Marine conservation Volunteer

My name is Sammie Ginsberg from the USA and I spent 1 month interning with Sharklife. A highlight for me would be observing raggies during their gestation period, learning and applying shark and fish ID, and seeing multiple octopuses. I would definitely recommend Sharklife for someone looking to gain experience, but would also recommend a longer stay in order to get a more in depth range of experiences.

Sharklife is an amazing experience for those who are passionate about marine biology and eager to step outside of their comfort zone! I am a 20 year old intern from America, currently studying marine biology at the University of Washington, and I spent 1 month with Sharklife. Although I was only there for a month, I saw amazing marine life that I never though I would see, had amazing connections with fellow interns and staff, and learned so much about the important research being done. Also don’t be hesitant if you don’t have any diving knowledge because they have amazing dive instructors to help get you certified!! I found out about Sharklife through an Instagram and I wasn’t completely sure about it, I’m so glad that I went for it. Sodwana Bay is a beautiful place that felt like home even in such a short time. I am so thankful to Grant and Candice for allowing me to be apart of Sharklife and am hopefully coming back in the future!!

I am a 19 year old intern from England. The month I spent at Sharklife was excellent, it’s a shame it ended so quick. I learnt so much and had so many laughs with many amazing people, who I hope I don’t lose contact with. Would definitely come back if I could.

Hi I am a 21 year old intern from England and I spent 6 incredible months at Sharklife. You quickly learn that Sharklife isn’t just a group of like-minded people working together to spread awareness for our oceans, it’s a family and you make bonds that’ll last a lifetime. Grant and Candice are now my Sodwana parents, the experience is only as amazing as it is because of them. They put so much effort into making sure interns have a safe, enjoyable and informative time here. They’re both such animal lovers too which really radiates towards everyone they’re surrounded by, it’s infectious. Not only are the people here absolutely wonderful, you’re living in one of the most beautiful places imaginable, encountering such a range of wildlife every single day. Even the animals living here are impossible not to fall in love with, whether it’s Titus (the rooster) waking you up at 4am or Coco purring on your chest, I miss them all. Diving here is the best thing I have ever done in my life, having such special encounters with so many different animals will stay with me forever. Being in the water with sharks has been a childhood dream of mine and it was brought to life whilst I was here, and it was better than I could ever have imagined. I have gained crucial life and work experience here and it’s shaped what I want to do as a career. I am heartbroken to leave this place, I wish I could stay forever, but Sodwana and Sharklife will always hold such a special place in my heart. Beware, Grant may give you a nickname that lasts the entire duration of your stay and never refer to you by your real name! (It’s his love language)

My time at Sharklife was, without a doubt, the best experience of my life. From the knowledge I gained about marine science to the people I met, Sodwana Bay and Sharklife have become my favorite places in the world. As a recent university graduate, I went in hoping to deepen my understanding of marine biology and shark research—and I learned so much. I never imagined I’d connect so deeply with people from all over the world, and I’m so grateful to have made lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories.

My experience at Sharklife has been incredible from start to finish. The team is so lovely, welcoming and fun. I fell in love with the environment, the work and the people so quickly. The projects are meaningful and interesting giving you a new diverse set of skills. Thank you so much for everything I can’t wait to be back! :)

I am a Intern from America, and I spent 2 amazing months with Sharklife in Sodwana Bay. My involvement living and volunteering in South Africa has helped me gain invaluable academic and life experience. It was fulfilling to be apart of a passionate and excited research team, and I made connections that will last a lifetime!…

I am a intern and spent 2 months with Sharklife. It was a great experience!…

Hi, I’m a student from the Netherlands and I was an Intern with Sharklife for 2 months, February to April. It was a cool experience to learn more about sharks and the research that Sharklife does. I also got my Padi open water diving license here and learned the basics of freediving. What I loved most were the outings on the research boat, especially going to the sanctuaries, and the beauty of the nature around Sodwana.…

