Volunteering For Ocean Conservation Projects In Africa

By Harold Moore


Wildlife conservation is as important in the oceans as it is on the mainland. Ocean research gives us better information about what lives in the depths of our seas, so we can endeavor to keep them safe for future generations to enjoy. When you think Africa, you may not immediately think of its coastline and the animals that live there, but in fact, the African coast shelters many creatures, some in danger from human-made pollution and hunting. If you are searching for a profession in ocean conservation and love the ocean, spending time volunteering for projects in Africa is a perfect choice for your gap year.

Work with Orcas or the fearsome Great White Sharks, and swim with the dolphins and whales, learning about their habitat and how to safely work with them. All this will be extremely valuable for your future career - and you will have a whole lot of fun too!

Considering their size you would think whale sharks would pose some danger to humans, however, in reality, they are docile fish and are not violent. Some divers have even suggested that the juveniles can be playful while they are in the water with them. One area where the sighting of a whale shark is reasonably common is in the Maldives, where a large preservation project of the coral reef includes the monitoring of whale sharks.

In 1997 the government in the Maldives produced a report which said that there was to be more research into the preservation of the coral reefs and the fish and other invertebrates living in and around it so that it could remain in the pristine condition you currently find it. For this reason, there are many preservation projects currently in place across the archipelago and whale sharks are one of their main subjects.

The Great White Shark is endangered due to culling and the changing sea environment, and the program works to educate people about the importance of sharks and keeping the Great White Shark an important part of the sea eco-system. This is a true gap year adventure, including actually being able to dive with the sharks and thus learning more about them and their environment.

Oil leaking from an offshore oil rig will kill all the creatures in the area of the leak. The oil will wash up on shore and destroy the delicate ecosystems along the shore. The oil will trap and kill marine life such as birds, dolphins, seals, and any other creature that is unfortunate enough to be affected by the oil spill. Everyone who cares about the environment should be interested in sea preservation.

By studying dolphins and whales, you are not only learning to help them but also the entire ecosystem to which they belong. During your volunteer period, you will be tagging and tracking dolphins, tracking the whales on their annual migration and keeping an eye on population sizes.

As the seas are complex environments, your work in preservation can virtually take any shape or focus. Depending on your interests, your experience could include working with fish, mammals, invertebrates, coral, mangroves, sea grass, fisheries or even communities that depend on the fishing industry. Location-wise, you could help out in a local UK coastal town or even volunteer to do some work in preservation in some of the world's more exotic locations.




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