Food, Lodging and Travel
Marine conservation volunteers will stay at the volunteer house for the duration of their stay. The accommodation is self-catering, with shared bedroom and bathroom facilities as well as free Wi-Fi. The number of volunteers staying in the house varies depending on the season.
Laundry facilities are available for volunteers at local laundrettes.
The accommodation is within close proximity to a shopping centre, cafés and restaurants. These images are examples of accommodation used on the project, however, the specific homes used for volunteer accommodation varies.
You may be required on certain days to pack lunch for activities that are out and about for the whole day, but you will be informed of this ahead of time to give you time to prepare. Volunteers are encouraged to share groceries and meals for a social vibe, or volunteers are also welcome to eat out.
Travelling to South Africa
Overseas volunteers will typically fly into Cape Town. From there, the project staff will arrange to pick up and take volunteers to the volunteer house. The airport transfer charge is £20. The journey time is usually around 50 minutes.
A valid passport with at least 2 blank pages in it, is necessary to enter South Africa. Since visa requirements vary from country to country, please check with your local embassy as to whether a visa is required to enter South Africa. We can also supply a letterhead to confirm the purpose of your trip for any COVID travel restriction requirements.
Free Time
Being on the Cape Peninsula there are a whole host of activities right on your doorstep, also being just 40km from the City bowl of Cape Town there is numerous activities and tours to enjoy and explore. The house is also only 40km from the Winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for wine tasting trips and spectacular scenery.
Activities available include skydiving, scuba diving, wine tasting, horseback riding, climbing Table Mountain, sailing, kayaking, rock climbing, cage diving, blue and mako shark dives and so much more. Activities can be organised by the house and volunteer coordinators. Transport to events will however be paid by the volunteer(s) unless planned otherwise.
Volunteer Requirements
You should be aged 18+ and speak English. You don’t need any previous experience in marine biology or a similar field. This project is designed to offer everyone from complete novices to qualified marine biologists a fulfilling experience, so as long as you are flexible, self-motivated and interested in helping to protect the marine environment you would be welcome to apply. No experience is necessary except volunteers must be able to swim. Basic water skills and snorkel techniques will be taught over the course of your stay by our marine biologists.
