Zavora Marine Lab Internship, Oceans Research

Interns attending the Zavora Marine Lab will gain practical training skills in the following areas. In addition, a number of additional opportunities will be available for interns to partake in on arrival at the laboratory.

• Underwater photo identification of Manta rays
• Underwater focal diver impact on Manta Rays
• Underwater coral reef health and status surveys
• Underwater focal diver behaviour surveys
• Conducting user group surveys on marine eco-tourism
• Underwater video based Manta ray behaviour monitoring
• Underwater photo identification of Manta rays
• Underwater coral reef health and status surveys
• Visual census of benthonic and pelagic species
• Underwater focal diver behaviour surveys
• Conducting user group surveys on marine eco-tourism
• Land based humpback whale survey (June to November)
• Land based turtle survey (December to March)

Optional extras:

• Reef check courses (Global and Regional Reef Monitoring)
• Any level PADI course
• Any level Nitrox course
• Any level of Technical diving course

Application information

Oceans Research offers interns the opportunity to get in-depth field experience in one of the world´s most exciting and challenging marine research projects.

Interns will assist in conducting all of Oceans Research´s ambitious research projects on the great white shark and other marine predators. The Oceans Research internship program is limited to students enrolled at accredited tertiary institutes, or qualified scientists with a minimum qualification of a B.Sc. or equivalent. Unqualified naturalists with a proven track record in research and/or conservation will also be considered.

Participants will be required to enroll for a minimum of one month.

Application Process

1. Complete the below enquiry form.

2. Our administrative manager will then forward you the application form.

3. Forward your completed application form along with a photograph of yourself and your curriculum vitae.

Submit your enquiry

Under construction

Eligibility?

The internship program is aimed at assisting in the development of students, training them in the area of biological sciences. Eligibility is thus limited to:

• Current students enrolled in academic institutes and studying towards a science major;
• Graduated scientists with a minimum of a B.Sc. (or equivalent) with a scientific major;
• Exceptional naturalists who can show a ‘real world’ dedication to research, management or conservation of animals or ecosystems.

Specific qualifications

Interns attending Aliwal Shoal and Zavora Marine Labs must be competent SCUBA divers with a minimum of an” advanced” diving qualification. PLEASE, remember to bring your diving certificate and log book with you. For Zavora, a minimum of 40 dives (10 within the last year) is required prior to arriving at the lab Training on site for open water divers is offered at Zavora and Mossel Bay at the interns’ own cost. Interns unable to SCUBA dive will only be considered for internships at Mossel Bay and Skeleton Coast Marine Labs.

For how long?

Interns will be asked to stay for a minimum of one month and maximum of four months (in exceptional cases shorter or longer internships will be considered at some research stations). If attending multiple laboratories, interns will be required to stay a minimum of one month at each laboratory. If you are interested in applying for postgraduate study, an initial internship period of three months is required.

Where?

The four research labs are situated at:

• Mossel Bay Marine Lab: Mossel Bay, South Africa - a coastal town located approximately 400 kilometres from Cape Town.
• Aliwal Shoal Marine Lab: Umkomass, South Africa - a coastal town located approximately 50 kilometres South of Durban.
• Skeleton Coast Marine Lab: Walvis Bay, Namibia. One of only 3 coastal towns along the sparsely populated Namibian coast, Walvis Bay is the largest harbour in the country and has all modern amenities, but is surrounded by miles of untamed desert in all directions. Lies 400km west the capital Windhoek (WDH), through which most flights will be routed.
• Zavora Marine Lab: Zavora is located in southern Mozambique, within the Zavora Lodge approximately 1.5 hour south of Inhambane town and 9 hours north of the South Africa-Mozambique border.

Flights?

If, for your first month, you are interning at:

• Mossel Bay: travel arrangements must be made from your home town to George Airport, South Africa.
• Aliwal Shoal: travel arrangements must be made from your home town to Durban Airport, South Africa
• Zavora: Travel arrangements must be made from your home to Inhambane airport, Mozambique.
• Skeleton Coast: travel arrangements must be made from your home town to Walvis Bay Airport, Namibia (Windhoek airport is an alternative arrival site, an interns can shuttle (at their own cost) to Walvis bay).

Arrival dates and arrangments:

Pick ups and drop offs from Richards Bay, Durban, George, and Walvis Bay Airports will be organised for the first of the month. Interns arriving or leaving outside this time will be required to arrange transport between the Airport and the Research Station at their own cost.

Interns flying to and from Inhambane please keep in mind that flights will not be available everyday of the week. Pick-ups and drop offs will be arranged for the date closest to (after) the 1st of the month. When you book your returning flight, always consider few extra hours in Maputo or Johannesburg since LAM is often late with the local flights.

Departure flights should be booked from the Airport closest to the Research Station where you will be spending your last month of the internship.

Domestic flights within South Africa can be easily arranged one of the following companies (www.kulula.com, www.1time.aero , www.flysaa.com, www.flynationwide.co.za, www.flyairlink.com, www.flysax.com).

