WHALE, DOLPHIN AND MARINE CONSERVATION PROJECT
GARDEN ROUTE, SOUTH AFRICA

Volunteer on the South Africa's fantastic Garden Route where you will be involved in a cutting edge marine conservation programme. Plettenburg Bay is home to some of the world's most fascinating marine species, including many types of whale, dolphin and shark. This project gives you the opportunity get up close and personal with the areas incredible marine life through a process of hands on education. Your work will focus on marine and coastal research, management and community education. Volunteers might conduct research focused boat trips and scuba dives as well as help to facilitate the interaction between the local community and the rich marine environment in which they live.

General Information

During your stay in Plettenberg Bay, you will be lucky enough to witness the power and grace of whales, the exuberance of dolphins and seals, and the majestic beauty of mountain, forest and coastal scenery. Above all, you will have an opportunity to actively and meaningfully participate in conserving the marine life. You will learn about managing a marine and coastal zone in a sustainable manner and in the process experience the community, culture and environment in a truly intimate way. The focus of the marine conservation programme is the successful and sustainable use of the bay and its resources. Through a process of education and research the project intends to formulate a successful management plan for the bay itself and to safe guard its long term future. The specific research projects vary throughout the year.

Our volunteers are involved in the education of the local community. It is only by engaging the local children at an early stage that the long term aims for the bay can really be achieved. This includes both class based activities where volunteers facilitate fun learning games and first hand education out in the ocean. Each week local school children are taking out into the bay on educational dolphin and whale watching trips. Other activities for volunteers on our programmes include: Shark Telemetry, whale & dolphin sightings, diving to conduct Fish counts and reef analysis, monitoring and cleaning beaches around the bay; conducting research surveys; tagging and dissection of fish species; patrol boat trips to collect data; ocean guiding; collection of aquarium species; sea kayaking; learning about conservation and marine ecology; Diving (PADI certification is available at an additional cost); overnight adventure in the bush; teaching in the local crèche and learning about organic gardening.

The majority of our research work is conducted in conjunction with students from Rhodes University. Currently we are involved in quantifying offshore resource utilisation, assessing the health of the reefs in the bay area, assessing the use of onshore resources with a particular focus on recreational fishing and creating a demand model to assess the value and means of long term funding for the bay's utilisation. Our work will also be used in conjunction with other data to propose the establishment of a Marine Protected Area to safe guard this region of outstanding natural beauty. We hope to be able to secure the extension of the Tsitsikamma Marine Reserve to include Plettenberg Bay.

Volunteers are welcome for periods of between two and eight weeks. We do recommend a stay of at least four weeks in order to get the most from your participation in the programme. A stay of four weeks allows you to complete our Local Marine Guiding programme. This is a condensed version of the National marine guiding program offered by South African Boat Based Whale Watching Association. During the first two weeks of your stay you will learn the basics of our work and become actively involved in our various projects that are being undertaken at the time. For the following two weeks of the project the volunteer focus will become the research and education programmes we are currently running within the bay area. For those staying for longer than four weeks, an individual project and mentor will be assigned.

Overall Aims and Objectives

To introduce students to Plettenberg Bay's marine and coastal environment (including marine resources and the consumptive and non-consumptive use of such resources in the Bay and surrounding areas) - To show students how the Bay and its resources are currently being managed - To introduce students to Marine Protected Area management perspectives (and how current research is geared towards providing recommendations for a management plan for the Bay) - An understanding of: the cultural diversity in the coastal community The considerations and practicalities in beach management and public safety. - Gaining further insight into the problems faced by resource managers as a result of illegal operations. - To have an unforgettable experience "learning by doing" in one of the most beautiful outdoor classrooms in South Africa

Additional Activities

Volunteers generally work from Monday to Friday and there are lots of fun activities to do during your weekend. Your volunteer co-coordinator will happily arrange these for you whilst you are there. Abseiling, Birds of Eden, Boat Hire, Bridge Walking, Buffalo Hills Game Reserve, Bungee Jumping, Canoeing/Kayaking, Diving course, Elephant Sanctuary, Fishing Charter, Helicopter Flights, Hiking Trails, Snake Park, Hiking trails, Monkeyland, Mountain Biking, Abseiling, Quad Biking, Sky Diving, Yacht Charters, Surf Lessons, Water Skiing etc.

Support

Support and advice is available from your Project Managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.

Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

A comprehensive information pack will be sent to all our volunteers upon booking their volunteer placement and further advice and information will be provided via telephone and email before departure. A full orientation will be provided when you arrive at the project by your project coordinator including information on the current status of the projects and familiarising you with the local surroundings.

Accommodation and Meals

The beautiful back drop of Plettenberg Bay will be your home for the duration of your project. You will stay in a lovely 4 bed beach front house with far-reaching views of the Indian Ocean. The bay itself is dominated by its rocky peninsula and sweeping golden sand beaches. The sea and rivers are exceptionally clean and you have the towering forests and National Park as a backdrop. The house has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining area and living room complete with TV, pool table and broadband internet access. There are laundry and domestic service for the house.

Getting There

Fly directly into George where you will be met on arrival and transferred to your accommodation. Alternatively you can fly into Cape Town and we will arrange for you to transfer by coach to Plettenburg Bay.

(There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)

Project Fees

Please note that the deposit payable and cancellation policy for this programme are slightly different from our standard terms and conditions.

1 Deposit payable to confirm you place is 25% of your project fee.
2 Refunds for cancellation of placements will be made as follows:

• 90+ days before your departure: full refund less deposit.
  Please note that we start the process of your application as soon as we receive your booking form and deposit. We inform our in country co-ordinators of your application immediately and they in turn start organising your placement - this is why your deposit is non-refundable if you cancel your trip with us.
• 60 - 90 days before your departure: full refund less 50% of total programme fee.
• 30 - 60 days before your departure: full refund less 75% of total programme fee.
• Less than 30 days before departure: No refund.

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