The ORCA Foundation, a voluntourism division of Ocean Blue Adventures is seeking volunteers to join its comprehensive marine conservation programme in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. Volunteers play a major role in the programme where they are expected to perform a large portion of the work. Through in-field training and hands-on assistance in a wide variety of meaningful projects you can make a valuable contribution to increased knowledge and awareness. Your participation in conservation and education projects will involve regular hikes on local beaches to perform marine debris clean-ups; alien plant eradication; river health assessments; assistance at seabird rehabilitation and animal welfare centers; and environmental education of pre-school children. You will regularly assist marine biologists in the field where you will gain valuable experience in boat-based and land-based monitoring techniques involving some of Plettenberg Bay’s charismatic marine top predator species (ex. southern right whales, humpback whales, Bryde’s whales, Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Cape fur seals and Great white sharks). In particular, you will assist with endangered humpback dolphin photo-ID fieldwork and record sightings of other marine animals during dedicated boat-based surveys. In addition, whenever there are opportunities you will join Ocean Blue Adventures’ whale and dolphin watching boat trips to record opportunistic data. You will also participate in marine mammal stranding response and necropsy; seal population monitoring; processing of prey remains from seal scats, seal-fisheries interaction and seal-shark interaction monitoring in the Robberg Marine Protected Area. Sample processing and data entry forms an important component of the programme, and you will be expected to perform a large portion of this work. No previous experience is required to join the programme. It is however recommended that you have the following qualities in order to make a valuable contribution: · General interest in marine biology, research, conservation and education · Enthusiastic, positive, mature and independent attitude · Willingness to learn and work well within our small team · Adaptable and patient due to the weather dependent nature of fieldwork · Ability to work long hours on small vessels · Moderate fitness level to hike long distances in the field · Attention to detail · Willingness to perform tedious behavioural observations from cliff-top vantage points · Willingness to perform tedious data entry duties · Ability to communicate fluently in English (both written and oral) For more information about the programme, associated fees or how to apply please visit www.orcafoundation.com or email bookings@orcafoundation.com. Regards Frikkie van der Vyver, MSc Pr.Sci.Nat. (400163/16) Marine Biologist Plettenberg Bay South Africa +21(0)76 661 5741 www.orcafoundation.com Plett Stranding Network: 079 463 4837 (to report marine mammals ashore, dead or alive)