I am a student in Switzerland, and I spent one month with Sharklife. It was an incredible experience being a part of a kind and passionate team. The beauty of nature and biodiversity is breathtaking, both on land and in the sea. I would 100% recommend anyone interested in pursuing a career in marine biology, or anyone passionate about environmental conservation, to consider working with Sharklife.  The workdays are the best, and you live unforgettable moments during your diving and freediving sessions, as well as aboard the boat. It’s an experience to add to your bucket list. PS : Savannah’s are the best, just try it.…

I traveled from the US to spend one month with Sharklife and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made (I only wish I could have stayed longer). If you’ve been looking for a program to gain experience in shark / marine conservation then look no further; you’ve found the perfect one. I can say this confidently because Sharklife is like no other organization you will find in your search. Something I appreciated about Sharklife that was very hard to find in my search of shark research internships was that their research is completely non-invasive. Everyone there is so dedicated to making a positive difference through their research and truly values the life of every living creature. I also loved how much the interns were fully immersed in the field research. Don’t worry if you’re coming in with little-no experience in this type of work (like me) because you will be taught everything you need to know. I wanted to do an internship working with sharks to confirm that I am following the right path in life since it is my dream to work in shark conservation. Sharklife absolutely showed me that this is the type of work I would love to continue to do throughout my future and I am extremely grateful to have been able to spend a month there. Thank you Grant, Candice, Candice P, and Romain for everything you taught me and for all the amazing work you do.  Here’s my email if you have questions  sofiaematson@gmail.com :)…

I volunteered with Sharklife for two months in February/March 2024. I don’t have any bio or scientific background, it was purely to fulfill my passion for sharks, be closer to them, understand them better and play a role in their protection. And this part was beautifully delivered. Even without backgrounds volunteers participates in every aspects of the missions, from launching the boat, changing cameras underwater, testing and assisting in new research methods, to uploading and sorting the data. In February I was lucky to be able to freedive very closely with many Ragged tooth sharks, in March encountered a group of Mantas twice, Dolphins…Turtles and many other types of rays became almost usual. I also saw a few white tips, black tips, and even some bull sharks from a distance. The atmosphere at camp was welcoming and laid back, only serious when needed. The staff was really nice, and always ready to help and support to make the stay enjoyable and convenient. The location is far from the city which is nice for nature’s lover. There are very nice walks around, you can see many unusual insects, birds, chameleons… If I have to look out for a cons… it was maybe food, you may not find a lot of variety in the shops around, so if you’re picky bring your spices, herbs and whatever you like or need to cook with you !…

Sharklife Conservation Group made it possible for me to achieve a lifelong dream of mine, to work directly with sharks in our delicate ocean. My name is Jo Lindell, from Sweden, and while I was pursuing my Master’s in Marine Biology in Gothenburg, I obtained the contact details of one of Sharklife’s lead researchers through a friend of mine. With Sharklife, I was able to conduct and plan my master thesis, investigating how recreational fishing was affecting elasmobranchs in South Africa. So for three months, between February and April, I flew down to this little rural town Sodwana Bay and was warmly welcomed by an organization that made me feel right at home and a part of a family. Working with such a passionate and dedicated team at Sharklife made this trip something else. The amount of experience and knowledge the team at Sharklife possess was both inspiring and immensely helpful in overcoming the many challenges that a thesis can present. I even had the pleasure, with a little luck and good timing, of networking with people working outside of Sharklife for other organizations and lead researchers in South Africa by studying alongside them.  In terms of living life in Sodwana, there’s nothing like it. Working/studying/interning at Sharklife included working on the boat out in the ocean conducting in situ fieldwork, improving your freediving at any given chance and encountering all the amazing wildlife. However, when you are not on the boat you will sit in a charming office working with the gathered data, or if being a  student you will work on your project, with cats running across your desk, chickens chatting around you and a occasional snake visiting the camp. A lot of preparation goes down for the upcoming boat day and it can be hard work but it is also very rewarding waking up early to go out on the beach with the excitement of working out there and what animals you might encounter

