Shark Conservation Assistant

location
2 - 24 semanas  ·  Edad 16 - 50+

rating  Perfecto 4.6  · 
  Verificado por Volunteer World
  Ratio de respuesta buena

Puntos Relevantes

  • Delve into the behaviors and biology of Great White Sharks and other fascinating marine species inhabiting the Gansbaai coast.
  • Spend the majority of your time at sea aboard Slashfin – our cage diving vessel – or the research boat Lwazi. Rare research trips offer a chance to contribute to ongoing projects.
  • Utilize your microscope skills for blood slides of African Penguins, assisting with data recording and medication.

Puntos Relevantes

  • Delve into the behaviors and biology of Great White Sharks and other fascinating marine species inhabiting the Gansbaai coast.
  • Spend the majority of your time at sea aboard Slashfin – our cage diving vessel – or the research boat Lwazi. Rare research trips offer a chance to contribute to ongoing projects.
  • Utilize your microscope skills for blood slides of African Penguins, assisting with data recording and medication.
  • Acknowledge the behind-the-scenes work of biologists, involving data analysis, verification, and office tasks.


  • Especialmente adecuado para

    Edad 16+
    Solteros y solteras
    Parejas
    Familias
    Grupos

    Sobre el programa

    You will learn about the behaviors and biology of Great White Sharks and the other species in our seas during this exciting project, situated in Gansbaai.

    About the Program

    This exciting project is situated in Gansbaai – the shark cage diving capital of the world – and is about a 2 hour drive from Cape Town. The coast around Gansbaai is home to multiple marine species. There are shark sightings all year, peaking in the Southern Hemisphere in winter ...

    Sobre el programa

    About the Program

    This exciting project is situated in Gansbaai – the shark cage diving capital of the world – and is about a 2 hour drive from Cape Town. The coast around Gansbaai is home to multiple marine species. There are shark sightings all year, peaking in the Southern Hemisphere in winter (May – September). Southern Right Whales including their calves return every year in July and stay around until December, when they return back to Antarctic waters. Other species including seals and penguins are resident all year and we sometimes have sightings of bottlenose, humpback and common dolphins sightings.

    Our volunteer programs here offer a limited number of places each year which allows participants to gain the maximum from their time working closely with biologists from our research team on our shark cage diving vessel.

    Project Highlights

    • You will work with professionals and clients in a world-class ecotourism environment, learning all about how responsible ecotourism and conservation learning all about how responsible ecotourism and conservation work hand-in-hand
    • You will learn about the behaviors and biology of Great White Sharks and the other species in our seas
    • We will help, support and encourage you to get the most out of your stay
    • Every volunteer gets involved in our eco-tourism (cage diving) and conservation work throughout their stay
    • Everyone spends the majority of time at sea aboard Slashfin – our cage diving vessel – or our newly commissioned research boat Lwazi (“seeking knowledge”). Research trips are fully weather dependent and performance of volunteers are rated on our shark cage diving vessel, for the chance to go on our research boat.  These trips are rare, depending on which project is on the go, so do not assume that you will go out on
    • 2-3 presentations on conservation, research or marine safety every week
    • The opportunity to help out at our African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary which is a world-class centre for the rehabilitation of seabirds in distress, with a particular emphasis on conserving the African penguin

    We research the feeding, migrating and behavioural habits as well as various other aspects of the Great Whites by recording sightings, tagging, dorsal fin identification and taking thousands of photos for an ongoing data base in conjunction with various national and international academic and research institutions. Taking a closer look at their superior immune system and wound healing capabilities, their interaction with other marine species, as well as the parasites that are found on sharks is all part of the comprehensive and ongoing research we do.

    Research Expectations

    Blonde hair, brown skin, sun-kissed cheeks…your typical marine biologist? Not always! Remember for every hour a biologist spends at sea they spend another 15 back in the office punching, verifying and analysing data – so if you help us with research you could also be doing data capture, measuring shark eggs that have washed ashore, weighing and classifying plastic pollution etc. If you feel creative, you could even help us with the daily blog after hours…but remember, your team mates will back at home chilling while you are still working. However, you will have good work experience and go home with the knowledge that you have really contributed to what we are doing!

    Please note that you won’t be lobbing tags into sharks all day – only qualified people may do this and if you are really lucky you might be able to see this in action, but the reality is that if the research vessel goes out to track tagged sharks while you are here then you will be following a beeping noise on the hydrophone for hours and you most likely won’t actually see the shark…you will only know that it is there. However, if you are feeling generous and want to buy a tag for us you can even name the shark and come along on the tagging trip…the tags cost a lot though!

    You can take turns with other volunteers to assist with data recording, sketching pictures of sharks and taking photo ID shots, but please note that these pictures are of the dorsal fins and scarring, not of the exciting front end of the shark remember that when you are doing data and taking research pix that you will miss out on photographing gaping sharks. So this is why we cycle volunteers’ tasks and you won’t only be doing research every day, you will also be helping clients with their wetsuits, those who are feeling seasick, assisting the crew and so on.

    Do you have microscope skills? You might even be able to help us out with looking at blood slides of African Penguins and help with data recording or medicating their fish, but remember that rehabilitation centers are hard work and entail a lot of cleaning, so prepare yourself for that.


    Día típico

    Programs run for 5-7 days a week, normally from Monday to Sunday as the project is partnered with an ecotourism business.

    Off days are granted upon request with a days notice or if there is bad weather.

    Typical tasks include:

    Great White Sharks

    How will you be involved?
    Duties will vary depending on ...

    Día típico

    Programs run for 5-7 days a week, normally from Monday to Sunday as the project is partnered with an ecotourism business.

    Off days are granted upon request with a days notice or if there is bad weather.

    Typical tasks include:

    Great White Sharks

    How will you be involved?
    Duties will vary depending on each person’s skills set and those involved in the active study of marine biology are likely to be more involved on the research aspects. Volunteers assist with observational data capture and photographic data and may be involved with water sampling, temperature testing etc. If you stay for a minimum of a month and are fortunate enough to go out on the research boat, you may observe tagging of a shark or learn how to track an acoustically tagged shark. On land you can capture data and may learn how to match fins for population counts.

    African Penguins

    How will you be involved?
    You may be involved in cleaning the birds’ pens, crates and living areas, assisting with preparing medicated fish, recording medical records and data and telling visitors about what we do. If you will be staying a minimum of 4 weeks and you want to volunteer at APSS regularly during your time here then you may be able to learn how to handle the birds yourself, if the rehabilitator feels that you show an aptitude for this. There is also the opportunity to read blood slides on the microscope and enter data onto the computer.

    Marine Pollution

    How will you be involved?
    You may have the opportunity to work with children´s groups when we do beach clean-ups. We separate and weigh all the garbage and enter the data into a database. You may also be involved in making up our unique fishing line bins or help by cleaning the fishing line for recycling. By removing fishing line and other litter off our beaches you are quite possibly helping save another bird or animal from injury, as well as helping to prevent plastic from entering the food chain, causing animals to starve or become poisoned.

    Marine Animal Strandings

    How will you be involved?
    You may assist to search for and retrieve animals, record data, assist in dissections, record GPS positions, help with body measurements and if it is a shark or dolphin then you will assist in dissecting it and taking samples for passing on to scientific institutions.

    BRUV Studies

    How will you be involved?
    You may go out to sea to assist in deploying and retrieving equipment. Once back in the office, you could go through the video footage, recording the marine species that swim past the bait station.

    Endemic Shark Species Project

    How will you be involved?
    You will search along the shoreline for egg cases that have washed ashore, collect, measure and identify them and input the information into our database.

    Environmental Sampling

    How will you be involved?
    You will use the YSI to sample locally at the estuary and possibly a few times a week from the whale watching vessel or research vessel. You will help to record data and carefully maintain the highly sensitive equipment.

    Whilst on the boat you will be able to do the following:

    • Assist inlaying and retrieving the anchor
    • Assist putting in the cage and attaching it to the boat
    • Help prepare bait
    • Help with the chumming
    • Assist the customers on the boat – answering any questions they have, informing them about the white sharks, helping them with their wet suits, offering help to any people suffering from seasickness
    • Assist divers in getting ready for the cage, and helping them in and out of the cage – providing them with masks, weight belts and towels
    • Collecting data on the sharks
    • Helping prepare the cage if we have a second trip
    • Viewing the sharks and taking pictures


    Actividades de tiempo libre

    Area information
    Gansbaai is situated 2 hours from Cape Town. 

This former fishing village turned bustling town and tourism Mecca is the business hub that anchors a diverse and colourful community. The main road and side streets are dotted with an array of old and new shops and pubs, diners and ...

    Actividades de tiempo libre

    Area information
    Gansbaai is situated 2 hours from Cape Town. 

This former fishing village turned bustling town and tourism Mecca is the business hub that anchors a diverse and colourful community. The main road and side streets are dotted with an array of old and new shops and pubs, diners and deli’s reflecting an exquisite blend of cultures and traditions.

    The fishing industry is still the economical heartthrob of the town. The two harbours, fishmeal factory and canning division, as well as the two abalone farms, are abuzz with activity and the main employment generator.

    A thriving industrial area, banks, three petrol stations and two trendy shopping centres ensure that the needs of both locals and visitors are met.

    We do get you out and about, especially if we have a no sea day when we organise some other educational and fun stuff to do.


    Requisitos

    Requisitos

    Edad mínima: 16 años

    Para participar en el programa es necesario tener al menos 16 años en la fecha de inicio del programa.

    Conocimientos lingüísticos

    Tienes que hablar (nivel básico) Inglés

    Verificación de antecedentes penales

    obligatorio

    Restricciones de nacionalidad

    Sin restricciones. Las manos amigas de todo el mundo son bienvenidas.

    Tiempo dedicado

    Necesitaremos tu ayuda los Lunes, Martes, Miércoles, Jueves, Viernes, Sábado y Domingo

    Servicios incluidos

    Servicios incluidos

    Servicios de SAVE Foundation

    Program fees include: 

    • Airport pick up 
    • 3 nights in Cape Town 
    • Accommodation on project  
    • Cape Town Orientation tour 
    • Transfer Gansbaai back to Cape Town, providing you travel back on a Monday 
    • Breakfast and lunch on working days 
    • 24 hour support and supervision on project from two full-time volunteer coordinators and administrator and an on-site Manager 
    • Donation to the NPO to assist with projects, for all bookings of 4 weeks or more 
    • Certificate of appreciation

    Recogida en el aeropuerto Cape Town International Airport

    What time will I be picked up in Cape Town?
    Our collection times are generally between 5am and 8am every Monday. We have our own shuttle service coming through with clients so they will collect you. Please note the time can change depending on weather, trip timing etc and we will communicate the time to you (or the place you are staying) the evening before. We do not do airport collection so you will have to take a shuttle to your accommodation the day before we collect you. Usually your accommodation will sort this out for you.

    How will I get back to Cape Town after my program?
    On Mondays, our same shuttle service will return you to the place you are staying in Cape Town. On return trips we can drop you off at the airport but your flight needs to leave no earlier than 7pm so please plan this well. We will sort out your return trip when you are with us.

    Alojamiento

    There are 4 cottages that accommodate up to 6 people per cottage. Each cottage has a bathroom, kitchenette and living area as well as daily living essentials. The main building has a beautiful kitchen, equipped with induction plates, a microwave and oven for cooking and a fully functional recycling system in place. There is also a very spacious living area with satellite TV, DVD player, board games, pool table and foosball. There is an activity hall with some weights and a table tennis table.

    Comida y bebida

    Breakfast: eggs, bacon (or veggie sausage), bread, cereal, coffee and tea
    Lunch: Only on working days, a sandwich, crisps, fruit juice and fruit.
    Evening meals and other entertainment are at your own expense. Our accommodation has a fully equipped kitchen and braai/barbeque area.
    Shops are nearby and a self catering kitchen is available. We will transfer you for food shopping on your first day of arrival and some days during the week.

    Acceso a Internet

    Acceso limitado al lugar del proyecto

    ¿Qué NO está incluido?

    ¿Qué NO está incluido?

    Boletos de avión

    El aeropuerto más cercano es Cape Town International Airport (CPT) en Cape Town. Te ayudamos a encontrar vuelos baratos a Sudáfrica. ENCONTRAR VUELOS BARATOS

    Seguro de viaje

    Ir al extranjero es una aventura y siempre es mejor estar preparado. Enfermedad o lesión repentina, cancelación o robo: un seguro de viaje para Sudáfrica proporciona seguridad y es una ventaja tenerlo. OBTENER UN PRESUPUESTO

    Vacunas

    Si tiene intención de realizar un voluntariado en Sudáfrica, debe solicitar asesoramiento médico antes de iniciar su viaje social. Comprueba las vacunas que necesitas para Sudáfrica. COMPROBADOR DE VACUNAS

    Detalles a la llegada

    Volunteers can join us anytime throughout the year! 

    Disponibilidad
    Enero Feb. Marzo Abr. Mayo Jun Jul Agosto Set. Oct. Nov. Dic.

    Cuotas del programa

    2 semanas (estancia min.) 1.777€
    4 semanas 2.647€
    5 semanas 3.286€
    7 semanas 4.474€
    9 semanas 5.751€
    24 semanas (estancia max.) 15.327€
    Cuota promedio 763€/semana

    Cuotas del programa

    763€ cuotas semanales 2 - 24 semanas Edad 16 - 50+

    Métodos de pago

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    SIN GASTOS DE TARJETA DE CRÉDITO


    Duración

    2 - 24 semanas

    Depósito

    El depósito es simplemente para reservar tu vacante de voluntario. Los pagos se gestionan a través de PayPal, nuestro proveedor global de confianza. Si no tienes una cuenta PayPal, también puedes pagar con tarjeta de crédito.


    Pago final

    El pago final se acordará con SAVE Foundation durante el proceso de solicitud. Las soluciones habituales son la transferencia bancaria o el pago en efectivo en el lugar del proyecto.


    Conoce a tu anfitrión(a)

    SAVE Foundation

    Perfecto 4.6 rating (60 reseñas)

    Sin fines de lucro - fundada en 2007

    Verificado por Volunteer World

      Ratio de respuesta buena

    Coordinado por

    Shona

    Idiomas hablados: Inglés

    sobre la organización

    SAVE Foundation works to enrich, educate, and empower various township and settlement communities, as well as protect and rehabilitate wildlife in areas of Africa.

    Conoce a tu anfitrión(a)

    SAVE Foundation is a Non-Profit Organisation. We are NOT a booking agent; we run, manage, and fund all of our humanitarian projects with the help of volunteers. We believe in transparent and sustainable programs that positively impact our local community.

    SAVE Foundation is a registered and 18A tax-exempt, non-­profit organisation (NPO) that assists communities in Africa. Our work involves setting up and facilitating sustainable community and conservation development projects in South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya as well as assisting other non-­profit organisations that are actively involved in the local communities.

    Volunteers pay a fee that covers the costs of their stay such as accommodation, transport and meals as well as a donation that assists to finance the projects. In return, volunteers get to experience African culture, see our beautiful countries, learn some new skills and make a difference to those in need. As well as making many new friends, the memories made are sure to last a lifetime!

    Our volunteer packages include teaching children to (kite) surf and swim, building schools and homes, assisting at local schools, teaching business skills to adults, working with sharks, cheetahs and other wild animals.

    Every little bit helps and one can come and volunteer for anything from two weeks to two years!

    SAVE Foundation Vision

    The vision of SAVE Foundation is to provide local communities with education, youth development, sports development, and skills that will enable them to help themselves rise above the vicious cycle of poverty, and to provide conscientious and responsible wildlife conservation. Through the assistance of enthusiastic volunteers, generous sponsors, and dedicated staff, SAVE Foundation has broadened its reach from a small community-based South African outreach project, to 6 different countries with 35 humanitarian and wildlife projects over the past 9 years. SAVE Foundation hosts like-minded, dedicated volunteers from all over the world; in 2015 the organization amassed 2, 050, 200 total volunteer hours.

    SAVE Foundation is committed to providing ethical volunteering opportunities with African wildlife. Our wildlife projects focus on conservation and rehabilitation of endangered, injured, and abandoned animals.

    RESPONSIBLE VOLUNTEERING

    Humanitarian Projects

    SAVE Foundation is committed to providing responsible and sustainable volunteering opportunities. We believe that responsible volunteer practices are paramount to any high quality international volunteer organization. SAVE differs from other non-profit organizations because of the way that we work to create self-sufficient and thriving communities. Each project goes through a rigorous assessment-in conjunction with local authorities on the matter-to identify the needs of the particular community and/or school and how SAVE can best assist them to achieve their goals. SAVE aims to do more than provide Band-Aid solutions to larger issues, but instead work alongside locals to assist with development that will continue to positively impact the community throughout generations.

    SAVE Foundation provides responsible volunteering opportunities by ensuring that:

    • Volunteers do not replace paid employment opportunities for local people
    • Volunteers work alongside local staff to assist them with day-to-day operation and the implementation of improvements
    • The goal of each project is to create a self-sufficient and locally run program
      • Ex. We assist schools achieve a high level of education and operation to obtain official school registration.
      • Once a program/school is successfully up and running, we identify a new program in need of our assistance, and leave the local staff to run the operation on their own
    • Volunteers receive training upon their arrival to provide the best assistance possible within their specific placement
    • SAVE regularly collects feedback from volunteers and local project staff
    • SAVE evaluates programs on an ongoing basis
      • Assess both needs for improvement/assistance and areas of growth
    • SAVE does not use “stereotypical” aid images in our marketing campaigns to garner attitudes of pity or victimization amongst the individuals that we work with
      • The images and film that SAVE disseminates simply depicts the activities and projects in which volunteers participate
    • We encourage the dissemination of resources and education, rather than simply donating funds and goods
      • Our aim is to contribute to the self-sufficiency of struggling communities by teaching valuable skills and educating the citizens to empower themselves
      • We do not promote the idea that these individuals are simply beneficiaries of charity.

    Furthermore, SAVE takes a developmental approach to poverty reduction by working with communities in need at all stages of life, from education and care in preschools to empowerment through business and skills development for adults. We believe that it is not enough to simply work with a single sector of the community; it must be a holistic approach that will promote a change in the cycle of poverty.

    Wildlife Projects

    SAVE Foundation is committed to providing ethical volunteering opportunities with African wildlife. Our wildlife projects focus on conservation and rehabilitation of endangered, injured, and abandoned animals. SAVE also strives to educate volunteers about the various species that we support. All interactions with the animals are in a safe and respectful manner with constant supervision from a professional.

    SAVE provides responsible volunteering opportunities with wildlife by ensuring that:

    • We do not treat animals as a tourist attraction; no animals are trained to perform in front of an audience
    • We only support breeding at projects that are specifically designed for re-population purposes of endangered species
    • The animals at our projects receive professional and attentive veterinary and handling care
    • SAVE aims to release all animals back into the wild that are capable of doing so
    • The projects act as a safe haven for orphaned, injured, and traumatized animals
    • Each enclosure provides adequate space for the animals to roam freely
    • Volunteers work closely with researchers and project staff to enhance their knowledge about the wildlife
    • We provide a Pre-Vet project that is geared towards individuals with an interest in the professional fields of veterinary science, animal welfare, and animal management; thus, contributing to the future of animal conservation and protection through the addition of further professionals

    60 reseñas · rating4.6

    Simon Aebi rating4.4

    2016 at Shark Conservation Assistant

    Thank you for everything!! I really want come back again , I hope so. Its an amazing experience and gives you a good introduction in marine biology. After this program you will love sharks and you will have met a great crew and staff. They offers you with that program not just a working experience ...
    Agustin Paladini rating4

    2016 at Shark Conservation Assistant

    I am so happy about my experience in South Africa, I love this country. My volunteer experience was really awesome!! I met a lot of friendly people. The shark project is so nice, I worked with different people around the world ,variety of jobs and Gansbaai is amazing! The boat ,the lodge, all the ...
    Elena Picozzi rating5

    2024 at Sport and development

    The experience at SAVE was amazing, all the people from the working team was great and they gave me a lot of support, for every question they were ready to help and assist me. Meeting a new culture and getting to know different ways of living was enriching from all points of view. I feel blessed for ...
    sylvaine neyret rating5

    2017 at Educare & School Assistant

    Hi, I loved that experience, sharing the work of the teachers and watching the children learning. Each day was a different one, sometimes with the babies, another day with the olders, untill 6. the staff from save was very nice and a wellcoming I recommand this place! Many ...
    Paul Schepers rating3.8

    2017 at Swimming & Surfing Instructor

    In the beginning there we´re not a lot of volunteers, but after a few days a lot of them arrived an we we´re about 30-50 volunteers. In my opinion we were too much volunteers. So they should organize better, how much volunteers they need at what time. BUT the work was very important and I think ...
    Nina Rotcajg rating3.2

    2017 at Animal Sanctuaries

    Animal Sanctuary was globally a good project, I really liked it. But, you need to know that we need a lot of money there, for example the WiFi is not free and the activities like the safari is at 4500 R. I didn't know, and because of that, I haven't been able to do one. Also, it is some hard work, ...

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