africa of old.
Scuba diving
As part of the course we include the training for the PADI Open Water, Advanced Diver and Rescue diver qualifications. This will then place you in a position to obtain Dive Master or Dive Instructor at a later stage. The practical dives for these qualifications are undertaken each semester throughout the course as an ongoing module.
Placements
Learners who choose to do the year course will be placed at a lodge or research placement for their 6 month work experience period. Allocation is based on performance, interest and personality as determined by the instructors.
Although you are usually expected to help out in various departments within the lodge while on placement the core work you will be performing will be marine guiding.
Although a small wage is often offered on placement at the lodges’ discretion, this is not to be expected as the majority of placement lodges will only provide board and lodging as well as loads of fun and amazing experiences.
The six month placement will provide you with valuable work experience that will make you much more employable than the rest of the pack.
Community Projects
As learners, you will get involved in a variety of Community projects, from educating local school children on the value of their natural resources and how to utilize them sustainably, to organizing beach clean-ups by enlisting the help of local school children from the area.