It’s hard to summarize in a few sentences not just the experiences but the skills and insights Sharklife gives you into navigating the challenges of marine and elasmobranch conservation as well as the unique and privileged view into the wildlife of Sodwana Bay and iSimangaliso. Spending any amount of time there you will see the passion and love Grant has for the sea and the insane number of hours he, Candice and Ro put in with the goal of bringing greater protection for the wildlife in the area. You can also take great comfort knowing that by supporting Sharklife, you are directly aiding a massively underfunded sector and enable their crucial research and advocacy to continue. For anyone completing university modules or studies, I can’t recommend them enough. In addition to the unwavering support you get from the Sharklife team, their projects are enough to entice any ocean lover as well as being the pressing issues that can directly benefit Sharklife and add to the much needed knowledge of the species and their environment. I chose to go to Sharklife to become more comfortable in open water. After several negative experiences, me and open water were not friends but from the first time getting in the ocean with Romain and Candice, these fears disappeared. They are incredible teachers (and people!) who make you feel so comfortable as they guide you through developing your diving skills. I have raved to so many friends and strangers that if you have a fear of the ocean but want desperately to go diving, go spend time with Sharklife. I was so lucky with the amazing group that was staying there at the same time as me but, I have a feeling that every new group that arrives is just as lucky. We had so much fun. Learning from the other volunteers, from the Sharklife team and being able to support their conservation is a time in my life that I will not soon forget. Love and miss you guys, even you Grant x……

I spent 3 months as an intern with Sharklife. I got to enjoy amazing wildlife while learning and using scientific methods. You get to know so many different people from different places, and from different backgrounds, but at Sharklife everyone becomes part of the same family. I would definitely recommend anyone interested in marine life to join the amazing team. There is something for everyone. I am very grateful for the time I got to spend at Sharklife. Sodwana Bay will always stay close to my heart. …

I was a research assistant from Venezuela and spent 1 month with Sharklife. I found it to be a valuable experience overall since I did not have much research experience before this. It made me realised that I wanted to focus my career in marine and elasmobranch research. I will definitely recommend it to anyone looking to gain more experience working in the marine biology field.…

I spent 3 months at Sharklife at the end of 2022 working on my master’s thesis. Not only did I find a hard working and professional environment, that lead me to graduate with honors, but I also had the chance to experience once-in-a-lifetime encounters with humpback whales, schooling hammerhead and so many more iconic creatures, and the freediving experience acquired in this time significantly helped me in landing a job in the Maldives. You cannot find better people than Shaklife’s staff: passionate, determined, supportive and enthusiastic. SharkLife is where real science happens (and it’s SO MUCH FUN!). Ngiyabonga SharkLife family!…

Hi, I was an Intern at Sharklife for 1 month, i am currently a student in bachelor of biology in France. It was my first time going to South Africa and thanks’ to all the amazing staff ( workers, students, volunteers) I felt like home!  Thank you so much for everything! It was my first time doing freediving, and i was properly coached by the staff ( thank you Candice Jp and Romain)! they were there if i was  worried or had questions, they made me feel comfortable in the water. Also on the boat everybody is helping each other giving advice and showing how to get the work done to! ( Thank you again Grant for the boat)  Also if you want to do scuba diving I recommend you try it or continue your courses because it is the right place to do it! I learned a lot about the techniques used to survey the sharks and other elasmobranch but also to learn how to use the data collected. Which is really interesting because if you seek to work as marine biologist or in the field of conservation it is good to see all the different techniques used and for what purpose to! But it is also interesting to discover if you are not familiar with that! I came to develop skills on the field, learn new things, discover the beauty of the sea and I experienced even more  by meeting some awesome people from all around the world, helping with the conservation of shark and learning new things about what i am capable of doing! If you are  worried about practical things like shopping, withdraw money, go the doctor or activities you want to do Candice S will gladly help you and be responsible for you! Also in camp you have everything you need to feel comfortable! As a woman I was worried to travel alone to another country, but  I felt really safe with Sharklife in Sodwana Bay. Thank you again Candice S and Grant for everything you built with Sharklife and all the passion you have and communicate to others! Please feel free to contact me…