Flights between South Africa (Johannesburg) and Mozambique (Inhambane) can be arranged by the following company: www.flylam.co.za/inhambane.htm

Flights between South Africa (Johennesburg) and Namibia (Walvis Bay) can be arranged by the following companies: www.flysaa.com and www.flysax.com

Should you choose to do your internship at more than one research station, you are responsible for the cost and organisation of transport between stations.

Overland travel arrangements between stations will be facalitiated by Oceans Research at interns own cost (circa 500 Rand per transfer).

Cost?

Research funding is not allocated to cover running expenses of this program in terms of food, accommodation, travel expenses and additional living expenses for interns. These costs must be covered by applicants. Living costs are set on an annual basis. The equivalent of 15000R per month is therefore requested from all the applicants, which will cover accommodation, food and boarding. Air travel to and from the research sites are not included in the 15000R. The cost includes:

Oceans Research is currently offering a 25% discount to anyone who books for the months October, November, December, January and February (excluding Zavora Marine Lab). Interns booking for these months can do so for only 11000R.

• your transfer from the airport to the research site when you arrive (please refer to information on “Arrival dates and arrangements”)
• your transfer from the research site to the airport when you leave (please refer to information on “Arrival dates and arrangements”)
• food for your entire stay
• lodging (the rooms will be shared with other students)
• a house keeper who will clean and cook
• water and electricity for the house for the students
• boarding on the vessels
• every day transport from the house to the research sites and back
• Some SCUBA diving equipment (although we recommend you bring personal soft equipment) and air fills.

Other services provided by external companies will be available at additional costs (please enquiry if you are interested in one of those activities):

• Internet
• SCUBA diving training (any level)
• Laundry service
• Excursions
• Bar fridge drinks
• Reef Check course (including material and certification)

Depending on the applicant habits and lifestyle, we usually suggest adding to their monthly budget about 2000 to 3000 South African Rand for their souvenirs, excursions, entertainment and other personal daily needs.

Can I cancel or change the dates of the internship?

Due to the number of applications received and limited places, we unfortunately do not accept all applying interns. Therefore, we do not welcome cancellations or date changes after the final confirmation has been sent to us. Please, make sure that the dates you indicate in your application form suit your own schedule/budget before applying.

We request that a 1 month deposit (the equivalent of 15000 South African Rand ) is paid on acceptance into the program as confirmation (foreign and local bank fees are at the applicant´s cost). The remaining fee must be paid in full within two weeks following arrival in South Africa. Cancellations prior to 6 months before internship begins are accepted without cancellation fee (deposit will be refunded in full). Cancellations between 6 and 3 months before the start of the internship will be charged a penalty of 50% (50% refund of deposit). Cancellations that are done less than 3 months before the start of the internship will include a 25% refund. We would, however, appreciate it if you could let us know of any changes or cancellations as soon as you are aware of these, so that we are able to welcome another applicant.

Do I need a VISA?

Mossel Bay/Aliwal Shoal, South Africa: No. As a research intern you are volunteering and entitled to enter on a temporary visitor s permit (e.g. tourism permit). Tourist visiting visa´s are issued for three months / 90 days upon entry in South Africa. However, we do recommend that you contact the South African Embassy or Consulate in your country and confirm this fact. If your application period is for a period longer than three months, or if you plan to travel in South Africa prior or after your internship for a period extending 90 days, you will have to apply for a Tourist / Visitor VISA application through your home embassy.

Ponta Mozambique: No. On entering Mozambique, you will be issued with a one month VISA (at a cost of 185 SA Rand: it can vary). For interns spending longer than one month in Mozambique, a trip to the border (at their own cost) to pass out of Mozambique is required to extend the VISA by a month (a further 185 Rand must be paid).

Skeleton coast, Namibia: Very few countries need visa´s for Namibia. Please check the following site to confirm that you do not require a permit (http://www.namibia.org.za/consular.html)

Do I need insurance?

Yes. When you are accepted in this program, you will have to sign liability, copyright documents, as well an agreement that you are knowingly partaking in potentially dangerous activities. You will not be covered for accidents or illnesses, so please do organize your own medical and health insurances. You may apply for a normal travel insurance policy. Chances that you will be injured by a marine predator are very little if you follow the safety guidelines and do not try anything foolish which we would not approve. But you will be working on a boat in conditions which can, at times, be less than comfortable. Accidents on a boat may occur, so it is important to be covered in case of an emergency or accident. Be sure to have an insurance cover for your entire stay in Southern Africa.

For SCUBA divers, you also need to be insured by the Divers Alert Network (DAN). Oceans Research can organise this for you at an extra cost.

Do I need any specific vaccination or medication before coming to southern Africa?

Mossel Bay/Aliwal Shoal/Skeleton coast: No, these research stations are far from Malaria areas, and there are no strange African diseases which you could pick up (that is if you respect the same safety rules as anywhere else in the world).

