Tanzania – Dolphin and Marine Conservation

This project takes place in Zanzibar, just off the Tanzanian coast of East Africa. Zanzibar is renowned for its white sand beaches and turquoise waters. It is also home to many historical monuments, the Chumbe Island Marine Reserve, and Jozani Forest, where the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey can be found. The south coast offers you the chance to swim with dolphins in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Jambiani and Kizimkazi, where you will spend most of your time as a volunteer, are small villages located on the southern part of Zanzibar’s beautiful and quiet east coast. About an hour and a half drive from Stone Town, Jambiani is a village that stretches along the coastline, bordered by expansive white sand beaches. Kizimkazi is a small fishing village located in the Menai Bay Conservation Area of south-west Zanzibar. Here you will find communities operating at a leisurely pace amidst the sunny, tropical climate. Menai Bay is also home to a number of iconic marine species, including bottlenose and humpback dolphins (there are also humpback whales from June to October).

The main focus of this marine conservation project is to monitor the dolphins and human-dolphin interaction. The information collected by volunteers during their placement will feed into research, surveys and studies conducted by the academic and research institutions in Zanzibar and will contribute greatly to the marine conservation efforts in Zanzibar. For example, monitoring human-dolphin interaction is important as it will inform government policies on how best to regulate tourist and fishing activities to ensure that the dolphins do not become too stressed, which could potentially lead to lower numbers of dolphins in the future in this part of the world.

Some of your tasks may include:

• Monitoring the dolphins for various research purposes (i.e. behavior, feeding, daily habits, reaction to humans)
• Monitoring tourist numbers (to get daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal figures)
• Monitoring tourist-dolphin interaction
• Research and monitoring of whales during whale season (June to October)
• Providing research data for local marine science institutions
• Raising awareness about dolphins, whales, sharks and other types of fish, the local marine ecosystem, and local marine conservation.
• The rest of your time as a volunteer will be spent getting involved in helping the local community by doing things like beach cleans, planting trees, painting, and supporting local community groups.

A typical day: An exact daily schedule is difficult to outline as activities depend on tides and seasons, however, most days begin with departing the volunteer base at 6:30 am, followed by early morning boat rides to monitor tourist activities and human-dolphin interactions from 7:00-8:30 AM. You’ll have an hour break for breakfast at 8:30 AM and then undertake a range of research and ocean activities, including monitoring fishing activity and data entry and analysis until 12:00 PM. From 12:00-1:00 PM you’ll have a lunch break, followed by different activities each day including conducting a coral reef bleaching survey, planning and delivering Conservation Club for the local students, doing some physical conservation work like planting mangroves or learning some Kiswahili. At 3:00 PM, you’ll return to Jambiani for some rest and dinner. You will have Saturdays and Sundays off to do any tourist activities or to rest from your week of volunteering.

Holidays: Please note that Ramadan will affect the tasks and schedule. Please check the dates with your placement advisor. Dolphin monitoring will be at an earlier time than usual and volunteers will be involved in beach cleans, go on a village tour and have a cultural talk with community partners

Internet: You will have free wifi at base and can get a local SIM card with data if you wish.

Laundry: Laundry service is available twice a week for an additional fee.

Accommodations: You will stay in a volunteer base in the small fishing town of Jambiani just a short walk away from the beach. The rooms are dormitory-style and single-gender, with four-six volunteers per room. Each room has its own bathroom. Accommodations include mosquito nets, fans, bedding and housekeeping. The volunteer base is also equipped with a resource room where you can find and store project work and prepare lessons. *Please Note: There is no hot water for showering (most places in Zanzibar do not have hot water).

Food: Volunteers receive three meals a day. Breakfast usually consists of eggs, porridge, toast, fruit, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner include a mix of local and international food and are freshly prepared each day.

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

• Minimum age of 17
• Police clearance
• Must be able to swim
• Immunizations (please consult your local travel clinic)
• Humanitarian Visa application online
• Travel medical insurance is mandatory to enter the country

During your stay you will have the opportunity to enjoy some incredible attractions in the surrounding areas such as Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, the famous Serengeti National Park, the unique Ngorongoro Crater, and the mighty Kilimanjaro!

Zanzibar and Tanzania offer a variety of tours and safari options, which are perfect for a weekend getaway or a pre-/post-project safari. Most activities are priced all-inclusive, providing transport, transfers, accommodation, guide and driver, park entry fees, etc. The project coordinators in Zanzibar will be happy to assist you in exploring these options:

Incredible snorkeling and scuba diving off Zanzibar island

• Jozani Forest
• Swimming with dolphins at Kizimkazi
• Stone Town City Tour
• Spice Tour
• Tour of Prison Island