from 1,116€

Brilliant 4.7rating (7)
  • Life Below Water

Whale and Dolphin Conservation

location
1 - 6 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Brilliant 4.7  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Highlights

  • Experience whales & dolphins in their habitat in Lanzarote on our fully electric 14 meter long whale and dolphin observation catamaran
  • Be part of a unique movement and mission to make whale observation noise and emission free
  • Get insights and be part of cetacean conservation and protection work
  • Visit and get to know our second vessel on the Canary Island in Tenerife (optional)
  • Get to know the spanish culture and the amazing island of Lanzarote

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+

About the program

Support us in creating awareness whales & dolphins by going out to expeditions on the first noise and emission-free catamaran on the Canary Islands.

You will be part of our Lanzarote crew with the main goal to create awareness for whales & dolphins in the Canary Islands. 

The Canary Islands are one of the few places in the world where you can observe and study whales and dolphins the whole year around. There are 94 species of cetaceans in the ...

About the program

You will be part of our Lanzarote crew with the main goal to create awareness for whales & dolphins in the Canary Islands. 

The Canary Islands are one of the few places in the world where you can observe and study whales and dolphins the whole year around. There are 94 species of cetaceans in the world, from those 31 can be seen in the Canaries.

Who we are and what what drives our mission?
WeWhale is the first organization worldwide using silent and emission-free vessels to do whale & dolphin observation expeditions.
Our mission is centered on fostering awareness for these magnificent animals. To achieve this, we take our guests on sea excursions to establish a profound connection with the ocean and its inhabitants. By utilizing educational materials and hydrophones, we enable individuals to delve even deeper into the realm of cetaceans, providing an immersive experience for learning about these fascinating beings.

The volunteer program consists out of being part of the Lanzarote crew and contains the following aspects:

  • Be part of our on-site crew (captain and biologist) to support them in their day-to-day operations
  • Assist our biologist in developing educational materials and, if feasible, in crafting speeches
  • Take pics, videos and hydrophone recordings of cetaceans on board during our expeditions
  • Post-preparation of the data gathered in order to use them for our investigation and awareness campaigns
  • Maintenance of the catamaran
  • Participation of local ocean conservation events
  • Participation of day investigation expeditions to Isla de Lobos or towards the Playa Papagayo
  • Spend one day at the Canary Island Cetaceans Research Center gaining comprehensive insights into various cetacean species
Housing will be provided by us in the WeWhale Ocean House in Puerto del Carmen (10 minutes away from Puerto Calero, the home of our catamaran, "La Santa Maria").
Further we provide the option to spend 1-3 days on our second vessel in Tenerife (Los Gigantes) to get an idea of the work we realize there.

The program aims towards persons who are interested to get to know the challenges of whale and dolphin protection in the Canary Islands and are willing to work with us on solutions such as awareness creation, study preparations and presentations. Our team in Lanzarote consists of our Captain and Tour Lead Gonzalo (Spanish, English, French speaking) and our Marine Biologist Patricia (Spanish, English, Italian speaking).


 

Typical day

A typical day starts with a good coffee/tea or breakfast either at the "WeWhale Ocean House" or at the harbour coffee shop before we head out towards the open sea to observe and investigate the cetaceans of Lanzarote.

After the 3-4 hours expedition we return to Puerto Calero where we clean the ...

Typical day

A typical day starts with a good coffee/tea or breakfast either at the "WeWhale Ocean House" or at the harbour coffee shop before we head out towards the open sea to observe and investigate the cetaceans of Lanzarote.

After the 3-4 hours expedition we return to Puerto Calero where we clean the catamaran and do any maintanance work required to be prepared for the next day.
Once finished we transfer the data gathered on the expedition to transform them into useful insights for our campaigns.
And of course, we either having a good afternoon beer/vermut or coffee :) 

Every day is pretty different, but a typical day could look like the following:

  • 08:00h - 09:00h: Breakfast
  • 09:00h - 10:00h: Catamaran preparation
  • 10:00h - 14:00h: Heading out towards the Atlantic Ocean to look for whales and dolphins ((during the expedition fruits and snacks) are provided)
  • Approx. 14:30h: Arrival back to home port and boat cleaning
  • Approx. 15:00h or earlier: Lunch
  • 16:00h - 18:00h: Data crunching and processing
  • Starting from approx: 18:00h: After work beer/vermut/wine/etc :)

Free-time activities

Apart from being out at sea and spending one day at the Canary Island Cetaceans Research Center, we encourage our volunteers to discover the amazing island of Lanzarote by bike and doing hiking tours. 

Also you can visit the capital city Arrecife, the volcanic national park Timanfaya and if time ...

Free-time activities

Apart from being out at sea and spending one day at the Canary Island Cetaceans Research Center, we encourage our volunteers to discover the amazing island of Lanzarote by bike and doing hiking tours. 

Also you can visit the capital city Arrecife, the volcanic national park Timanfaya and if time allows the beautiful island of La Graciosa which is a very small island in front of Lanzarote allowing to do a unforgettable snorkeling experience.

Amazing sunsets, nice bars and good food are part of the every day island life :)

Further, volunteers will have the opportunity to visit our second boat in the Canary Islands based in Tenerife (in case they are interested and have the time available).

