Sharklife Marine Biology Internship Program

location
2 - 12 uker  ·  Alder 18 - 50+

rating  Utestående 4.9  · 
  Verifisert av Volunteer World
  utmerket Svarprosent

Høydepunkter

  • Experience working in challenging ocean environments
  • Learn essential boating operational skills
  • Bridge the gap between scientific theory and practical application
  • Develop your work ethic
  • Encounter diverse marine mega fauna and dive in warm clear ocean environments


Spesielt egnet for

Alder 18+
Singler
Grupper

Om programmet

Based in the heart of the Zulu Kingdom, this marine biology internship offers adventurous students and volunteers a unique platform to gain hands-on experience.

Established in 2005 as a non-profit organization, Sharklife works to address the alarming exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters. Our marine internship programs aim to nurture shark conservation ambassadors through knowledge developmenthands-on ...

Om programmet

Established in 2005 as a non-profit organization, Sharklife works to address the alarming exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters. Our marine internship programs aim to nurture shark conservation ambassadors through knowledge developmenthands-on training, and many hours on the ocean encountering a multitude of marine wildlife. 

"The overall goal of the program is to imprint a deeper understanding of the shark species in the minds of participants" 

The Sharklife Research Assistant program provides a unique platform for students and volunteers to gain field experience working on shark research projects in South Africa's largest coastal Marine Protected Area. With direct involvement in all the research components, you will build your skill base through knowledge developmentpractical training, and many hours on the ocean. 

There is a maximum of 6 research assistants at any time allowing for more valuable experiences in the field and increased personal development. 

Sharklife has been driving shark conservation initiatives since 2005 and has a wealth of experience to offer enthusiastic research assistants. So whether you are an early career marine biologist, student, or passionate volunteer we need you to help drive our shark research projects!

Please note: All our data collection methods are non-invasive, and not harmful to the animals we study, and there is no catching, handling, or feeding of sharks in this program. In addition, we dive in small groups to limit the disturbance of marine wildlife. 

The core goal of this program is to develop your fieldwork experience and watermanship skills. During this month you will steadily practice freediving, clock up scuba dives, and learn routine boating tasks. A series of workshops focused on shark ID, behavior, and biology are given during this month to enhance your understanding of the animals you are researching. You will also be introduced to the data collection, input, and analysis methods used in the projects we are conducting at the time.  

Scuba Diver Training: Optional extra, completed in the first week of your stay.

If you would like to complete one of the following courses whilst you are here, please specify it in the inquiry form.

  • PADI Open Water Course - $ 470
  • PADI Advanced Diver Course - $ 470

 These courses are delivered through our PADI 5 Star scuba training partner.

 Highlights:  

- Up to 3 boat based field trips per week (weather dependent)

- Diverse marine wildlife encounters

- Crewing a research vessel

- Snorkeling and freediving (5 – 10m)

- Rolling over VR2 receiver stations

- Deploying stereo-BRUVS

- Collecting water samples

- Rolling over RUVS

- Conducting intertidal zone surveys


 Duties:

Prepare the boat and dive gear

- Prepare research equipment

- Assist with crewing the boat

- Perform water data collection tasks

- Maintain dive gear and boating equipment

- Data collection, input, and analysis


Sodwana Bay is a small rural town bordering the pristine world heritage site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

The park includes South Africa's largest coastal Marine Protected Area, spanning 280 km of coastline, and is one of the top ten dive destinations in the world. The coral reefs contain over 1,200 species of fish, various underwater seascapes, and marine megafauna. The warm tropical waters (20-27C, 60-80F) year-round and good visibility make for awesome research conditions! 

Sodwana Bay is also a short drive from several Big 5 Game Reserves, which you will visit on your days off.

“The wetland park must be the only place on the globe where the world’s oldest land mammal (the rhinoceros) and the world’s biggest land mammal (the elephant) share an ecosystem with the world’s oldest fish (the coelacanth) and the world’s biggest marine mammal (the whale).” Nelson Mandela 2001.





Typisk dag

Depending on weather conditions, your days will be divided into land and ocean days.

Typical Field Days: 07:00 – 15:00 

After preparing the boat and equipment for the sea we head to the beach. Interns and volunteers are an integral part of the team and assist directly with all beach and boating ...

