Volunteer on our professional and responsible shark project. Our volunteers get really close up to the Great White Shark and learn to protect and conserve the great white sharks' environment and promote its status as an endangered species.

Our partner organisation is situated in Gansbaai, Western Cape, about two and a half hours drive from Cape Town. The area is known for its natural unspoilt beauty of small bays, white sands and its archaeological and historical value. Our partners our proudly Fair Trade Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) accredited thereby meeting strict criteria such as: fair wages and equal employment, democracy, transparency and environmental conservation.

Our partners consist of a Shark Cage Diving company and a boat-based Marine Eco Tourism company. This combination allows our volunteers to access a diverse area of learning, and a holistic insight into the challenges of ocean conservation at the tip of Africa. Volunteers are exposed to sharks, whales, dolphins, seals, penguins, as well as many species of rare pelagic birds that reside close to the shore.

Shark education features as a prominent part of the volunteer programme. It is only by getting to know these complex creatures more intimately, that we will understand the impact of their current continuing decline. Shark populations worldwide are increasingly threatened, and in scientific circles there is still research needed to fully understand and interpret shark behaviour. You will play a pivotal role in observing, collating data and promoting these graceful and majestic creatures. The programme will enable you to see sharks in their natural environment, either from a boat or from a cage.

Volunteers going out on the boats, dependant on the weather, will be taken to Dyer Island, which is a bird sanctuary 7km off shore, is a notorious stretch of water known as Shark Alley, probably the most filmed section of South Africa's ocean. This is a favoured hunting ground for Great Whites, and is home to a large colony of Cape Fur Seals, the mainstay of their diet.

Our volunteers participate in a wide variety of tasks and activities. Learning about coastal eco-systems in the region, and about what work is going on to help preserve them. For example, a charity established to assist with a habitat rehabilitation scheme for the declining African Penguin population through the design and implementation of artificial homes.

The positive impact of this volunteer project has captured the imagination of public and media worldwide, and has been extremely successful in raising positive awareness of sharks and the need for conservation thereof. Our volunteers stay in private self-catering homes within walking distance from the project. Here you will manage your own food budget and buy supplies from the local shops.

The "Project Contribution" included in your overall fee will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the project during your actual volunteer stay on the ground. On your return home you may continue to support the project financially with donations via TravAid, a UK-based charity, or via our separate Donations Account. Please enquire with our office for further information.