Marine Mammal Research and Conservation

My time at Archipelagos was pretty amazing. I was on the marine mammal team and had the opportunity to go on quite a few boat trips which were fantastic. I learned more about data collection and surveys as well as about various aspects and projects that go along with marine conservation. The main projects I worked on were fish identification and dolphin behaviour. Both of these along with the other projects I helped out with allowed me to gain valuable experiences doing field work. I was also part of the stranding and response team which meant I got to help out with necropsies of dolphins and gastrointestinal analyses of dolphins, monk seals and turtles which were extremely interesting. Most of all I made friends from all over the world with my fellow interns and had extremely helpful supervisors. I would suggest Archipelagos for people who want to gain a further understanding in various aspects and projects surrounding conservation and people that are writing a thesis.

When I came to Archipelagos I was expecting nothing specific. In the end, it became one of the best experiences in my life so far. I was planning to collect the data for my master thesis at Archi, so I had a fixed project before I arrived. I would recommend everyone to have at least an idea about what you want to do before you arrive. In Archipelagos, a lot of interns from all over the world come together and everyone has their own little project. That means that you have to work on your project independent and you have to do your work- no one will come and do your work for you or give you ideas! Of course, when you need help or need a supervisor you get the help, either by a supervisor or by one of the interns. I can imagine that for people who never worked independently before it could be hard in the beginning. But it is a great exercise for your job in the future.
Besides working, you also have the living. I have to admit that in the beginning, I was a little surprised. First of all, you have no privacy. I got used to that pretty quick and after a month I loved the fact that there are always people around me.
The interns and supervisors are amazing. They became my family! You spend every day with them and on the weekends you rent a car to see the island or go to the beach together. Another thing you need to get used to is the fact that you do not live in a hotel. There is no Luxus and things get broken when so many people live together. But they always try to do their best to fix it as soon as possible. Due to the fact that so many people work on so many projects sometimes, it gets a little chaotic but I think that's normal.
In the end, my conclusion about my stay is that for me it was one of the best experiences so far. I met amazing people and learned so many things about the sea, marine mammals and conservation. I would recommend it to everyone who I capable to work independently and who wants to meet amazing people!

I interned at Archipelagos to collect data for my masters thesis and it was such an unforgettable experience. The supervisors were amazing and supported me throughout (consistently answering my emails and providing help and advise even after I have left!). It was incredible to meet people from all over the world who shared the same love for marine mammals and the same drive to carry out research to protect the marine environment! Being able to go on boat surveys are carry out conservation in the field was INSANE! The team were so focused and boat surveys were always a success! It was a great opportunity to not only collect data for my degree (which the team were really eager to help any way they could) but was great to get some experience in the field of marine mammal conservation. Would love to go back!