Dolphin Conservation Internship

I had a lovely time interning at Khmer Ocean Life. I stayed for one month during the summer and participated in boat surveys (data collection), data organization & management, photo identification, community conservation engagement, and also helped clean a dolphin skeleton! KOL staff also ran a series of trainings to make sure I knew how to conduct boat surveys and organize data, but also included other trainings on grant writing/development and Cambodia. All of the staff and interns at KOL are pretty young and extremely passionate, so it made for a really fun work environment.

KOL is located in Kampot which is a small but lively town that was great to live in for a month; there are a lot of food options and things to do. The accommodation is a lot better than other comparable volunteer opportunities in my opinion. You live in a building that includes the volunteer dorms, some full-time staff rooms, and the KOL office space. The dorms have AC and ensuite bathrooms which was great, and the building has a kitchen and rooftop.

This was a life-changing experience that I would recommend to anyone, not just to those already on the field. If you don't know anything about marine life and conservation, you will learn a lot here. If you already know, you can focus on your own studies using the knowledge and support provided by this internship! It has been really fun and tiring (in a good way, as I am always doing something nice and growing). There are a lot of things to learn and discover about everything; such as the new people you will meet, the local culture and communities and of course, marine conservation!