Take part in this whale shark conservation internship project on the stunning Mafia Island in Tanzania.
Mafia Island really is a traveller's dream, given its white sandy beaches and sparkling waters - beneath which, the curious whale shark can be found.
This varied whale shark internship offers volunteers the once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with whale sharks in their natural habitat, as well as gain valuable skills in both marine conservation and the tourism industry.
Whale sharks are the misunderstood gentle giants of the deep, and sadly they face many threats for which human activity is primarily responsible. As the largest fish in the world, whale sharks are hugely profitable to international markets for their meat, fins and oil. They are often involved with fatal boat collisions due to irresponsible whale shark tourism, or accidentally caught by fisherman targeting other fish. However, these filter feeders are a vital component of marine ecosystems, because the presence of whale sharks in an area reflects the overall health of our oceans!
As a whale shark intern, you will help tourists to view these magnificent creatures in the most responsible way, along with collecting valuable data to contribute to the Global Spot Pattern Identification Project. Additionally, you will take part in various community projects, from giving swimming lessons to the local children to participating in beach cleans!
The biggest fish on the planet needs your help, so what are you waiting for? Secure your whale shark internship today.
This exciting and varied programme provides a unique opportunity to interact with magnificent whale sharks whilst gaining valuable skills and experience in both marine conservation and the responsible tourism industry. During the project, you will get the opportunity to take part in the following:
You can join this project for 3 to 12 weeks and will be split into working groups to ensure variety and equal opportunity when carrying out tasks and joining activities. Please note that itineraries are subject to change.
To secure a place on this project a deposit of £195 is required at the time of booking, with the remaining balance due any time up to 60 days prior to your start date.
Select a duration below to see the project start dates. Please note that this project does run every day of the week; if your preferred date is not shown, please feel free to get in touch with our travel team and they will be more than happy to assist. It is possible to add extra nights to the durations shown if necessary!
This fantastic project supports important ongoing marine conservation efforts and hosts research projects in an effort to learn more about whale sharks. Recently, the project hosted a team of researchers affiliated with the King Abdul University (KAUST) and the University of Queensland, funded by the WWF, who were looking at oceanographic factors influencing the occurrence and distribution of whale sharks in the Mafia channel. In previous years, the project has supported other integral WWF-funded whale shark research around Mafia Island.
Through the volunteer programme, the project continues to contribute to the global spot-pattern photo identification project which seeks to map the migration of whale sharks. Their location can be added to a worldwide database, which can then be extrapolated and utilised to assess the health of the species within the area.
The project is also designed to help research aspects related to tourist behaviour surrounding these magnificent sharks, such as adherence to codes of conduct and understanding the behaviour of whale sharks during encounters with tourists and fishermen.
Whale sharks are a listed endangered species, and one of the most misunderstood gentle giants of the deep blue sea. They face threats from their habitat and humans, but you can make a difference! Volunteer in Mafia Island with The Great Projects and aid whale shark conservation today, to give these animals a chance to thive for years to come.
This Christmas, why not try a bit of spontaneity? Take a look at our last-minute volunteering trips and aid the conservation of endangered species!
The 30th of August is International Whale Shark Day - but did you know that this majestic species is now endangered? From unsustainable tourism practices to the ever-looming threat of bycatch, read on to learn about the greatest risks facing this beautiful marine mammoth - and find out how you can help to protect it.
Whilst on the project you will be staying at the Magemani Camp which is situated amongst the trees of an old coconut, mango and cashew nut plantation on Mafia Island’s western shore. Traditional thatched houses of different sizes make up the camp which are shared, same-sex dorms that house two people per room. All dorms are equipped with beds, pillows, linen and mosquito nets. In true 'bush style', the camp features dry, composting toilets and outside showers. Free Wi-Fi is also available for volunteers to use.
If you would like your own room in the dorms then you can do so for an additional fee of £20 per night. It is also possible to upgrade your accommodation whilst at the project to a private stilt house which is pictured here. The cost of this is £32 per night for solo travellers and £20 per person per night for couples. These prices are valid for the whole season except between December 20th and January 6th where the upgrade to stilt houses costs £64 per person for a solo traveller and £40 per person per night for a couple. This is dependant on availability so if you would like to upgrade your accommodation please check with us in advance.
Three meals of fresh local food are prepared here daily by local chefs, including a lot of fruit and seafood such as fish, octopus and squid. Chicken and beef are also often served, and for vegetarians, there is plenty on offer. You will also be provided with tea, coffee and according to your preference, bottled or filtered water. Any extra snacks or drinks other than what is mentioned are not provided but can be purchased at an additional cost.
To join this project, it is important that you are fit and healthy and are also a better than average swimmer. Before booking, you should understand that the in-water activities are physically demanding and, if you are deemed medically unfit, you may not be able to fully participate in the in-water activities and your in-water time may be restricted or, if necessary, totally curtailed.
You will also need to complete a short medical questionnaire and, if necessary, you may be required to obtain clearance from your doctor/physician.
Upon arrival, you will complete a swimming assessment to ensure you are able to take part in all aspects of the project and that you will be safe doing so. To fully participate you will be trained to do the following: pull yourself out of the water and onto the boat without assistance or ladder, swim alongside a whale shark for at least 10 minutes, assist others in the water if they are struggling, stay in the water for prolonged periods of time and free dive to 10 meters so that you can get below the whale sharks to check their sex. We therefore highly recommend improving your fitness and swimming abilities before arriving.