I am a palaeontologist from Norway, that specialises on extinct sharks. I decided to join sharklife as I wanted to get some more experience with living sharks and biological sciences. I stayed for 2 months. The internship did certaintly not disappoint. It was a very valuable experience, and I appreciated the focus on the science. I learned a lot, both in the field and the office. Also the free diving training was a great bonus.    I highly recommend the program.…

I spent one month at Sharklife in Sodwana Bay and it was definitely one of the best months of my life and I wish it had been longer. I am not a biologist, but a physicist form Germany, so it was very interesting for me to see how work is done in this field of science. During my time at Sharklife I was able to get a good insight into the scientific methods of Sharklife and to work on them as part of the team. During the boat trips, there were often unexpected wildlife encounters, which I will never forget in my life. During these encounters, care was always taken not to disturb the animals in their natural behavior or to get too close to them, which I found very good. Sodwana Bay is an incredibly beautiful place that I will always carry in my heart. I am very grateful to Sharklife for this opportunity and the beautiful moments I was able to experience there.…

I am a German undergraduate student in the field of biomimicry and spent 3 months with Sharklife from September to December 2022 as part of my practical semester. Working as a marine biologist and especially a shark researcher has always been one of my dreams and that even after choosing a rather engineering oriented career and I am so glad that I had the chance to get a glimpse of that life with participating in the intern program of Sharklife. Despite some insecurities in the beginning and challenges along the way (location of rural South Africa, security, having a culture shock, no electricity during load shedding, not feeling comfortable in the rough ocean sea without being able to see the ground beneath me and troubles with equalizing while diving) I definitely don’t regret having chosen to go there because it was a great experience and a good possibility to not only overcome those struggles but also to learn so many things about sharks and rays, diving, all the work behind conducting scientific research in this quite challenging environment, working in a team and enjoying life as it is (sometimes with electricity, sometimes without ;) got to keep so many memories of the amazing encounters we had with a unexpected school of hammerheads, manta rays or a humpback whale with calf which swam by us mere meters away from us – once in a lifetime events (or maybe not I hope). I am very grateful for Grant Smith for having taught us so much as well as helping us if we needed anything and also for writing me a letter of recommendation I needed for an university application and for Candice Smith for having made sure that we always felt well and cared for. Furthermore, also thank you to Candice Parks and Romie for guiding us on land or in the water during the internship and to Michelle and Kent for fun times and teaching us to squeak so that we can talk to dolphins. I still miss Sodwana Bay and the people there very much.…

I am ever so proud to have been a part of the Sharklife family. I was at Sharklife for nine months whilst undertaking a project for my bachelors, gaining experience in the field, and having the most incredible experiences of my life so far. Upon coming into Sharklife I was welcomed with open arms into a community full individuals with such beautiful passion for marine conservation. Everyone at Sharklife is super friendly and approachable, you can expect to feel at home and make friends ever so quickly. You are a part of a positive and supportive team where you will see growth in yourself and in your skills everyday. There are constant opportunities to learn when surrounded by people as inspirational as Candice, Grant, Candice and Romain. Their passion for the marine world and dedication for making a change is infectious. I am truly grateful for the time I got to spend at Sharklife. It is a great opportunity and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Sodwana Bay is a magical place, with THE BEST ocean experiences, and is filled with great people from all over the world. If you have any questions feel free to DM me on instagram @ellie.gw…

I am a volunteer from Germany and spent 1 month helping at Sharklife. During the short period of time, I learnt a lot about sharks, scientific field work and the marine environment as a whole. Although I am not a professional biologist, everyone was very kind to explain their workings and we were able to help their ongoing research from day 2. We launched almost almost 5 times a week, spending a lot of time in the water. Of course some days we stayed and caught up with office work, but in general, every day had a bit of both. It does take a bit to understand what you are doing, so I would definitely recommend to stay longer if you want to contribute more. The people were amazing and Sodwana Bay is just something you have to see with your own eyes!  It definitely allowed me to gain some experience in the marine biology field and if I choose that path, I would be incredibly happy to work with them again!  p.d. be prepared for load shedding, not many food options and a lot of sun ;)…

