Marine Biology Training Internship
Shark-focused marine biology field training at the Sharklife Field Station in Sodwana Bay.
Learn how to turn marine observations into meaningful scientific data.
Photo: Tomáš Kotuč
The Sharklife Field Station Experience
The Sharklife Field Station in Sodwana Bay is both your home and your learning environment during the internship. The MBTI combines structured learning with practical reviews, real equipment, specimens and regular ocean exposure. You become familiar with the daily rhythm of a working marine field station, from vessel preparation and equipment care to species learning, field methods and conservation. Field opportunities vary with weather, sea conditions and current station activities, which is part of learning how marine fieldwork operates in the real world.
Marine Fieldwork in Sodwana Bay
The internship is based in Sodwana Bay, where warm-water coral reefs, surf-launched boats and a highly diverse shark and ray community provide an exceptional setting for practical marine field training.
Students spend much of the week in or around the ocean, combining reef and coastal activities with vessel-based field experience. Conditions vary, wildlife encounters are never guaranteed, and field plans change with the sea. Learning to work with that uncertainty is part of understanding real marine field operations.
What a Typical Week Looks Like
3–4 Sea and Field Days
Weather permitting, these may include scuba surveys, vessel work, coastal surveys, species encounter training, monitoring activities and other practical field training.
1–2 Field-Station Days
Station days combine structured learning, species work, practical reviews and self-directed activities using specimens, displays and equipment, alongside preparation, maintenance, planning and debriefs.
Weekends are generally free for rest or local trips. The exact schedule remains flexible because ocean and weather conditions determine what can safely and usefully happen in the field.
Who is it for?
The MBTI is designed primarily for students and early-career participants who want practical marine-science experience in a working field environment.
- Marine biology, ecology and related students who want to build real field competence alongside their academic training.
- Prospective students and recent graduates who want field exposure before choosing their next study, research or career step.
- Gap-year and career-transition participants looking for a serious, skills-based introduction to marine fieldwork.
- Experienced divers with a strong interest in marine ecology who want to move beyond recreational diving and understand how field monitoring works.
From Natural Phenomena to Scientific Data
Marine science begins with observation.
A shark on a reef, a ray crossing a camera frame, a change in habitat or a repeated detection on a receiver can all become scientific information when they are recorded in a consistent and defensible way.
At Sharklife, students learn how to move from seeing something in nature to asking a useful question, making a structured observation, recording it correctly and understanding how repeated measurements build a dataset.
The emphasis is on careful, repeatable and meticulous fieldwork. Reliable scientific data is built one observation at a time, and good monitoring depends on doing the same things well, again and again.
Observe carefully. Measure consistently. Record accurately. Repeat.
What You Will Learn
A shark-focused foundation in marine field science, built around the environment and methods used at Sharklife.
Ocean & Field Competence
Learn vessel orientation, field safety, watermanship for field operations, voyage planning, equipment care and the routines that support safe work around the ocean.
Shark & Ray Biology
Build a strong foundation in elasmobranch biology, anatomy, ecology and identification, with emphasis on the sharks and rays encountered around Sodwana Bay.
Research Methods
Learn how field observations become data through methods such as BRUVs, acoustic telemetry, visual surveys and photo-ID. Understand the importance of standardised protocols, repeatability, accurate records and data quality.
Species learning includes locally relevant sharks and rays such as ragged-tooth sharks, reef sharks, wedgefish, eagle rays, stingrays and other species encountered during the programme.
How the MBTI Learning Path Works
The programme combines structured learning with practical experience, trainer guidance and field exposure.
1. Learn the Concepts
Structured teaching, guided study and course material introduce the biology, species and field methods behind the programme.
2. Check Your Understanding
Knowledge checks, discussion and review help reinforce the important concepts.
3. Build Practical Familiarity
Where appropriate, students work with real equipment, specimens, vessel systems and field-station resources.
4. Experience It in the Field
Apply what you have learned through diving, snorkelling, vessel work and appropriate field activities as conditions and opportunities allow.
Why Many Students Stay Longer
Most trainees find that four weeks gives them a solid foundation, but the real depth comes with time. Longer stays allow you to:
- Consolidate skills until they feel instinctive rather than new.