Typisk dag

Depending on weather conditions, your days will be divided into land and ocean days.

Typical Field Days: 07:00 – 15:00 

After preparing the boat and equipment for the sea we head to the beach. Interns and volunteers are an integral part of the team and assist directly with all beach and boating logistics. 

We launch through the surf and make our way along the coastline to the designated study area, where we conduct in-water surveys, record sighting data, and change out equipment. Interns get the opportunity to develop seamanship and diving skills while encountering a wide variety of marine life. On returning, we rinse, de-kit the boat and diving equipment, and break for lunch. 

After lunch, we meet in the research office where interns and volunteers are tasked with the daily data management functions or or maintenance tasks. We end off with a debrief and planning session for the next day’s research activities. 

If we are unable to go to sea due to inclement weather we conduct theory sessions in our auditorium using graphics, videos, and models to enhance your theoretical understanding of sharks. Interns and volunteers use this opportunity to ask questions and discuss prevalent conservation topics. 

We also use this time to conduct various examinations of the shark and ray specimens we have preserved. These specimens enable participants to get a feel of the various anatomical features of each animal. 

The rest of the day may be allocated to extra activities happening in the center at the time such as; assisting with school groups, museum display development, boat maintenance etc


Fritidsaktiviteter

  1. The most popular free-time activity is a day trip to the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve. The park is home to Africa's big five: elephant, rhinoceros (black/hook-lipped and white/square-lipped), Cape buffalo, lion, and leopard.
  2. You can just relax on the pristine beaches of Sodwana Bay.
  3. There are also ...

Fritidsaktiviteter

  1. The most popular free-time activity is a day trip to the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve. The park is home to Africa's big five: elephant, rhinoceros (black/hook-lipped and white/square-lipped), Cape buffalo, lion, and leopard.
  2. You can just relax on the pristine beaches of Sodwana Bay.
  3. There are also quad bike tours of the local lake systems and forests. 
  4. You can scuba dive on the world-renowned reefs of Sodwana Bay. 

Krav

Krav

Minimumsalder: 18 år

For å bli med i programmet må du være minst 18 år gammel på programmets startdato. Det kan være unntak hvis du kan gi tillatelse fra dine foresatte eller hvis du er i følge med foreldrene dine.

Språkferdigheter

Du må snakke Engelsk (middels nivå)

Utdanningskrav

Marine Sciences, Biology & Conservation (not essential) på High school nivå

Nasjonalitetsbegrensninger

Ingen restriksjoner. Hjelpende hender fra hele verden er velkomne.

Andre ferdigheter

be enrolled as a marine science student or post-grad be a passionate ocean conservationist be between 18 – 35 yrs old be from any country speak English at an intermediate level enjoy communal living and work well in a team

Tidsforpliktelse

Din hjelpende hånd vil bli påkrevd Mandag, Tirsdag, Onsdag, Torsdag og Fredag fra 07:00 - 16:00

Hva inngår

Hva inngår

Tjenester fra Sharklife Conservation Group

As the project is based in a remote rural area there are extra expenses involved in providing similar services to those found in developed countries. Nonetheless, we have tried our best to balance the costs to make your trip both affordable and comfortable. 

Costs Include:

The majority of your program cost goes toward the implementation of research projects.

  • Costs include

    Boat-based field trips (research expenses)

    Scuba surveys and Park entry

    Airport transfers

    Private room

    Workshops

    All dive gear

    Wifi

    24hr support

Excluded: 

Scuba courses (see pricing)

Flights 

Travel insurance / DAN Insurance

Meals * (Budget $50 -$100 p/w)

Weekend activities: (scuba diving or out-of-town trips)

* Meals – The research accommodation has a fully equipped kitchen where you can prepare your meals. There are regular trips to the local supermarket where you can purchase all common food items.  Alternatively, there is a restaurant across the road where you can order lunch and dinner from a large menu. 


Cost Structure Explanation

At Sharklife, our pricing for interns reflects the high costs involved in running a remote marine field station.

