Sharklife Conservation Group

( 4 Reviews )

Activities: Marine Conservation Volunteer / Scuba Diving / Shark Diving / Wildlife Tours / Gap Year Internships / Scuba Diving Internships
Country: South Africa
Location: Kwa-zulu Natal

Established in 2005, Sharklife addresses the alarming exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters. We actively engage the urgent need for research and protection of many marine species.

Objective:

Through scientific research, education and awareness bring about positive change to the current destructive trends of ocean exploitation.

Current Aims:

To develop a compassionate desire to conserve sharks by altering public misconceptions about sharks and replacing the "Jaws" syndrome with positive understanding and respect.
Reduce anthropogenic threats to over exploited marine species by increasing awareness and encouraging sustainable seafood choices.
Increase marine tourism and transform shark populations into a sustainable living resource by developing educational ocean experiences for all

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JULY 2019

The Sharklife internship experience was like no other! I learnt so much about sharks and shark conservation, my head was just filled with exciting new information for the two weeks. Not only did I learn a lot of valuable skills and information, the staff at Sharklife have inspired me to become a shark ambassador wherever I go, and have given me the confidence to do so!

The Sharklife team makes it easy to feel comfortable and settle right into the life as a Sharklife intern and the intern camp felt like a home throughout the two weeks. I had never been freediving before, and was unsure how comfortable I would be in the water, but now, after freediving comfortably in such a beautiful place like Sodwana Bay, all I want to do is take more freediving courses and increase my level.

I would recommend the Sharklife internship to everyone! I can’t wait until I can go back!!!

By: Isabella Aitkenhead
Nationality: AUS
Age: 0

January 2020

I've just completed the Jan 2020, 2 week internship at Sharklife.

As an active member of Sharklife, and a real fan of what the brand stands for, it was an honour to be among the most knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate staff who are amazing at Marine conservation and research.

A real dream come true for me. Meeting Grant was a real pleasure and I admire the amount of work he and Candice put in to make the internship, a memorable one. The experience is is made better by the superb lecturers, Greg, Miriam and Emma, one can feel the passion and dedication that they have when it comes to preserving life in the seas.

The intern experience is humbling and I'm definitely able to use my Shark knowledge to have factual discussions about the importance of conservation.

The freedive experience, as a first timer was an unbelievable one. I was able to get down to a few meters, under the watchful eye of the experienced instructor, Greg, with Grant offering advice from his vantage point on the boat. Ayanda was also very helpful on the boat.

The surf launch, also a first time experience for me, was exhilarating, and hats off to the skipper, Grant for his amazing ability behind the wheel.

Whichever internship you choose to do with Sharklife, you most definitely will not be disappointed. Rest assured you'll be in good hands.

Thank you all at Sharklife. Hope to see you soon again.

By: Clinton Peters
Nationality: South Africa
Age: 0

January 2020

I absolutely loved my two week internship with Sharklife and would totally recommend it to anyone who has an interest in sharks (not just for students - for anyone). I can't believe how much the team packed into two weeks: lectures, studying specimens, practical boatwork (safety checks and preparation), ocean days, free dive training (theory and practice), and helping process real scientific data for use in the Raggie study. Before I joined, I was interested in sharks but didn't have any particular knowledge. Now I feel like I have more than a good grounding on them and the threats facing them - so much so that I feel equipped to present to my work colleagues on shark conservation and try and break down some of the standard prejudices most people have about sharks. The internship was not only a really valuable experience for me but also super fun too: cracking! I met some truly wonderful people at Sharklife (big shout out to the Team: Grant, Greg, Candice, Miriam, Emma - thank you for the hard work you do) and the other lovely interns too. I would have no hesitation in doing this all again and hope to stay in touch and continue to support Sharklife and its important work.

By: Zoe Townsley
Nationality: UK
Age: 0

February 2020

I did a month-long internship at Sharklife, in February 2020.
I am a physicist and a diver, so I was both curious to learn about different research strategies, involving being in contact with the sea and its fascinating underwater world.
I quickly learned that I barely knew anything about sharks and ocean conservation, and that there is so much that I can do now to make a difference.

I had an incredible experience, not only learning about sharks and rays and other sea creatures, but also about everything else Sharklife does: from preparing every research trip (seamanship, weather conditions, research objectives/parameters/equipment), to research methods (which includes free diving training <3), to conservation activities and even personal well-being development.
Plus I got to see WAY more sharks than I ever thought. Raggies are the best!

While my experience with Sharklife was purely personal (I can even say it has changed my life, opening new perspectives and lifestyle choices), it also turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to further develop my professional skills (used my programming to help with the research, learning about machine learning on the way). I believe this to be true in any other area, as Sharklife motivates you to go further and find your best contribution to the cause.
Not my case, but I also believe Sharklife to be a perfect start for anyone who wants to pursue a career in Marine Biology.

Now some personal references:
Grant and Candice were lovely, always positively supporting you and your choices. I was amazed by how trustful Grant was towards me, particularly when it seemed that he should be more "expert" than me when carrying out some tasks.
Greg was the first Sharklife member I met, as he picked me up from the airport. He was very friendly and always passionate about teaching about different things: from sharks to personal well-being.
Myriam and Emma were neck-deep into the research at Sharklife. Myriam was super passionate about her project and always eager to go one step further, while overwhelmed by copious amounts of data. A true scientist.
Emma was just getting started with her project, but was already greatly involved with its cause. Very conservation oriented, exploring an underdeveloped topic, I am very curious of where this project will take you and to learn a lot about the rays of the world!
There were also additional hands, who helped in our ocean trips, be it being top man or a dive guide. Both Ayonda and Dennis did a fantastic job! I have to say, I had some amazing shark encounters in the company of Dennis. Thank you for that!
Finally, there were the other interns. I think we made a great team. Of varied nationalities, different languages, backgrounds and expertises, we spent almost all the time together, be it in the kitchen chatting and cooking meals together (satee nights, chili nights, pasta nights, you name it, we made it), preparing the equipment and boat, or just free diving training in the sea. It was refreshing to be with them!

And that's all! I would highly recommend Sharklife to anyone who can relate with my experience - wishing to learn more about sharks, whilst making a difference not only in your life.
Cheers!