Get immersed in a fascinating underwater world during your marine biology internship in Cape Town, South Africa! You will fall in love with the underwater life full of colour, beauty, tranquility and magic. You will have the unique opportunity of discovering the wonders of the oceans surrounding Cape Town, while you are assisting a young, dynamic and passionate team at the aquarium.
ou will fall in love with the underwater life full of colour, beauty, tranquility and magic. You will have the unique opportunity of discovering the wonders of the oceans surrounding Cape Town, while you are assisting a young, dynamic and passionate team at the aquarium. All members are committed to preserver the marine environment.
As the Aquarium houses over 3000 living sea animals, there are many tasks on your working schedule!. The astounding variety of sea animals ranges from sharks, fish, turtles to penguins. So it is no exaggeration to call it a spectacular underwater nature reserve.
The Aquarium is ideally positioned to showcase the fascinating diversity of marine life found both in the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean.
With your volunteer work you’ll become an Ambassador for the ocean, while in your free time, you can experience beautiful Cape Town with all it has on offer!
When you arrive at Cape Town International Airport (airport code CPT), a member of the team will welcome you at the airport and take you to our volunteer house in Fish Hoek. You will stay for the first night here in Fish Hoek. You’ll need to arrive before 4.15pm so that you’re in time for orientation at 5 pm. During the ride from the airport to Fish Hoek, which takes about 45 minutes, you’ll see the magnificent Table Mountain on the way!
Orientation on the next day will take you through what you can expect from your project, dos and don’ts and how to stay safe. It’s also a great opportunity to ask any burning questions you’ve got. Afterwards, you can relax and enjoy a traditional dinner.
Note: If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Cape Town before 4.15pm then we recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pickup for you including one night’s accommodation. Please give us a call for more information.
In the morning the team will transfer you to your new accommodation. Once you have settled in they’ll show you how to get to your project each day. You can choose a bus, minibus taxi or cab. Then they will introduce you to the staff at the aquarium.
Now that you’re familiar with your accommodation and transport route, it’s time to pop on your new team shirt, have fun and get stuck in!
The weekends are your free time to spend as you please and, living in one of the volunteer houses, there’s golden beaches, surfing, Table Mountain and wine tasting on offer.
You’ll be working Monday to Friday forming special bonds with all the creatures and staff. While you learn a lot about the animals on a daily basis, you will start to notice their individual behaviors. After a while, you’ll begin to develop a strong sense of their characters and needs.
The position requires physical labor and applicants must be able to lift a 20-kilogram bucket and be able to swim. You will gain experience in Public Aquaria with the general husbandry of all plants and animals house within our facility. Duties will include daily care, maintenance, and appearance of exhibits. Preparing food and feeding of animals (fish, penguins, turtles, etc.). Assist on collection trips out at sea. Record keeping. Siphoning of exhibits. Special projects as needed which could include research and exhibit construction.
After saying goodbye and Hamba kakuhle (go well in isiXhosa), you’ll head off back to the airport.
The southern tip of the African continent is the meeting place of two mighty oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic. Therefore, the Aquarium showcases the incredible diversity of marine life found in these two oceans. After the Aquarium opened in November 1995, soon its role as a key player for raising environmental awareness drew attention to it. People from all over the world recognize the outstanding high-quality exhibits, marine conservation, and education programmes.
It is recognized as a leading environmental education center in South Africa and is respected internationally for its high standards of animal husbandry and the expertise of its staff in collecting and transporting live animals. The team dedicates themselves to environmental education in South Africa. Moreover, they promote positive changes towards the management of our marine resources.
It does not receive any funding from municipal, provincial or national government. It is a self-sustaining organization that relies on revenue generated through visitation and corporate sponsorships.
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