Humpback Whales – Caravelas/Abrolhos, Brazil Additional Instructions

Humpback whales – Caravelas/Abrolhos, Brazil Additional Instructions

Updated by project staff for 2010 at 2 December 2009.

If you happen to find any of the information below no longer to be valid, or when you have useful additions, then kindly report so to: Ecovolunteer Program: [email protected] That way we shall be able to provide better information to future participants.

Attainability Caravelas

The project does have available both telephone and fax. However, sometimes connections with Brazil are problematic. Take in view that you may be away, out at sea for a few days, where attainability is not great. There is a radio in the base in Caravelas and on the research boat for communication. Therefore you are required to inform your family and friends that there may be some delay when trying to contact you. Also inform them that when they try to make a phone call, the phone might be answered by someone who does not speak English. However, it will not be difficult for you to phone home from Caravelas (you will have to pay for these costs yourself!). It’s not possible to send and receive e-mails from the project base, but it is possible to send and receive your e-mails from an internet Café in Caravelas.

The project address:

Instituto Baleia Jubarte Contact person: Sandra Ferreira Rua Barão do Rio Branco, nº26 Centro – Caravelas - Bahia Brazil CEP 45 900-000 Phone: • From outside Brazil: + 55 73 3297 1340 • In Brazil from outside the state of Bahia: 021 73 3297 1340 • When already in Salvador or Caravelas: 3297 1340

E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

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Travel to Caravelas via Salvador

By Air: you can fly directly to Porto Seguro in Bahia, Brazil or you can fly to Porto Seguro from the town of Salvador. From Porto Seguro you can continue overland to Caravelas by public bus service. However, as flights within Brazil are relatively expensive, most if not all ecovolunteers tend to make an intercontinental flight to Salvador (Bahia) and continue to travel overland to Caravelas by public bus service (see below).

By bus: There is a direct bus from the town of Salvador to Caravelas once a week. Otherwise, you have to go from Salvador to Teixeira de Freitas (about 70 Km from Caravelas) or Porto Seguro, where you change to another bus to Caravelas. When you inform in advance the research centre what bus you will be taking (Monday to Friday), someone from the project will try to meet you at the bus station in Caravelas. It is always better to purchase the bus tickets on beforehand, especially when you are travelling near carnival, holidays, Fridays and Sundays.

Bus information From Salvador to Caravelas, Porto Seguro or Teixeira de Freitas/Porto Seguro to Caravelas: Aguia Branca bus company - http://www.viacaoaguiabranca.com.br From Teixeira de Freitas to Caravelas: Brasileiro bus company – http://www.expressobrasileiro.com

The bus station where you catch the busses from Salvador is named Rodoviaria and it is located at Avenida Antonio Carlos Magalhaes, telephone: 071-31764200. You can reach this bus station from the airport in Salvador by taxi or by bus. At Salvador's airport there is a special information counter for bus connections, and also taxi-tickets are sold for transfer to the bus station.

If you are somehow delayed, or you do not want to travel on the same day and you prefer to stay in Salvador the project-staff recommends: Pousada Azul (small hotel) very simple but comfortable, many foreigners stay at this place while in Salvador. Pousada Azul offers transfers from/to the airport, you just need to communicate the time and date of your arrival. http://www.pousadaazul.com.br

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Travel to Caravelas via Rio de Janeiro/São Paulo

By Air. Two options are available for travellers by air who enter Brazil through Rio or São Paulo: o Rio/São Paulo --> Salvador by plane. In Salvador take a bus to Teixeira de Freitas or Porto Seguro and change there to a bus to Caravelas; o Rio/São Paulo --> Porto Seguro by plane: airlines TAM and GOL. Porto Seguro is very beautiful but crowded. Then continue by bus to Caravelas. Information on domestic flights: o TAM: http://www.tam.com.br o GOL: http://www.voegol.com.br

By Bus. All the way by bus. From São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro there are no direct busses to Caravelas. First catch a bus for Teixeira de Freitas, and then continue with another bus to Caravelas. The drive from Rio/São Paulo to Teixeira de Freitas by bus is a long trip, and it is worth to pay for the leito bus, it is more comfortable. It is always better to purchase the bus tickets on beforehand, especially when you are travelling near carnival, holidays, Fridays and Sundays.

Information on busses o Rio/São Paulo <=> Teixeira de Freitas/Porto Seguro Viação São Geraldo bus company: http://www.saogeraldo.com.br o Porto Seguro <=> Caravelas Águia Branca bus company: http://www.viacaoaguiabranca.com.br o Teixeira de Freitas <=> Caravelas: Brasileiro bus company: http://www.expressobrasileiro.com.br

From Rio International airport to the bus station The bus station (Estação Rodoviária) is easy to reach from the International airport in Rio de Janeiro by bus or taxi.

Arrival in Caravelas

Due to the schedule for research cruises, arrivals in Caravelas should be arranged for Sundays or Mondays. When arriving on a Monday a member of staff will meet you on arrival at Caravelas bus station, provided the exact details on arrival are provided at least two weeks before arrival. Usually the meeting at the bus station will not be possible on weekends. Tuesdays to Fridays are the days of the research cruises, and on Saturdays and Sundays the Institute usually is closed. Should there be nobody at the bus station to meet you, then just walk to the office address of the project. Caravelas is a small town, and it will be a short walk, just a few blocks from the bus station. It is highly recommended that after arrival in Brazil you phone the Institute (021.73.3297.1340) to confirm your date and time of arrival at Caravelas bus station.