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.
The tuna industry is supposed to take the time and make an effort to check all catches and clear their nets of dolphins from their nets. But some tuna fishing boats ignore this requirement and allow dolphins to be processed with the tuna that is caught in their nets. It is difficult to regulate and monitor the tuna industry because there are limited resources available and not all tuna fishing boats can be watched as they make their catches.
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.
In the Maldives, the preservationists do not tag the sharks but instead use scientists and volunteers on preservation projects to track them by taking photos of the shark's gills. Interestingly, like a human's fingerprints, their gills are unique meaning that on a collection of photos and location data the scheme can track where the sharks have traveled - rather clever.
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.
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.
The tuna industry is supposed to take the time and make an effort to check all catches and clear their nets of dolphins from their nets. But some tuna fishing boats ignore this requirement and allow dolphins to be processed with the tuna that is caught in their nets. It is difficult to regulate and monitor the tuna industry because there are limited resources available and not all tuna fishing boats can be watched as they make their catches.
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.
In the Maldives, the preservationists do not tag the sharks but instead use scientists and volunteers on preservation projects to track them by taking photos of the shark's gills. Interestingly, like a human's fingerprints, their gills are unique meaning that on a collection of photos and location data the scheme can track where the sharks have traveled - rather clever.
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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You can get fantastic tips for choosing an ocean conservation organization and more information about a great organization at http://www.drvonherbing.com/about right now.
