VOLUNTEER PROJECTS Community Work HIV/AIDS Medical Work Sports Coaching Teaching & Education Wildlife Conservation Wildlife Research Expeditions Compare all projects Corporate Volunteering University Volunteering Family Volunteering Tailor-made for groups GENERAL Contact Us Book Now Read our blog Subscribe to our Newsletter Send to a Friend Sitemap   WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST? “The clinic, both of the orphanges. Frisbee! (I think it's so great that the organisers got to know all the volunteers and all had fun together - you made us feel so welcome, thanks guys!)” Alice Humphries (21), England

Endangered Whale Shark and Manta Ray Conservation Project, Mozambique Golden sands, coconut palms and the spectacular Indian Ocean stretching as far as the eye can see... This project is as exotic as it sounds. Based near Inhambane in the small seaside village of Tofo, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the captivating local Afro-Portuguese culture and assist with the conservation of whale sharks. The Whale Shark Project is located at the beach village of Tofo on the Inhambane peninsula in southern Mozambique. It is just 22 kilometres from Inhambane town, which is an old port town with a variety of historical buildings and influences. Inhambane is about 460 kilometres north of Maputo, Mozambique’s capital city. Tofo is one of this region’s most charming villages and is fast becoming a popular spot for tourists. Working within this area, you will be joining the staff and researchers to assist with a variety of marine research and conservation activities. The inshore area of Tofo has a particularly high density of whale sharks. This area also has some pristine tropical coral reefs and the coast is spectacularly rich in coconut palms. It is an excellent location to investigate whale shark and marine ecology and with its beautiful tropical beaches. * ‘Tofo is an amazing place for anyone interested in diving. To be able to see humpback whales on the way to a dive where you see mantas and then stop to snorkel with a whale shark on the way home. This is completely unique. To be able to contribute something towards research and the local community was pretty special.’ Rebecca Harper – United Kingdom * ‘What an amazing experience in Mozambique. A great opportunity to go beyond the average tourist experience and feel a part of something special’ Clare Ryan – United Kingdom Marine Wildlife Conservation - Whale Shark & Turtle Research - Scuba Diving, Tofo - Volunteer Project in Mozambique, Tofo Location The project is based at the beach village of Tofo in southern Mozambique. Project Length 4, 6 or 8 weeks, longer placements may be available Age Limit Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health Project Fee £1795 | $3590 for 4 weeks £2145 | $4290 for 6 weeks £2495 | $4990 for 8 weeks Volunteer Project Information The following links will jump you to different sections on this page, which provide all the information you will need for this Africa volunteer project: Marine Wildlife Conservation - Whale Shark & Turtle Research - Scuba Diving, Tofo, Mozambique. » photo gallery | » more about this project | » volunteer & travel highlights » project fee includes & excludes | » day in the life of a volunteer... » volunteer support & orientation | » accommodation & meals | » getting there Photos Mozambique Photos of Marine Wildlife Conservation - Whale Shark & Turtle Research - Scuba Diving, Tofo in Africa.   More about the Endangered Whale Shark and Manta Ray Conservation Project in Mozambique The Whale Shark Conservation Project aims to monitor: whale shark and manta ray population numbers and behaviour; loggerhead turtle nesting activity; and coral reef condition, in order to make recommendations for improving the conservation of marine biodiversity. It involves field data collection via the following means: beach walks; boat surveys; swims and dives on the coastline of Mozambique around Tofo. It also involves assisting with tourist education, and general welcoming of tourists to the area and basic interpretation. The project involves collaboration with the Whale Shark and Manta Ray Research Trust and Tofo Scuba, both based at Tofo, as well as the Natural History Museum of Mozambique, based in Maputo, and a number of international marine research bodies. Growing exploitation of marine resources is threatening biodiversity along the Mozambique coastline. The coral reefs, which so much marine life is dependant on for survival, are under threat of exploitation, bleaching, alien invasive species and other ecological changes associated with tourism and general human activities. One of the components of the project is to monitor the condition of coral reefs in the Tofo area using methods developed and approved by the International Reef Check Programme. This involves doing scuba diving transects along the reefs and photographing it at fixed points whilst recording benthic cover and indicator species of fish. A four-day, internationally recognized diving course is provided as part of this project to train you to be able to carry out this task of coral reef monitoring. The second component of the project involves research on whale sharks. These are the world’s largest fish and, although they are part of the shark family, are harmless to humans as they feed on plankton. Whale sharks are a threatened species and are relatively easy to monitor owing to their large size. They are also good indicators of ocean health / productivity, and play a flagship role for the conservation of other marine creatures. With the increase of boat and fishing activities in the area their home ranges may become decreased, and their food sources affected, which can result in direct mortalities. This project also involves the monitoring of manta rays, another species that serve as important indicators of ocean health / productivity. The majority of the research involves taking underwater photographs to identify individual whale sharks and manta rays (you will mostly join tourist launches to go on these photographing expeditions) thereby investigating their population numbers, distribution, and ecology in a bid to help understand and conserve this most magnificent species. The third aspect of the project is the monitoring of the nesting activity of loggerhead and leatherback turtles. Their nesting sites are becoming increasingly threatened by human activity along the beaches and there is also hunting of adult turtles occurring as they lay their eggs. The monitoring involves patrolling the beaches at night during laying season (October – December) recording nest sites and tagging adults where possible, then visiting nests during hatching season (January – March) to record hatching success. The