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

No relevant work experience is required, only the pure motivation and energy to protect whales & dolphins.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 09:00 - 16:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by WeWhale

Included in experience:

  • Daily whale and dolphin observation and research expeditions
  • Food and drinks on daily expeditions
  • Double room with two single beds and shared bathroom (max. 2 persons in same room and max. 2 persons share one bathroom)
  • 1-2 days Tenerife experience and trip
  • One day at Canary Island Cetaceans Research Center
  • Airport transfer (pick up and drop)
  • Bicycle free for your use

Airport Pickup at Lanzarote Airport

Airport pick up and drop included for our volunteers

Accommodation

There are two options:

1. Shared double room with two single beds and shared bathroom in the WeWhale Ocean House (ideal for persons joining us as individually - there will be max. one more volunteer sharing the room and bathroom with you) 

2. Private double room with two single beds and own bathroom in the WeWhale Ocean House (in case you want more privacy or you would like to join as a couple)

The flat consists of 100 m2 with a shared pool in Puerto del Carmen. Our biologist Patricia is also living in the flat and you will be basically sharing the flat with her and with maximum one more volunteer. We take only 2 volunteers at the same time.

A spacious kitchen, living room, private terrace and community swimming pool are part of the flat.

The flat is located in a very central location in Puerto del Carmen just a 5-minute walking distance to many bars and restaurants and 10 min walking distance to the beach and port.

By bicycle (reserved for you) it would take you a 15-minute ride to reach our catamaran La Santa Maria in Puerto Calero (in case you would decide going by bicycle instead of going with us by van).


Food & Beverages

Food and drinks are included in the working hours on the catamaran (plenty of vegetarian options are available as on our expeditions we only serve vegetarian food).

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Lanzarote Airport (ACE) in Lanzarote. We assist you to find cheap flights to Spain. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Spain provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Spain you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Spain. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

The volunteer program is open the whole year and can be started at any specific date subject to its availability.

Min. stay is 1 week and max. stay are 6 weeks.

Our team will pick you up at the airport (Lanzarote) on the date of arrival and will also drop you again the day of departure.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 1,116€
2 weeks 2,139€
3 weeks 3,162€
6 weeks (max. stay) 6,231€
Average fees 1,077€/week

Program fees

1,077€ per week 1 - 6 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

1 - 6 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with WeWhale during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

WeWhale

Brilliant 4.7 rating (7 reviews)

Agency - founded in 2021

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Janek

Spoken languages: Spanish, English, German

About the project

Be part of our expedition and conservation team to work with whales and dolphins in Lanzarote or in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Meet your organization

WeWhale is the first organization worldwide building a complete noise and emission-free whale observation fleet to create awareness for these majestic animals.

Our project aims to create awareness for cetaceans by doing observation and investigation excursions. Further we do accoustic studies and photo identification reports to get a better understanding of the cetacean populations within our research area. Our guests on board will be informed about whale and dolphin species and the conservation efforts done from our side and everyone could do to protect those majestic animals.

Once on land again we follow up with data gathered out on the sea to convert them into useful infomation to create awareness.

In addition to our whale and dolphin observation excursions, we actively develop dedicated conservation initiatives, such as the Save the Iberian Orca surveillance campaign, which we initiated.

Furthermore we generate data for an application to avoid ship strikes (collisions with cetaceans) and are currently working on the first European whale & dolphin sanctuary to combat the captive whale and dolphin industry.

7 reviews · rating4.7

Gaetan Kopp rating5

2024 at Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Une aventure incroyable à Lanzarote, l'accueil par Patri et Gonzalo était parfait. Le travail mené est très enrichissant. Le cadre est magnifique, et permet de prendre conscience de l'importance de ...
Sophia Werner rating4.6

2024 at Whale and Dolphin Conservation

I´ve been there for three weeks and had an amazing time. I was a little bit anxious before the trip, but as soon as I met the crew, I felt very at ease. The team is kind and sometimes even funny. No seriously I had a lot of fun. I did not plan for any activities outside of the volunteer work, which ...
Helene Ackermann rating4.8

2023 at Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Nice project with great people for a good cause. You get much more back from the animals than you can ever give. This was such a rewarding way to spend tge christmas time, thank ...
Augustinus Bensdorp rating4.2

2023 at Whale and Dolphin Conservation

In October 2023, I spend 3 weeks with WeWhale at Lanzarote, and had a great time with them. WeWhale is a whale watching company, that works eco friendly, what for my is important. They use a emission free catamaran the La Santa Maria. It has an electric motor with a battery instead of a diesel ...
Veronique ESKENAZI rating4.6

2023 at Whale and Dolphin Conservation

The welcome at WeWhale was very friendly ; I spent most of my days on the Santa Maria, a beautiful catamaran, looking for orcas, whales, dolphins, turtles... I was particularly impressed by the respect and involvement of the team in the protection of animals and the marine world as a whole and by ...
Claudio Müller rating4.4

2023 at Whale and Dolphin Conservation

I spent a wonderful week on the Santa Maria with the brilliant team at WeWhale. Captain Gonzalo and biologist Marina are extremely helpful and kind! As a volunteer, I learned a lot from them in various areas and got to know so many exciting people. I spent most of my week on the electric catamaran - ...

Location

Europe > Southern Europe > Spain > Puerto Calero, Lanzarote

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Contact Janek
  Excellent response rate
Spanish, English, German

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