This opportunity is available to all young South African graduates in marine biology and reef conservation fields.
If you’re passionate about marine conservation and diving – or if you’ve always wanted to learn – this is the opportunity for you! Learn about Indian Ocean Reef Conservation, gain marine ecology training and scuba experience in one of the world’s prime marine habitats.
This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and meals provided. Click here to view remote Environmental & Marine Sciences internships, which you can undertake from home.
This internship is tailored towards providing young people with 5 star PADI dive tuition, along with an excellent introduction to Indian Ocean marine ecology (via online training presentations).
Sodwana Bay is South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, with world-renowned dive sites and coral reefs. It’s home to some of the world’s most diverse fish communities, including turtles, manta rays and sharks, and is a main highway on the seasonal migration routes of humpback whales. It’s also the base for this Marine Biology and Reef Conservation internship, where interns assist with a wide range of marine conservation and research tasks.
Interns are based in a marine camp, where they learn and utilize scuba diving skills to aid research into the health of the marine ecosystem and effectiveness of reef conservation methods in the area. The internship endeavors to include 20 dives per month, or 10 dives every two weeks (subject to weather conditions).
- If not already dive certified, you will be trained as a PADI Open Water Diver. Following successful completion of the training, you will receive your PADI Open Water certification. This certification qualifies a diver for open water dives to 18m (with a dive buddy).
- Already qualified divers will get the chance to complete further advanced dive training, allowing them to dive to 30m and experience some of Sodwana’s deeper reefs. You can also choose from a range of dive specialty courses, which may be available at an additional cost (e.g. Deep, Nitrox, Peak Performance Buoyancy, etc) or the Rescue Diver course.
Interns contribute to creating marine conservation awareness for Sodwana Bay through interpretive sea dives. This can involve the capture of underwater photographs for the iNaturalist citizen science database, to support awareness around the keystone species inside the marine protected area. Such species include sea turtles (Green, Hawksbill and Loggerhead), potato bass grouper and nudibranchs.
Please note that on this particular internship, there are limited research opportunities and no specimen collection or lab work being conducted. General activities include underwater scuba surveys, collecting data on the population of species such as turtles, manta rays and sharks, species photography, and data entry into global or regional databases.
Interns help to use underwater cameras, add to photographic databases and assist with species identification. Interns can learn a range of data collection methods, using various techniques to contribute to databases of fish, coral and invertebrates. Monitoring populations, densities, locations and behaviour of different species helps to provide feedback on the health of the marine environment and the effectiveness of conservation strategies.
Not only does your internship offer incredible opportunities to enjoy your unique natural surroundings, but you’ll have plenty of spare time to explore too. No trip to South Africa is complete without doing a safari, and you’ll be able to glimpse incredible wildlife up close in an ethical, responsible way. Internships in South Africa are perfect for nature-lovers, or anyone looking for a digital detox.
Interns will be asked to complete a general dive medical questionnaire (prior to leaving your country of origin and prior to starting the internship program). In certain or isolated cases, some participants may need to obtain specific clearance by a dive Doctor if any disclosed illness or injury is of a serious nature (which could potentially endanger you while diving). In this case, you’d need to be issued with a medical certificate stating or clearing that you are fit to dive irrespective of the illness or injury. Such information would need to be provided to us in advance of your arrival. If you have previously been diagnosed with Covid-19, then you will need to consult your doctor and obtain medical clearance prior to joining the diving activities of this internship. You will need to do this in advance, before you arrive for the internship.
Typical Schedule
- Internship activities are usually full time (up to 8 hours a day), though this is subject to weather and seasonal conditions. You’ll be expected to assist 5 days a week most weeks, but some weekend activities may sometimes be available. Your schedule will be arranged with your supervisor.
What are the career benefits of interning abroad as a Marine Biology & Reef Conservation Intern?
Marine Biology & Reef Conservation interns learn from a qualified and experienced supervisor, and can be involved in:
- Scuba surveys
- Collecting population data for turtles, manta ray or sharks
- Underwater photography
- Research data entry
- Different data collection techniques for different marine species
- Providing feedback on different conservation techniques
Professional development opportunities:
- Learn to scuba dive or upskill your certification
- Gain experience and understanding about one of the world’s best and most diverse marine environments
- Learn and use practical research techniques
- Gain scuba diving abilities for research purposes
- Gain experience working with underwater cameras
- Gain practical skills and boost your employability, with guidance from Intern Abroad HQ’s Experiential Learning Curriculum to support your learning and cultural intelligence
Eligibility requirement
Marine Biology & Reef Conservation internships are suitable for students and recent graduates with an interest in marine biology and conservation. This program requires scuba diving and you can achieve PADI qualifications onsite, as training is included in the fee. All interns must be competent swimmers and will be required to complete the PADI Medical Questionnaire & Statement to determine their fitness and ability to participate in scuba diving activities. Depending on responses to the PADI Medical Questionnaire, it may be necessary to complete an examination with a Physician, to obtain medical approval for diving activities.
Language requirements for this internship
This internship is conducted in English.
Associated career paths
Environmental Scientist (Policy/Planning/Law), Environmental Impact Assessment Specialist, Research Scientist, Ecologist, Biologist, Geologist, Ranger, Education and Outreach Program Coordinator, Climatologist, Eco-Tourism Guide, Marine Oceanographer, Diving Instructor
Apply here
These internship programmes are available for all young South African graduates.