Location
Gansbaai (Gans Bay; Bay of Geese), South Africa - "the Great White shark capital of the world." Just a two hour drive from Cape Town, this beautiful coastal city is home to an abundance of wildlife both on and off land. It's coastal islands are home to huge populations of seals and penguins while the channel in between them is called "Shark Alley", due to the densest population of Great White sharks in the world. The Bay is also a vitally important breeding area for endangered Southern Right whales, which migrate from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to mate and breed here from July-December. Surrounding the bay is a pristine yet rugged landscape with rich floral biodiversity and ancient milkwood forests.
About the project
Join leaders in eco-tourism and marine conservation by volunteering with a team of full-time marine biologists studying the Great White shark and other marine species. Participants gain the maximum from their time by working closely with biologists from the research team, and will gain access to multiple marine species in a relatively small area of sea. Southern Right whales including calves arrive in July and leave in December for Antarctica. Other species include Humpback whales, Bryde’s whales; Bottlenose, Pacific Humpback, and Common dolphins as well as Great White Sharks, Cape Fur seals, and African penguins are resident all year.
The two cornerstones of this project are marine conservation/research aboard a new research vessel and cage diving with sharks aboard a state-of-the-art boat that operates every day, weather permitting. There are also foundations in community development and education of the surrounding population.
For participants interested in a related research-intensive internship that focuses on marine biology and ecology research (tagging, tracking, and data collection) of Great Whites and other species, explore our Shark and Marine Research Internship program.
Volunteer work and contribution
Every volunteer becomes completely involved in the eco-tourism (cage diving) and conservation work throughout his or her stay. Participants will learn about the biology and behaviors of the marine species in the area, including the opportunity to get up-close and personal with Great White sharks.
Time at Sea:
- Tracking sharks
- Cage diving
- 'Chum' trips - bringing sharks close to the boat to assess populations
- Research on whales, dolphins, penguins, seals, sea birds
Volunteers will work every day the weather permits by going out to sea and helping on the boats. Daily work is between 5-8 hours per day but volunteers are able to take off time at their discretion for resting. During inclement weather, there will be organized excursions or educational lectures or simply free time to explore the area.
Daily work includes:
- Photo identification of species
- Data collection
- Assisting in the daily diving operations (including taking part in the dives)
- Assisting the skipper and crew in various duties
- Laying and retrieving of anchors
- Assisting with clients
- Working with local children in education and beach clean-up
- Data input
- Cleaning boats and preparing wetsuits
- Assisting the conservation trust with animal rescue
Practical experience
- Gain experience at sea on eco-tourism and research boats
- Manual tracking of sharks over several days
- Observing behavior and photographing dorsal fin IDs to identify individual animals
- Seamanship and boat safety along with basic skippering experience
- Learning the local ecology
- Participation in animal rescue when required
- Learn about shark behavior and biology, as well as marine conservation
Accommodation and food
The accommodations are in a residential style home that lies just 5 minutes walking to the harbor and offices. About 8-10 volunteers will share the rooms with 2 full bathrooms between them. The house is fully furnished and has bicycles available for use. There is a computer available as well as wireless internet, satellite television, and a DVD player. Cleaning supplies and bed linens are provided, but volunteers are responsible for their own laundry.
Light breakfast supplies (coffee, tea, cereal, snacks) are provided in the volunteers' house. Lunch is eaten aboard the boats. Volunteers are responsible for lunch, dinner, snacks, and any other personal expenses. The typical food budget for volunteers is about $90/week. Five minutes from the residence, at the daily meeting point, is a restaurant where volunteers receive staff discounts on their meals, while a cheap taxi ride away in the town there are many restaurants and pubs to choose from.
Cost
The cost of the program varies by the volunteer's time spent at the project. The more time spent at the project the lower the cost per week.
| Weeks at Project |
Cost per Week |
Total Cost |
| 1 |
$895 |
$895 |
| 2 |
$700 |
$1,400 |
| 3 |
$610 |
$1,830 |
| 4 |
$542.50 |
$2,170 |
Every week beyond four is an additional flat rate of $380 per week.
Volunteers will need to book their own accommodations for arrival in Cape Town (GoEco can provide recommendations) before being transported to the project in Gans Bay.
Program includes
- Transfers to and from Cape Town
- Accommodation (bedding, coffee, tea, cereal)
- Internet access
- Boat trips (whale watching, cage diving, research)
- Equipment use
- T-shirt and cap to take home
- Boots and a jacket (can be purchased end of the program)
- Tour of Gansbaai and surrounding areas
Adventure activities
Activities beyond volunteering can be organized while in South Africa. These include various tours of the area, horseback riding, paintball, dirtbike/quad tours, kayaking, skydiving, and more.
Minimum requirements
- Enthusiasm and flexibility
- Love for marine animals
- Willingness to get hands dirty
- Work well in a team and take directions from the skipper and crew
- Travel and medical insurance
- Ability to swim
- Min age 18
- Immunizations (consult your doctor)