information collected during the field work will be collated into a database both on-site and at the office base. A number of more general environmental awareness and clean-up activities will be also carried out during the project. » back to top Endangered Whale Shark and Manta Ray Conservation Project, Tofo - Highlights This volunteer project in Africa includes: Marine Wildlife Conservation - Whale Shark & Turtle Research - Scuba Diving, Tofo Dive course – a 4-day, internationally recognised open-water scuba diving course Reef transect dives – scuba diving along line transects, above the reef to record coral condition, benthic cover and indicator species Boat surveys – to locate and snorkel with whale sharks, record their position, photograph them for identification of individuals, and estimate their population numbers Beach observation to: locate whale pods, record their position and estimate their population numbers locate and record turtle nest sites (during laying season) visit turtle nest sites and record hatching success (during hatching season) record fishing catch quantities and species assess levels of beach traffic Awareness and education – generate awareness about the conservation of whales harks and manta rays, and to develop educational materials for this purpose Mozambique Travel Highlights Based in Tofo, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the captivating local Afro-Portuguese culture and cuisine Vilanculos and Inhassoro are two intriguing towns that form the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. The islands of Benguera, Margeruqe and Bazaruto make up a World Heritage Site and a dugong conservation area Paradise Island lives up to its name; its shores are home to some fascinating historical relics and breathtaking marine life abounds » back to top Project Fee Includes Project Fee: this entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as research materials, equipment, project facilitation and development, etc. 4 - 6 day PADI open-water diving course when you arrive at the project base in Mozambique (the duration of this course is weather-dependent) Full board and lodging which includes 3 meals a day, which you prepare together with other volunteers Assistance in your projects by staff and volunteer coordinators and full support from African Impact project managers and coordinators throughout your time on your placement Comprehensive orientation on arrival Project Fee Excludes Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which should include cover for repatriation All transport by air to Johannesburg & Inhambane International Airports All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other) Visa costs on arrival E-mail / Internet and telephone calls Soft drinks, wines and spirits All visas for border crossings Any excursions over-and-above your planned itinerary in Mozambique » back to top Day in the life... This is a typical day in the life of a volunteer working on the Endangered Whale Shark and Manta Ray Conservation Project project: 07:00 – wake up and have breakfast 08:30 – data entry on the computer from previous day’s research work 11:00 – Jump on the research boat and head out to sea to find whale sharks. Research on the sharks is done in the water snorkeling next to them and from the boat where data is collected on datasheets. Photos of the sharks are taken and then loaded onto the data base for international circulation via web. Photos enable us to identify individual sharks around the world and track their movements, age etc. 13:30 – Lunch 14:30 – Depending on the time of year – whale counts and data collection from on top of the dunes or preparation for turtle work in the night. 17:00 – Work generally ends at 5pm but this is flexible and can sometimes be earlier and sometimes later. » back to top Volunteer Support Throughout your stay at your placement you will have the support and guidance of experienced field leaders and all staff of All Out Africa. They are part of our greater African Impact support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance. Volunteer Orientation Your orientation will take place at the project base in Tofo. The orientation will entail an introduction to staff, background information and deeper insight into the project and the work that you will be doing. » back to top Accommodation Volunteers are accommodated in a volunteer beach house (which has electricity and running water) and will be sharing dorm rooms (6 people in a large dorm). Bed, mattress, sheet and pillows will be provided (a sleeping bag is required during winter, i.e. May – August). There are communal ablution facilities (with hot running water). You will need to do your own laundry by hand. The beach house is situated on the beach at the edge of Tofo village. There is a restaurant and bar within 100 metres of the house. Tofo’s city centre is within easy walking distance, and there you will be able to find very basic shops, a few restaurants and bars, and a number of beach activities available (surfing, kite boarding, etc.), as well as an internet café. Meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in your programme fee. For breakfast, lunch and dinner you will be provided with food / ingredients and will take turns in preparing meals. Breakfast will generally consist of cereal and toast, lunch will most likely be sandwiches, and your evening dinner will be a cooked meal. Special dietary requirements / preferences will be catered for where possible, but you should please bear in mind that Tofo has limited choice for food and so the meals will be quite basic; so please be considerate of the efforts of those who have prepared the meal. Please check with us prior to your departure to see if we can cater for your specific dietary needs. » back to top Getting There The project is based at the beach village of Tofo in southern Mozambique.. Volunteers should fly to Inhambane in Mozambique. You may do this by flying to Johannesburg in South Africa, and then taking a connecting flight, using Pelican Airways (strongly suggested as the preferred carrier) or LAM (Mozambique Airlines) to Inhambane Airport on the start date of your placement; we will collect you from the airport. You will then be taken to Tofo using local public transport and settled you in to your accommodation. We will then arrange your orientation for you in Tofo and you will be given a presentation on the Whale Shark Conservation Project and what to expect in the coming weeks, before getting you started on the project. » back to top Make an Enquiry Volunteer Project in Mozambique - Marine Wildlife Conservation - Whale Shark & Turtle Research - Scuba Diving, Tofo     print this page | bookmark this page (CTRL-D) | send to a friend back to top