Initial Weeks: The first few weeks of your stay not only include the high costs of airport transfers but also include scientific workshops, lectures, and scuba courses if required. This intensive training period is essential for equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to our monitoring and research efforts.

Extended Stays: We encourage students to stay for longer periods because, as you gain more experience, you can take on more responsibilities and assist with a wider range of tasks. To incentivize longer stays and recognize your increased skill sets, we reduce the costs progressively after the initial 4 weeks, making the program more affordable. By structuring the costs this way, we aim to provide a high-quality educational experience while also fostering long-term commitment and contribution to the conservation projects.

Henting fra flyplassen på Richards Bay Airport

FLIGHT BOOKING IMPORTANT INFO:

If your program starts on the 1st of January you need to arrive at the airport on the 1st of January, not before. If your program's last day is the 2nd of December, you need to book your flight for departure on the 2nd of December.

You need to fly into Richards Bay airport via Johannesburg O.R Tambo Airport or Cape Town International Airport. Please book your flight to arrive no later than 1 pm as it's a 4-hour drive back to Sodwana Bay and there is a stretch of road that is very dangerous to drive at night due to stray cows, goats, and dogs.

If all the available flights on the arrival date only arrive after 1 pm you would need to arrive the day before and stay over in Richards Bay to meet us at the airport the next day at the arranged time.

For the departure flight please book a flight for after 1 pm – Lunch time.

If you need assistance with travel arrangements, please let me know, I’m happy to help.

A Sharklife staff member will pick you up from the airport on your arrival day, the staff member will more than likely be me, and I will be in contact with you via WhatsApp a few days before your departure date to start planning.

Overnatting

You will be situated within the intern camp located next to the Sharklife Ocean Center. 

We have a total of ten rooms.

Nine rooms are small yet secure and private, these nine rooms share four bathrooms.

One room is en-suite.

The kitchen and communal areas are spacious and well-equipped. We do have a washing machine in the common area for you to do some laundry.

Restaurants within walking distance.

Internettilgang

Begrenset tilgang på prosjektstedet

Hva er IKKE inkludert?

Hva er IKKE inkludert?

Mat og drikke

Mat, snacks eller drikke koster ekstra.

Flybilletter

Den nærmeste flyplassen er Richards Bay Airport (RCB) i Richards Bay. Vi hjelper deg med å finne billige flyreiser til Sør-Afrika. FINN BILLIGE FLYREISER

Reiseforsikring

Å reise til utlandet er et eventyr, og det er alltid best å være forberedt. Plutselig sykdom eller skade, avbestilling eller tyveri – en reiseforsikring for Sør-Afrika gir trygghet og er et pluss å ha. FÅ ET TILBUD

Vaksiner

Hvis du har tenkt å jobbe frivillig i Sør-Afrika bør du søke medisinsk råd før du starter din sosiale reise. Sjekk de nødvendige vaksinasjonene dine for Sør-Afrika. VAKSINESJEKKER

Detaljer ved ankomst

Start Dates: 2024/2025
 

FLIGHT BOOKING IMPORTANT INFO:

If your program starts on the 1st of January you need to arrive at the airport on the 1st of January, not before. If your program's last day is the 2nd of December, you need to book your flight for departure on the 2nd of December.

You need to fly into Richards Bay airport via Johannesburg O.R Tambo Airport or Cape Town International Airport. Please book your flight to arrive no later than 1 pm as it's a 4-hour drive back to Sodwana Bay and there is a stretch of road that is very dangerous to drive at night due to stray cows, goats, and dogs.

If all the available flights on the arrival date only arrive after 1 pm you would need to arrive the day before and stay over in Richards Bay to meet us at the airport the next day at the arranged time.

For the departure flight please book a flight for after noon – Lunch time.

If you need assistance with travel arrangements, please let me know, I’m happy to help.

A Sharklife staff member will pick you up from the airport on your arrival day, the staff member will more than likely be me, and I will be in contact with you via WhatsApp a few days before your departure date to start planning.

If you are unsure please do not hesitate to ask for help.

Tilgjengelighet
Jan. Febr. Mars Apr. Mai Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Okt. Nov. Des.