- See more of the MPA across different reefs and conditions, with changing wildlife encounters.
- Grow personal confidence in open water and navigation while developing situational judgement.
- Develop ecological intuition by connecting habitats, species patterns and behaviour through repeated exposure.
- Go deeper into the learning pathway, with more time for species knowledge, research methods and repeated field exposure.
Extensions are available up to six months for students who want more time to build confidence, work through additional learning material and gain repeated exposure to the skills introduced during the foundation programme.
Quick MBTI Questions
The main things to know before deciding whether the Marine Biology Training Internship is right for you.
Programme Level & Duration
The MBTI is an entry-level practical marine field-training programme. The minimum stay is 4 weeks, beginning on the first Monday of the month.
Do I Need Scuba Certification?
No. Open Water or Advanced Open Water training can be completed as needed during the programme. Rescue and Divemaster training are available at additional cost.
Can I Use MBTI for University Credit?
Potentially, depending on your university. Sharklife can provide a Certificate of Completion, Field-Skills Portfolio and, where required, a verification letter confirming programme participation, training activities and competencies covered. Check your university requirements before enrolling.
Programme Fees
Programme fees reflect the real costs of operating in a marine field environment. Longer stays are discounted substantially. As a non-profit organisation, Sharklife directs surplus programme fees back into the Field Station and its conservation work.
- 1 month – $3 170 ($792/week)
- 2 months – $4 335 ($542/week)
- 3 months – $5 365 ($447/week) – Best Value
- 4 months – $6 281 ($393/week)
- 5 months – $7 117 ($356/week)
- 6 months – $7 873 ($328/week)
Included
- Private room at the Sharklife Field Station
- Airport transfers and local transport
- One scuba course – Open Water or Advanced
- Up to 24 scuba surveys per month
- All dive gear and training equipment
- Field training and daily station support
- Field-Skills Portfolio and Certificate of Completion
- Wi-Fi
Not Included
- Flights
- Travel or DAN insurance
- Meals – budget approximately $50–$100 per week
- Weekend activities or out-of-town trips
- Divemaster training if selected
Meals are self-catered. The field station has a fully equipped kitchen, regular supermarket trips and nearby restaurants.
Just some of the universities we host students from:
Testimonials
“My time at Sharklife was truly a unique and unforgettable experience. I got to experience so many incredible moments, from diving and swimming with a wide variety of marine species to learning more about marine science and meeting so many wonderful people.”
Emma - 2026
“My time at Sharklife was amazing! The staff are so kind and I loved learning from them and seeing how what we’re doing contributed to real life research.”
Erin - 2026
“My six-month internship at Sharklife was a truly unique experience. I would like to thank the entire team for their dedication and passion. Sharing their knowledge and expertise about the marine environment allowed me to learn so much about a world that we still know so little about. The incredible biodiversity of the Sodwana reefs gave me the opportunity to carry out my personal project under the best possible conditions. This site is undoubtedly one of the most pristine and biodiverse in the world, and the encounters this environment offers are ones you will never forget.”
Jules - 2026
“Being part of Sharklife has been a great privilege. The opportunity to dive in Sodwana Bay, one of the healthiest and most biodiverse reefs I have visited, uniquely combines the joy of exploration with rigorous science. Exploring these ecosystems while learning sampling techniques—BRUV, RUV, acoustic monitoring, and underwater visual census—has provided me with invaluable experience and a solid foundation in marine research. Collaborating and becoming part of the Sharklife family has been an honour. This internship has meant growth—both professional and personal—that extends far beyond the academic.”
Pau - 2026
“My time at Sharklife was invaluable. As an inexperienced student, I was welcomed into a dedicated and enthusiastic team that introduced me to what conservation and marine science are all about. I’m sure I’ll be coming back for my Master’s thesis!”
Lola - 2026
“My time at Sharklife was completely transformative to how I approach everything now. My love for diving and science grew tenfold, and I got to experience that among friends for life. Sharklife was able to take me on extremely short notice and they accommodated me perfectly and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. I already know that I want to come back!”