Zavora: Profolactic medication against malaria is not necessary, but can be used if desired in Mozambique. Recommended medicines are: Malarone (side effects: being hard on liver it is adviced to drink alcoohol in small quantities or better avoid it), or Doxycycline (side effects: short periods of increased photosensitivity, thus recommended to be taken around dinner with food). Malaria tests and treatment are also available on site. Bear in mind that SCUBA diving whilst using some profilactic medications (such as Larium or Mefloquine) is not recommended – your choice of medication should be made accordingly. In any case it is recommended to bring mosquito repellents to be used mostly during dusk and dawn periods.

What do I need to bring?

Some old jeans; tops and shoes/boots to use on the boat; warm clothing; a wind breaker jacket; good waterproof clothing; factor 30+ sun block and a wide brim hat; polarised sunglasses (allows you to see through the water better); diving certification, and/or skippering licence, and/or VHF certificate (in case you have). Bed sheets will be provided. You may either bring a towel and a face cloth or buy in southern Africa. For underwater research at Aliwal and Zavora, you will require your own wetsuit, mask, snorkel, weight belt, inflatable deploy buoys, and fins (it can be rented on site at your own cost), as well as any other diving equipment you would like to bring. Oceans Research will supply cylinders, BCDs, regulators and weights if required. It is adviced to use wetsuits of at least 5mm since dives sometimes involve diving below the thermocline. Working at sea off the Skeleton Coast can be quite cold due to wind chill factor off the ocean and occasional seafog in the mornings, thermals and wind/waterproof jackets are required. Conditions on land tend to be sunny, warm to hot and windy in the afternoons.

Do we have weekends off?

No, but yes... The weather along the coast of southern Africa is not stable, and the sea does not allow field work every day. You will have days off whenever the weather and sea condition do not allow field work, and no other work on the data or maintenance is needed.

Sometimes we have long periods during which the weather is nice and after 4-5 days at sea, we will then take a couple of days break. Why? Well, being at sea is very tiring, constantly balancing yourself, baking in the hot sun, scuba diving and being blown by the wind, so after a few days at sea, your body will need a rest.

Can I dive with Great White sharks or dive recreationally?

The internship project is not a white shark cage diving trip, nor a holiday, and cage diving is not part of the internship program at Mossel Bay Marine Lab. Nevertheless, we can try to organize a cage dive with the commercial operator if time and conditions allow it (this will be at an interns own cost). At Aliwal Shoal and Zavora, SCUBA diving is only for research purposes. Recreational diving, in your own time, is allowed with the resort dive centres at your own cost.

Facts regarding Zavora Marine Lab

Being Zavora the most remote and adventurous of the Oceans Research Lab network, we decided to include as much information as possible about this internship.       
Please keep in mind that we are about 30km of the closest town, products are not always available and in general very basic. Mozambique is not a developing country: it is classified as a least developed country (LDC). It is one of the 20 poorest countries in the world.
Electricity in Zavora is powered by generator. The generator will normally work from 7am-12 noon, and then from 3pm-10pm, and breakages may be relatively common. Please ensure that all lights and electrical appliances (laptops included) are turned off (not just on standby) when not in use, and during the off period of the generator. Otherwise it is recommended to bring your own power stabiliser and, in any case, your own torch for the off periods of the generators (only AA batteries are available in the surroundings of Zavora).
You are advised to change your currency in the Mozambique Meticais in advance. You may also withdraw cash at the ATM of the closet town once every two weeks. Neither the resort nor the diving center has credit card facilities.
Basic food is available at the house whereas meat, due to power cuts, will seldom be available. Food for breakfast (fresh bread, butter, coffee, tea, biscuits, milk, seasonal fruit) and lunch (pasta, rice, beans, chicken, vegetables, seasonal fruit) will be provided but it will be the intern’s responsibility to prepare it, whereas dinner will be cooked by a local lady (local traditional meals). Soft drinks and other meals are available on the bar at your own costs (breakfast 50-150 Meticais, Lunch 150-200 Meticais, Dinner 150-300 Meticais).
There is no internet available in Zavora, only in case of emergency and at your own costs.
Water temperatures range from 25-28°C in summer to 15-17°C in winter.
Extras available on request:

• Reef check certificate – 1000 Rand
• PADI advanced diving course – 1625 Rand (including course material and certification) – as well other more advanced courses (at different costs).
• First level IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) Nitrox course – 2100 Rand (includes certification plus Nitrox refill for one month at the research station) – as well other advanced courses (at different costs).
• Nitrox refills – 25 Rand per dive

• Reef check certificate – 1000 Rand
• PADI advanced diving course – 1625 Rand (including course material and certification) – as well other more advanced courses (at different costs).
• First level IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) Nitrox course – 2100 Rand (includes certification plus Nitrox refill for one month at the research station) – as well other advanced courses (at different costs).
• Nitrox refills – 25 Rand per dive

How can I get more information?

On acceptance of your formal application, you will be asked (if you are not already) to be registered on Facebook (www.facebook.com). Then you will be invited to join a communication group run by the institute. This forum will enable you to ask questions and seek out any additional information, meeting and networking with us and other interns.

Click here to download our information and application pack (DOC format)

Further information is also available by writing to Lezanne Brits: internship@oceans-research.com