Intern­ship Abroad South Africa: Shark Research and Marine Conser­va­tion

In order to join this internship, you need to be at least 18 years old and have decent communication skills in English. The internship is open to anyone who interested in nature and the marine world, but especially addresses students of a related field of study as well as aspiring researchers and conservationists. It is very important that participants are healthy and fit as the daily research work involves some physical activity, carrying equipment, spending lots of time on a research vessel out in the sun and sometimes walking in uneven terrain – sometimes accompanied by high temperatures. This is why we will ask you to hand in a doctor’s certificate confirming that you are physically fit enough to successfully take part in the internship. It also obligatory to get travel health insurance before departing to South Africa. Last but not least, it essential to be enthusiastic about nature and species conservation, to be motivated, open-minded and flexible and to be willing to gain lots of new knowledge and skills. Before departing to South Africa, you should get information regarding visa requirements at the Foreign Office or feel free to contact Natucate directly.

Before starting your research adventure in South Africa, the team at Natucate will secure a place in the programme for you, help you choose adequate travel health insurance and assist you in booking your flights. Furthermore, we will support you with the information you need regarding how to plan your journey. Transfer from the airport to your base in Mossel Bay and vice versa will be organised by our partner (only on the 1st of a month). During the internship, your accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner (plus water, tea, coffee) as well as daily training/research activities are included in the programme fee. Free WiFi is also available on site. Moreover, you have the chance to take part in a recreational diving course and either obtain a PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or PADI Rescue Diver qualification. As an alternative option, you can do 10 recreational dives in Mossel Bay. Flights, insurances, visa (if needed), additional drinks, any transfers/accommodation outside programme hours, laundry and personal expenses (trips, souvenirs etc.) are not included in the fee.

Depending on where you are coming from, it is not necessary get any special vaccinations before departing to South Africa. In general, you may want to get or refresh standard vaccinations like measles-mumps-rubella, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis as well as hepatitis A and hepatitis B, polio, chickenpox, typhus and rabies when planning a journey. Furthermore, it is advisable to take required medication from your home country since medical treatment in South Africa might sometimes be insufficient. Furthermore, South Africa is a malaria country. In order to prevent a malaria infection there are different kinds of protective measures. The area where our partner unfolds their work is considered as malaria free; protective measures should be considered anyways. Before departing to South Africa, you should visit your doctor and get advice on potential dangers, protective (malaria) measures and recommended vaccinations. In addition to that, institutions like the CDC and the Foreign Office of your country can provide you with information about recommended vaccinations, travel alerts and safety information. Don’t forget to bring along a small personal first aid kit which includes items like plasters, painkillers, electrolytes, antihistamines and medicine against diarrhoea and travel sickness. It is obligatory for you to get travel health insurance to be able to participate in the programme.

In this programme we provide research stays with a duration of one calendar month, meaning your internship will start on the 1st of a month and end on the 1st of the next month.

For the time of your stay you should pack sturdy shoes, rubber boots and a pair of sandals or flip-flops. You should also bring along a rash guard, light long and short pants, long- and short-sleeved shirts as well as some warmer and rainproof clothes. Don’t forget functional swim wear, personal medication and toiletries, a sun hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, a daypack, a refillable water bottle, an adapter, pens and paper and binoculars. A general advice: bring clothes that can get dirty!

You will receive a detailed packing list before departing to South Africa.

On the day the internship starts, always on the 1st of the month, you will need to arrive at George Airport. Here, a staff member will pick you up and take you to your accommodation (approx. a 45-minute ride) in the city of Mossel Bay where you can settle into your room, get to your team members and your new surroundings.

Arrival day is only for arrival. This means you can settle into your room and get to know your team and your new surroundings. On the following two days your instructors will give an orientation and safety briefing so you can learn more about our partner and the research they do, about your activities as an intern and about important safety rules and procedures. Furthermore, our partner will take you out for a short “ATM run” so you can withdraw some cash to be able to purchase items on site.

Arrival day is on the 1st of the month. On the following two days you will attend an orientation and safety meeting. Research work will start on the fourth day of your internship and is usually conducted Monday through Friday, starting at about 07:00 AM and finishing around 06:00 PM. Weekends are usually left for resting and leisure time activities. Your departure day will be the 1st of the next month.

There will be around 5 – 24 students in a group.

Together with fellow interns and your team supervisors you will live in a house in the city of Mossel Bay, located on the Southern Cape of South Africa. Here you will sleep in dormitories, equipped with bunk beds, and use shared bathrooms. In the house you will also find a kitchen, a lounge and a large patio with a sitting area, the place for braais, a typical South African barbecue.

Throughout the programme, you will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner. While breakfast will be prepared by all team members, lunch and dinner is served by the programme’s chef. Furthermore, you will receive drinking water, tea and coffee.

Yes, a vegetarian and vegan diet as well as a lactose- or gluten-free diet is possible. We ask you to inform us as early as possible about any dietary requests to give our partner enough time for arrangements.

From Monday to Friday you will be involved in research activities from around 07:00 AM to 06:00 PM. Usually, the evening hours as well as the weekends can be used for leisure time activities. Occasionally, you may have research tasks in the evening.

On the weekend, our partner offers organised trips to selected destinations like Cape Town, Plettenberg Bay or different game reserves. For an additional fee which needs to be paid in cash on site you are more than welcome to take part. Moreover, the city of Mossel Bay offers lots of activities and places to visit, reaching from nice beaches and farmers’ markets to different restaurants, shops or museums.

Last but not least, our partner offers the chance to enjoy some recreational diving during your free time and acquiring a PADI dive qualification, either PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or PADI Rescue Diver.

Yes, during your time in the programme you can always talk to your supervisors in case of problems or questions. Furthermore, you can contact the team at Natucate 24/7.

The currency in South Africa is the South African Rand (ZAR). You should get a certain amount of Rand at your local bank before departing to South Africa. In many shops or restaurants, you can pay for services directly with your bank card. Some smaller shops and street stalls will only take cash, though. The easiest method surely is to withdraw denominations of the local currency from an ATM. ATM machines will automatically calculate the current exchange rate but will also charge your account a foreign transaction fee (around 5 US$, depending on your institution). We highly recommend using such a debit or credit card when dealing with money, as it is far easier to have cash on hand than finding a bank with regular business hours that will exchange U.S. dollars or Euros. Check with your bank well ahead of time to ensure that your card will work in South Africa, and will not expire while travelling abroad.
On site, you should calculate costs for leisure time activities (including transfers and accommodation outside programme hours), souvenirs and additional snacks and beverages.

There is free WiFi in your accommodation, so don’t forget to bring along your laptop or smartphone to contact friends and family at home. Moreover, you can purchase a South African SIM card / a South African phone with enough data and airtime.

The climate in and around Mossel Bay is quite mild year-round. Day temperatures in South African winter (May to August) are usually between 14 and 18°C, summer temperatures (December to March) are usually between 25 and 30°C. Especially in winter, evening hours may be cooler but never below freezing. As Mossel Bay has the ocean on one side and mountains on the other, it is subject to winter winds from both sides which may add to the chill.

Consumption of alcohol during working hours is prohibited and will result in immediate termination of the programme with no refund. A moderate consumption of alcohol in your free time is allowed.

There are multiple registered pharmacies and several general practitioners in Mossel Bay.
In case of a medical emergency, participants will immediately be taken to the nearest hospital in the city. Your supervisor will inform Natucate and phone the emergency contact provided on the registration form and notify them of the situation.