Yeboooo! I only spent one month at Sharklife, but if it was up to me, I would stay forever. It wasn’t my first shark internship in South Africa, but it was certainly the best one by far. I don’t have any educational background in ocean conservation, so working with such knowledgeable professionals was an absolute delight making every learning opportunity engaging and meaningful. Their passion for the ocean and love for sharks are both admirable and contagious. Sharklife succeeded in striking the perfect balance between science and fun, ensuring that we never missed out on the adventure and excitement of exploring the underwater world. The unpredictability and beauty of these encounters made every boat trip a unique and thrilling experience. Will you find yourself swimming alongside eight enormous feeding manta rays? Is the hammerhead just posing on the BRUV footage while you enjoy a sandwich a few meters above? Will the boat suddenly stop to avoid colliding with a pod of dolphins? Will you be the fortunate one to spot one of the first whales of the season? Are you going on a quick date with a very inquisitive Raggie? Will you witness two stunning female tiger sharks destroying the sardine box on the BRUV you just deployed? You never know! (And yes, all of this happened within the brief four weeks of my stay at Sharklife). Candice, Grant, Candice JP and Romi – I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, your dedication, enthusiasm, and knowledge, and for everything you do for the ocean every single day.…

Just wanted to send everyone at Sharklife a quick note to thank you for the wonderful month I recently spent with you!  It was an incredible experience learning about some of the research you’re doing in and around Sodwana Bay, and also discovering the intricacies of how BRUV data is gathered and processed! The friendliness and professionalism of the camp, dive, and boat operations teams was also quite fantastic, and I feel I learned so much from everyone throughout my stay for which I am very grateful. Sharks, rays, diving, boats, the ocean, tide pools, beach, and wonderful people!  I completely recommend it to anyone hoping to gain field experience in marine biology, and very much hope I will be able to return and work with you again soon!  Cheers and very best wishes, Tino :-)…

I am a student from Switzerland who volunteered for 1 month with Sharklife. It was a fantastic experience to work with a team passionate about their work, it was a great experience that I would recommend a 100% to whoever is interested into marine biology and conservation.…

I am a postgraduate Marine science student, I spent 3 wonderful months with shark life to write my thesis about the identification and abundance of rays in iSimangaliso Wetlands park.    I spent the most beautiful time of my life with really nice people. At Sharklife everyday is a surprise and you are always learning new things! Even if my project was specific, I learnt a lot of things also about other topics.  I can’t explain with words all the feelings and emotions that shark life gave to me, you just have to go! Please feel free to contact me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/silvia_leva/

What a month! Wish I could stay for longer. You learn a lot and you really get immersed in the science work both practically and theoretically, in addition to that there will be leisure time that you will remember forever. Many warm thanks to the staff and team at sharklife!…

What an incredible experience! I spent 6 weeks with Sharklife between May – June to collect data for my dissertation. It was an amazing opportunity to learn from Grant about marine conservation, shark ecology, basic seamanship, and freediving skills. Candice, and Romain were extremely helpful as my supervisors and made my data collection a memorable adventure. Aside from the unbelievable days at sea, Candice is very helpful in organising cool trips on off days.  Sodwana Bay is a special place, and I would definitely like to come back at some point!…

My name is Jess, I’m from the United States and I was an intern with Sharklife for 2 months, but I wish I could have stayed longer! Being an intern at Sharklife was the most incredible experience of my life, and best internship I’ve ever done. The staff are amazing people with a lot of experience. I love Sharklife’s mission and dedication to conservation, everyone there is so passionate about the marine environment and elasmobranchs. If you want more dive experience, once in a lifetime animal encounters with amazing dive sites, exposure to different cultures, and to assist in something truly important for the environment and research… then Sharklife is perfect. It’s a great internship to get your foot in the door with shark conservation and research, with a LOT of incredible personal experiences with it. I’ll cherish my time spent in Sodwana for the rest of my life, and hope to be able to go back someday.