Programgebyrer

2 uker (min. opphold) 2,237€
4 uker 3,151€
6 uker 3,728€
8 uker 4,310€
10 uker 4,848€
12 uker (max. opphold) 5,334€
Gjennomsnittlig gebyr 781€/uke

Programgebyrer

781€ per uke 2 - 12 uker Alder 18 - 50+

Betalingsmetoder

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

INGEN KREDITTKORTGEBYRER


Varighet

2 - 12 uker

Depositum

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Endelig Betaling

Din sluttbetaling vil bli avtalt med Sharklife Conservation Group under søknadsprosessen. Vanlige løsninger er enten via bankoverføring eller kontant betaling på prosjektstedet.


Møt din vert

Sharklife Conservation Group

Utestående 4.9 rating (10 gjennomganger)

Non-profit - grunnlagt i 2005

Verifisert av Volunteer World

  utmerket Svarprosent

Arrangert av

Candice

Snakkede språk: Engelsk, Afrikaans

Om prosjektet

Established in 2005, Sharklife addresses the alarming exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters.

Møt din vert

Who we are
  • Sharklife is a small organisation with a large reach.  The founding members have a extensive amount of experience with sharks and associated conservation tactics. 
Our history
  • Sharklife is one of the longest standing shark focused conservation organisations in the world.  We began our organisation in the times when shark conservation wasn't as widely appreciated or accepted like it is today. We still work tirelessly today to drive the urgent need for ocean conservation actions on a global scale. 
Our Aims
  1. To develop a compassionate desire to conserve sharks by altering public misconceptions about sharks and replacing the "Jaws" syndrome with positive understanding and respect.
  2. Reduce anthropogenic threats to over exploited marine species by increasing awareness and encouraging sustainable seafood choices.
  3. Increase marine tourism and transform shark populations into a sustainable living resource by developing educational ocean experiences for all South African’s
What we do
  • Sharklife strives to develop and implement tangible marine conservation projects. We have a broad focus addressing shark conservation on many levels.  
Where we work 
  • The Sharklife Ocean Center is based in Sodwana Bay,  located in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa. The village borders the pristine world heritage site known as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This small rural village is safe with Cash ATM's, Restaurants, Grocery Shop, Free Wifi, Laundry Service, Dive Shop.
Who we are looking for
  • Sharklife needs people who are passionate about shark conservation, people who are driven to develop their skills and the experience necessary to make meaningful inroads in the field of marine conservation. 
Why choose us
  • Sharklife is an established, authentic conservation organisation with a wealth of experience in both shark behavior and the ocean environment. 

10 gjennomganger · rating4.9

I spent one month at sharklife in Sodwana Bay and it was definitely one of the best months of my life and I wish it had been longer. I am not a biologist, but a physicist, so it was very interesting for me to see how work is done in this field of science. During my time at sharklife I was able to ...
Jasper Venezia rating4.6

2021 at Sharklife Marine Biology Internship Program

I spent 1 month with this association. Honestly I was such an amazing experience that I can't put it into words. The staff was amazing, they knew a lot and taught us a lot. They are very interest and motivated with shark conservation. I didn't have any experience with sharks in the past but I left ...
Isabella Aitkenhead rating5

2019 at Sharklife Marine Biology Internship Program

The Sharkklife internship experience was like no other! I learnt so much about sharks and shark conservation, my head was just filled with exciting new information for the two weeks. Not only did I learn a lot of valuable skills and information, the staff at Sharklife have inspired me to become a ...
Great experience for any ocean or shark enthousiast Had two really great weeks with Sharklife. It's a small but verry dedicated organisation. This makes the program personal and welcoming. It's great to spend time with like minded people exploring the ocean and learning things you always wondered ...
Sharklife an example of what we need more of! Its a brilliant organisation that truel focuses on what we can do to help protect sharks! Through the internship you really get to feel involved and also learn a lot about sharks and conservation. Grants genuine passion and enthusiasm for sharks comes ...
Nothing more perfectly summarises what the Sharklife Internship is all about, than the quote above! We got close to sharks, rays, rays and even dolphins, learnt about the critters of the sea, looked into shark biology and learnt how to free dive, all of this is just two weeks. For someone who had an ...

Plassering

Afrika > Sør Afrika > Sør-Afrika > Kwa-Zulu Natal

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