O.R.C.A. Marine Foundation

  South Africa

Plettenberg Bay

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks and 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: All Year

Description: The O.R.C.A. Marine Foundation gives volunteers the chance to become part of one of the worlds most successful ocean research teams.

Over the past 2 years the O.R.C.A. team have strived to turn Plettenberg Bay into a protected Ocean Marine Park. During your 2/ 4 or 8 week stay at the foundation you will become part of the O.R.C.A. family and help and assist in their long term projects and goals. Gap year travel does not get much more exciting than this!

The O.R.C.A. Foundation is based in Plettenberg Bay and is located on the world famous Garden Route. It is home to some of the worlds most fascinating marine species, including Southern Right whales, Humpback whales, Bryde's whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Common dolphins, O.R.C.A.'s or Killer Whales and Great White Sharks to name but a few.

Highlights: Volunteer activities include:

* Participation in a broad range of educational initiatives involving the local community. This includes educating school children on conservation principals and helping spread the word of the O.R.C.A. Foundation (please note some of the students may not be able to speak or understand English).
* Organising coordinated provincial marine and coastal awareness campaigns (e.g. National Environment Week, National Marine Week, Youth Day)
* Participating in commercial marine-eco tourism activities, which include whale and dolphin watching tours, sea kayaking, township tours, river ferry cruises (many water activities are complimentary of ORCA Marine Foundation). The objective being to stimulate guests awareness of and interest in the marine environment and the realistic, holistic conservation thereof through a commercial eco-tourism project that actually works (winner of the Green Trust Award)
* Monitoring and cleaning of beaches and coastal regions
* Maintenance and cleaning of fish tanks at the ORCA education centre (on a daily basis).
* Conducting research surveys:
       - Marine and coastal resource economic valuations
       - Angling surveys within the surrounding estuary and coastline
       - Sampling, tagging, monitoring and dissection of fish species
       - Supervised collection of touch pool and aquarium species for the O.R.C.A. Education Centre
       - Report presentations on topics relative to the project which will be tailored to suit and stimulate your individual interests
       - O.R.C.A. patrol boat trips to collect data, monitor the bay and take photos of whales, dolphins and other marine species
       - Rescue and rehabilitation of marine species

Qualifications: No Qualifications required.

Cost in US$: 1199-2999 GBP

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: All of our experiences have been carefully selected to benefit individual volunteers as well as the placement that they attend. A typical volunteer is normally a young traveler who wants to put some thing back with their travels.

Age Range: 18 plus

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to South Africa in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 4

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Written Application

Worldwide Experience's Mission Statement: Worldwide Experience strives to conserve what man is fast destroying- our own environment. We support conservation and community projects through the recruitment of volunteers from around the world to help work on these diverse, and worthwhile projects. If you are thinking of taking a Gap Year or even just want to get away for your summer break Worldwide Experience will have the placement to suit you. From 2 weeks-3 months, we have projects in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Sri Lanka, and our experienced team will help place you on a project that will suit your needs the most. Moreover, all the programmes have been set up with the needs and requirements of the placement in mind. This means that whether you're helping to dart a lion, track a cheetah, ID an elephant or teach a class of children, you are making a difference through your work there. Your safety is also in the forefront of our minds, and as a fully bonded tour operator, all volunteers booked to travel through us will be protected by bonding, as required by ABTA and ATOL. We can also organise all flights direct from our UK office.

Year Founded: 2003