A dive qualification is not required for this project and almost all of the work is done whilst snorkelling and skin diving.
The vaccinations required will depend on the individual medical history of the volunteer. We recommend that you consult your GP regarding your own immunisation needs. In conjunction with this, we would recommend that you check Fit for Travel’s website. Note that malaria is an issue here and the entire coast of Tanzania is a high-risk area. Although the yellow fever vaccine is no longer required, it is likely you will be asked to have one on arrival anyway, so we advise volunteers to arrange this at home and bring the certification along with you. A basic medical questionnaire will be provided that must be completed before joining the project.
This project runs from October 1st through to March 15th as whale shark migration patterns direct them into the area during this time, so this is the only time of year that whale sharks can be spotted around Mafia Island.
October to December is usually the peak season for sightings and January and February are less ideal for seeing whale sharks as days of rough weather during these times can make it impossible to go out to sea. The sharks can then be difficult to spot for a few days, as following bad weather and choppy water conditions, they do not feed at the surface.
January and February, however, are the best months for scuba diving (with incredible visibility underwater) and so those extra days off are a great opportunity for going diving. We also have very favourable prices with Mafia Island Diving so a double dive with full equipment hire costs our volunteers just $70, instead of $130, and a PADI Open Water course costs just $420, instead of $580 (these prices are approximate and may change).
December 20th to January 6th is peak season and so more time is spent running whale shark tourism excursions.
You will need to arrive at Mafia Island on your chosen start date with most flights going via Dar Es Salaam.
To do this, we recommend arriving into Dar Es Salaam (DAR) the same day and then catching an internal flight to Mafia Island. We may be able to get you resident rate flights from Dar Es Salaam to Mafia Island and back at a cost of £75 each way. The timings for these flights are 9:00am to Mafia Island and coming back at 10:15am to Dar Es Salaam.
Please note - the internal flights depart from a different terminal (1.5kms away), so please allow at least 2-3 hours between the internal and international flights to get through security and make your connecting flight.
Alternatively, you can arrive the day before, stay overnight in Dar Es Salaam and catch the 9:00am flight. We cannot guarantee that there will be resident rate flights available; however there are later flights available with other airlines. Please enquire for more information.
If you would like help booking your flights, please visit our flights page and fill out the form. A member of our team will get back in touch as soon as possible with a suitable quote.
Most nationalities can purchase an ordinary tourist visa for $50 USD (though note that this is $100 USD for US citizens) on arrival into Tanzania. Visa applications will be available on your flight or at the arrivals terminal. Your visa will be valid for up to 3 months, though you will need to make sure that your passport has at least three pages spare. Note that on this project, you will be classified as an intern, so an ordinary tourist visa is all you will need to join. It is possible to purchase your visa prior to arrival, but please ensure to speak to a Tanzanian embassy in advance to check their application requirements/processing time.
Ideally, you should bring US dollars with you and exchange them for Tanzanian Shillings (TSH) once you have arrived into Dar Es Salaam. Always use a Bureau de Change (at the international terminal of the airport) when exchanging dollars. Do NOT exchange dollars on the street as you will most likely be thoroughly ripped off! Budget between $5 USD – $15 USD per day to allow for the occasional drink and any extra snacks you should wish to buy. For up to date exchange rates, please visit XE's website here - http://www.xe.com/.
This has made me want to change career paths and go into eco-tourism/conservation. I had an unbelievable time! Jean and Anne were fantastic and really took all of us interns as family. I learned so much from the daily lessons and from being around the other more experienced staff!
Matthew Arends, 2018
Helping tourists experience whale sharks was amazing, but also the learning opportunities for me personally, in diving, Swahili and biology, as well as the friends I made, are memories I'll take away with me forever. The organisers were wonderful; experience superb.
Alex Connor, 2018
The people there made the project a great experience. I would tell anyone to take a leap of faith and just go, even on your own as I did - it didn't matter who you were, how old you were, what colour or nationality you were - we all had the same aims and bonded as friends. I'll never forget my first day on the boat when, for reasons no-one understood, for that one day only we were surrounded by up to 50 whale sharks. It was just amazing!
Jacqueline Norton, 2018
Swimming with whales sharks was totally awesome. Leading boat trips was a dream come true. The camaraderie on camp was incredible; full of love and laughter. I can't wait to return!
Mandy Partridge, 2018
The whole trip was amazing...but if I had to choose my favorite part was when I saw my first whale shark. And of course the first time I swam with one. I think the itinerary was full and fascinating! I can't think of anything else I would add.
Alexandra Gibson, 2018
We got to spend over 30 mins in the water with two really chilled out whale sharks who kept circling around us. It was amazing to get that close and spend so much time with those amazing creatures! We were also lucky enough to spend an hour in the water with two curious wild dolphins - a completely unexpected bonus to one of our whale shark trips.
Janine Burrows, 2017
The team are the most inspirational people I have ever met. I was drawn to the project for the whale shark experience but found myself immersed in their community project teaching local girls to swim. I go so much more than I ever imagined.
Katrina Neal, 2016
This is a great organization and I was very impressed about how responsibly they conduct both tourism and research encounters with the whale sharks. My favourite moment has to be when swimming with the whale sharks with a double-rainbow in the background!
Madalena Reimao Pinto, 2016
If you have any questions about this project or would like help finding the perfect project for you then please feel free to give us a call or send us through your enquiry and we will be happy to help.
Nikita & team.
