Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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The project is based in Kleinbaai, a small harbour town, and part of Gansbaai in the Western Cape of South Africa. The area is known as the best place in the world to see Great White sharks in their natural habitat. This project allows volunteers to access a diverse range of learning and gain a holistic insight into the challenges of ocean conservation.
As shark populations worldwide are increasingly threatened it is only by getting to know these complex creatures more intimately that the impact of their current continuing decline will be understood.
So, how will you make a difference?
- You will take part in shark and marine research, assisting in observing, recording and logging behavioural data. There are two Marine Biologists on this project and tracking a shark can take between 1 and 24 hours. Volunteers will give them much needed assistance with tagging and tracking. You’ll also help on our shark cage diving vessel, educating the clients.
- This project has strong educational elements for volunteers, enabling them to learn about conservation, climate, seamanship, shark behaviour and biology, shark cave diving and tourism and to gain practical experience in these areas. Volunteers will come away with a much greater understanding of these magnificent creatures, coastal ecosystems and the work going on to protect them.
- The project wants to deliver an opportunity for the volunteers to experience the industry and also tourism in order to gain a better knowledge of South Africa and its culture while working with these majestic animals.
We believe that travel should have a lasting positive impact that helps to change lives for the better. Our ethos is that under the right guidance from our local partners you can help to bring about positive change. It is a simple fact that most the countries we visit do not have adequate resources to financially support or staff up new initiatives and that’s where you can make a significant difference – in lending your time, energy and enthusiasm to ensure that the projects have a constant flow of volunteers ready to get stuck in and eager to help them achieve their goals.
Through our programme of supported volunteering we assist volunteers to participate on existing projects, which have often approached us for support. These projects existed before our partnership and would continue without, albeit a little slower in achieving their goals. We believe it is vitally important to support worthwhile projects in a sustainable way that doesn’t have a destabilising effect on their development and the wider community.
People who travel on our trips return home with a much deeper understanding of the country visited than a typical tourist would ever gain. Prior to departure all our volunteers receive information containing guidance on how to travel and experience a culture responsibly and, where volunteers will be working with children, we insist upon a criminal records check even if it is not required by the country they are volunteering in. On arrival in the destination country all our volunteers receive a welcome briefing and our local coordinators are on hand to give any additional guidance and advice during their stay.
Wherever and whenever possible, all the staff and leaders are sourced locally providing a great insight into the way of life; we use family home-stays or locally-run accommodation and we encourage use of local markets and public transport to help ensure as much money as possible goes into the local economy.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
