Mission Hippocampus

This program is a continuation of our previous Flabelline program, which took place between 2018 and 2025 on Mafia Island in Tanzania.

For over a year now, local authorities have been seeking to improve emergency response capabilities on the island. This initiative is partly driven by the desire to support the expected growth in tourism on the island, including airport expansion and the development of eco-hotels. District authorities (the equivalent of a county or department) have created commissions to oversee the project. The Marine Safety Commission reached out to local dive centers to provide emergency assistance at sea when needed. The dive centers explained that, while they could occasionally assist, they are not rescue units and do not have the resources or obligations to provide regular emergency services.

It is within this context that the Hippocampus program has been launched.

The objectives are:

• To train individuals responsible for civil safety and emergency response.

• To continue training Tanzanian marine park and marine reserve rangers.

• Following a request from local professionals, to train young local women who could become professional divers.

Training courses: