Sharks, Whales, Penguins, Seals,
Dolphins... this is an extraordinary and exciting project in a beautiful
location, surrounded by white beaches and blue ocean. And two hours from
the world's third favourite city - Cape Town. What more could anyone
want?
This placement is exciting! Here you'll have the opportunity to
work with sharks, whales, penguins, tourism, research and community development.
You’ll be taught, guided and lectured by very skilled field teams.
"Look
into the mouth of this ocean
predator ...it's as big as a delivery van!
Great
White Shark cage diving is incredible!"
►SUMMARY
FACTFILE
Start Dates
All year round - you choose your
start and finish dates!
Duration
From 2 weeks and up to 1 year, subject to visa
requirements
Requirements
No qualifications needed, just a
big dose of enthusiasm and a love of all types of marine life.
►Accommodation
►One night in a hotel in
Cape Town (usually)
►Meeting you at the Airport
►Transfer to your accommodation
►Full pre-departure support
►Local in-country team support
and backup
►24-hr emergency support.
What's not included
Flights, Insurance,
Cost of Visas (if a visa is required, but we'll provide necessary documents and
assistance),
Food, Return transfer to
airport.
Who can do this Project?
All our projects are
open to all nationalities.
Unless otherwise stated, you need to be aged between 17 and 70+
PROJECT OVERVIEW Go on whale
watching trips that are not just magical but rewarding too.
See
penguins dancing on the sand, they defy imagination and touch your
heart. Laugh at
the antics of hundreds of seals in their colonies on Dyer Island.
And of
course there's the Great White Shark, the greatest predatory
force of the seas that remains a mystery to man.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:
An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into
Africa and the many diverse cultures in South Africa
The enormous satisfaction of knowing that your work is contributing
to marine conservation.
New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding
of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional
development.
An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head
and shoulders above most others in the job market
And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!
LOCATION:
The program runs out of Gaansbaai, South Africa. Fieldwork will
take place around Dyer Island and possibly other shark locations.
Dyer Island (known as Shark Alley!) is possibly the best place in the
world to see Great Whites. Gaansbaai is a seaside village, which depends
on fishing and tourism for its survival. It is situated approximately
two hours south east of Cape Town.
On one of the main research sites,
Dyer Island, many other wildlife species can be viewed from the boat. It is
the breeding ground for Jackass Penguins, Cape Cormorants and Gannets,
whilst Geyser Rock opposite, is a breeding mecca for Cape Fur Seals and
currently home to approximately 20 000 seals. In season Whales and an
occasional Dolphin can be spotted. This is a perfect habitat for the Great
White.
The
sharks have been awesome. The largest one I've seen so far was a 3.5m shark
nicknamed "Slashfin" because her dorsal fin is cut. She looks a lot bigger up
close, I can tell you! Got to see a "predation" as well - a shark take out a
seal. Was all over in a matter of minutes, just a pool of blood on the surface
to tell the tale. Also saw a Southern Right whale out on the water which was
pretty cool.
Andrew
Burge
One of the exciting aspects of this project
is that you may be fortunate
enough to spot all the ‘Marine Big 5’ :
Shark – The Great White
Whale – Southern Right, Humpback and Brydes’
Penguin –
African
Seal –
Cape Fur
Dolphin – Bottlenose, Common and Humpback
YOUR WORK: Weather permitting you'll
go out to sea frequently. At sea, you'll get involved as much as
possible with all aspects of sea work. Much emphasis will be placed on
observing behaviour and the interactions of marine species around the
boat. You'll record your observations onto datasheets, including data
such as sex, size, markings and behaviour.
There is a great variety of work that you'll
be doing and this will largely depend on what work is required at the
time you are there. Seasons play a great part in the work as well
because the different species come and go according to their
seasonally-driven behavioural patterns.
For example, during the summer time (November through to February), MD
(the organisation we work with) are very involved in Tourist trips and
dives. These trips and tourist-related activities are crucially
important because they provide the funds that are used for MD's research
and community development projects. During these months, there is a
possibility that you'll be called on to provide more help with the
tourists and less help with the marine research.
Shark Research Much emphasis is placed on
observing behaviour and the interactions of sharks around the boat. You
will be taught how to get in and out of the cage and how to remain
secure and safe in the cage. You may have to record observations of the
White Sharks. This will include sex, size, markings and behaviour. You
might be asked to help fill in data sheets for the sharks they spot day
to day.
Individual recognition of sharks is achieved
through photographing dorsal fins, marks, scars and colouration. A shark
log is kept for each shark. The objectives of the research are to
collate a database of dorsal fin data which are used to identify
individual animals, to ascertain why the sharks use this area and how
long they stay, to study the behaviour of sharks in their natural
environment and in the vicinity of shark-cage diving boats, as well as
to obtain a population estimate.
Whale Research
On the whale boat you will help to GPS all the whales, birds and dolphins. You may also get involved in helping to
rescue animals in need, such as oiled, sick and injured penguins and birds.
"Anyone who has had the joy of meeting a mighty
whale face to face will tell you just how magical it is. Huge, gentle,
mysterious, curious. Can you imagine a giant friend, like none other? As
captivated by you as you are by him."
Skills learned from the Project: Depending on your previous experience, you
are likely to learn many new skills, from running a boat and keeping it in a
good working order, to identifying the sharks and other marine life and learning
their behaviour. Sometimes researchers use the boat trips to collect data, so
speaking to them will teach you a lot as well.
ADDITIONAL
ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WHILE ON THIS PROJECT:
5-DAY OR 7-DAY SAFARI from
Cape Town up the renowned Garden Route: taking in Dolphin and Whale
Spotting, visits to many tourist attractions, such as a visit to a
brewery(!), the Bloukrantz Bungy Jump (reportedly the highest in the world),
and a guided tour of the Cango Caves.
1 WEEK WHALES, SHARKS AND DOLPHINS
Project: This is
an extraordinary and exciting project in a beautiful location, surrounded
by white beaches and blue ocean. And two hours from the world's third
favourite city - Cape Town.
What more could anyone want?
PARAGLIDING COURSE: Soar over the impressively beautiful Drakensburg
Mountain. You'll get a licence at the end of the course which qualifies you
to do solo paragliding around the world.
Click here to read an article by Travellers
Volunteer Ilona Veenema for the local newspaper while on her Multi Marine Project
Multi-Marine Project Video (courtesy of Fasttrax
Marine Media)
Wake up at and get ready any time between
6:30 – 8:00. After breakfast, assuming that the boat trip will take place that
day (because the trips are subject to weather conditions, the day will start
with making your way to the ‘Great White House’ where, once the tourists have
had their briefing, you will help to dress them in their jackets and life vests
or go and prepare the boat for the trip.
You'll walk the tourists down to the boat. Once the boat leaves the harbour
you’ll spend between 3 and 6 hours out at sea. The Shark Boat will go out
once or twice a day depending on numbers and time of year and the Whale Boat
normally goes out four times a day (for a duration of roughly 2 hours for each
trip).
During your time on the shark boat, Shark Fever, you'll participate in
data collection. Once a shark is spotted, you will need to record as much
information as you can about it, including data such as size, sex, any scars or
other identifying marks, the length of time it remains around the boat,
behaviour, and if it is a re-sight, etc. You'll be informed about what
information you need to collect.
If
it is decided that it is a ‘good’ shark, the cage will be lowered into the sea
and you'll help with preparing the tourists for the cage dives. This will
include getting them into their wetsuits.
You
may not participate in a cage dive on each occasion, but you should have the
opportunity on couple of occasions. Not every boat trip ends in a cage dive – it
will depend on whether there are any sharks around at that time, whether the sea
conditions are conducive to lowering a cage, and other similar factors. Just to
give you an example, though, a very recent volunteer on a one-month placement
went out to sea on 20 occasions, but the cage was only lowered on 9 of those
occasions.
At
the end of the 5 hours, you will return to the shore and here your work will
continue. Once back in shore you might have to wash the boat down and pack all
the kit up. The equipment needs to be washed and hung to dry for the next day.
If it is busy there might be a second boat trip so all the above is repeated.
If not, they have the rest of the day off.
The
work you do will ideally be split between the two boats, Shark Fever and
Whale Whisperer, and work on land or in the office. It will largely
depend on what is happening at the time of your placement and where the most
help is needed. This is only a rough idea of the work that you will be doing.
You'll be given information and the necessary material to help you answer any
general questions that the tourists on the boats might ask you and you will be
expected to know and provide basic information.
Lectures and Activities During your placement you might have
the opportunity to attend some lectures on various aspects of shark and marine
conservation. The number of lectures will vary at different times of the year.
Wherever possible, a weekly lecture and activity will try to be organised for
you. However, due to the workload at the time of the year and other external
factors, this may not always take place.
Tube-feeding an injured Giant Petrel
ABOUT
THE GREAT WHITE SHARK
Sharks are intelligent and vulnerable,
deserving of sympathy and respect. Education helps people to lose the Jaws
phenomenon and gain the realisation that sharks are a complex and precious
species, living in the water – just doing their best to survive.
100,000,000 sharks are killed each year by humans, usually through fishing. They
are, as a result, on a collision course with extinction. Great White Sharks are
the last wild predator on earth that we cannot tame; from that point of view
alone it deserves our respect and attention.
How could our oceans be the same without the glorious Great White beneath its
surface.
Great White Sharks are very stable animals,
displaying stable and predictable behaviour. They do not like to fight with or
bite one another. They are highly intelligent animals, able to learn quickly and
to remember. This is all new and contradictory evidence in the field and it is
apparent that the Shark Team are just scratching the surface now.
Finding the Great White, or letting them
find you, is a skill, involving years of practice, the water temperature, depth,
visibility, swell height, current and wind direction are all major factors. Once
the site is found, the bait is prepared and the team awaits the shark,
respecting it as a free animal. A recent tagging project was very successful
allowing a number of Great Whites to be tracked.
Possible Extinction: Considering the incredible number of between 150 - 200 million sharks
destroyed each year, there is a potential threat of extinction to these species.
Most sharks are slow growing, have late maturation and low fecundity and this is
the shark's downfall. They cannot replace their stocks to keep up with human
exploitation, such as say, sardines can.
Lets look at the Great
White Shark. The Great White Shark female takes approximately 15 years to become
sexually mature, and the male about 8 years. At these ages the female will be
around five meters long and the male around four meters long. The Great White
Sharks' fecundity is low, so the female may possibly only give birth to several
litters of pups in a lifetime and these litters are relatively small, ranging
from about seven to eleven pups in a litter.
So due to the shark's
inability to reproduce quickly, stock replacement is not occurring and
subsequently the populations of the world are fast diminishing. In fact, they
are being wiped out far quicker than most people realise, with many species
critically endangered and some species literally on the brink of extinction.
The Great White Shark is
now protected in South Africa, California, South Australia and Tasmania, and
although this is only one of almost 400 species of shark, its protection is a
step in the right direction.
The Great White is a key
stone species on this planet and its protection, subsequent media attention and
high public profile allows us to use it as a battering ram to push for the
protection of other shark species.
About Dyer Island: The name of the island
originated from an African American, Samson Dyer, who went to live on the island
in the 19th century. He collected "guano" (bird droppings), and made a living
from supplying it to farmers on the mainland as fertilizer. The boats that
transported the guano from the island
are today in the Maritime Museum at the Waterfront in
Cape Town.
Dyer Island (larger island) is the breeding ground of Jackass Penguins, Cape
Cormorants and Gannets, while Geyser Rock (smaller island) is a breeding
Mecca for Cape Fur Seals and currently home to approx. 50 000 seals. In season,
whales and dolphins may also be spotted.
Shark taking bait - Photos courtesy of Independent
Productions
YOUR
ACCOMMODATION
The "Great White House"
Your accommodation will be in a comfortable house in Kleinbaai.
You will stay in a shared dorm room and you
have the use of a bathroom, a kitchen, lounge area, and courtyard braai
area. The house is situated within a short 10 mins walking distance from the
‘The Great White House’, which is the project office and meeting point for
tourists. There is a shop and cafe as well.
Internet is available for you to use at the MD office at the Great White
House. There are also two internet cafes in the town.
Food:
Food is not provided on this project. However, the local supermarket stocks
a variety of food and there are kitchen facilities in the house for cooking.
You'll need to take additional funds with you to cover the cost of meals.
At the time of writing this, a very loose guide of how much you’re likely to
need is R1,000 per month (roughly £88, eating sensibly and cheaply) to
R1,500 (roughly £132, on which you should be eating fairly well). (These
exchange figures correct at time of writing.)
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
TRAVEL:
Typically, you'll fly into Cape Town where you'll be met at the airport by one of
our staff. From the
airport you'll be taken to a hotel in Cape Town to await your onward
transfer to Gaansbaai the next day. Your hosts will introduce you to your
accommodation and the people you'll be working with. Prepare yourself
for an almost overwhelmingly friendly welcome!
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Limited, ATOL No. 6856.
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
VISAS: For many nationalities, visas are not required for a stay of 90
days or less. If you’re not sure whether you need a visa or not, please visit
http://www.home-affairs.gov.za/visa_schedule.asp
to see whether your country is exempt. If you do need a visa, we will assist you
and help make the visa process as easy as possible.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
To read about the excellentSupport
& Backup we provide before you leave and during
your programme,
please click here.
We can also arrange your flight
dates
to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a
fascinating and wondrous country!
Local women working in the community craft shop
Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring
Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595 Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179
Email:
info@travellersworldwide.com
.
