GVI, Ethical Impact: Marine Conservation Volunteering

Student in master of ecology, I chose to do a 4 months internship with GVI and more precisely within their mission of conservation of dolphins and whales in Tenerife. From the preparation of my departure to my arrival on site, the GVI team was very professional. I immediately felt integrated and involved in the different missions thanks to the staff and other participants. In addition to working on a project that is close to your heart, you will also have the opportunity to meet other volunteers from all over the world which is a very enriching experience. I've only been here for two weeks but time flies and there are so many things to do and discover! I can't wait to see what the rest of my stay has in store for me!

I chose to participate in the Whale and Dolphin Conservation in Tenerife for 4 weeks with GVI during my Gap Year and will never forget the amazing memories I have made. The program included three boat trips a week and there was never a day where we didn't have a sighting. During my time here I have seen Pilot Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Common Dolphins, and Spotted Dolphins all in close proximity. On the other two weekdays we completed land surveys, in which we would spend time recording data on the different types of boats out at sea, and Beach or Park cleans, which were extremely rewarding when counting all the litter and calculating our total mass of litter collected. The staff were always accommodating and friendly to participants and ensured that everyone was included in group activities. Overall, I wish that I could have stayed a lot longer than 4 weeks as I thoroughly enjoyed everything about my time in Tenerife and made such amazing friends.

I did an internship at the GVI hub at Tenerife. It was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone! The work you get to do is very rewarding and incredibly interesting, and three times a week, you actually go out on the boat and look for marine mammals! Seeing all these whale and dolphin species is so special, and made me even more motivated to contribute to their conservation. We also spotted some turtles and I got to see some of the beautiful nature that the island of Tenerife holds. The team is very professional and always ready to teach you new skills, but also available to relax and have some fun with! The support that GVI provides you with beforehand and afterwards is also really nice, it really helps to prepare for your trip and make the transition as easy as possible. Would recommend this experience to anyone!

I was lucky enough to go on the Tenerife Marine Conservation project as a volunteer and couldn’t recommend it enough. Taking a gap year after school I wanted to make sure that I travelled, got some new experiences and contributed something. I came across GVI and was welcomed immediately, the level of support available to me was above my expectations especially since I had a few unfortunate experiences. With bags missing I got very close to the lovely participants there - sharing clothes on day 1! While I went along as a volunteer, as opposed to an intern, I still believe that I gained an immense amount of knowledge and experience doing things I never thought I would, and of course who could forget the amazing wildlife. This GVI program has definitely set me on an unexpected course that I will never forget and can’t wait to explore somewhere new soon! I think if I could choose I would have definitely stayed longer, while I experienced a lot in one month, I do feel like I missed out on exploring some things that I would have liked to. The accommodation was amazing, while you do share rooms with the other participants, it wasn’t too difficult to find some time alone or make a call if you wanted to.

I spent 2 weeks on the Whale and Dolphin Marine Conservation Program in Tenerife in the hope of making the most of my last summer before I start looking for a job. I had heard about the incredible experience my friends had had on their GVI programs, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my last summer of freedom than joining one of the conservation projects myself. It was the first time I had travelled abroad alone, and I was nervous as to how well I would cope being so far away from home. However, I couldn’t have felt more at home than I did. The staff were always available to talk to and help with any concerns I had. They also made sure everyone kept the base clean and tidy which, after living in student housing of varying cleanliness for the past few years, I was very grateful for. As for living with the other volunteers, everyone was so welcoming that within a few days I was already dreading the day I had to go home. One thing I did, however, wish was different was how repetitive the weekly schedule was. I think if I had stayed significantly longer, I would have really struggled with this. However, I am fully aware that to create the large, reliable datasets needed for the project, repetitive data collection is needed. Even with this, I LOVED my time at the GVI Canary Islands base and I am already considering joining another of the bases on one of the people-based projects.

I just spent 8 weeks on the GVI base on Tenerife, where I worked with protection of dolphins and whales
It was an amazing experience and I loved everything about it
I had an incredible time there and I learned so much
While on base I felt like I really made an impact and did something that made a change
I met so many amazing people and made so many new friends all over the world
I’m so glad I did this and I can’t wait to do it again in the future
I would recommend GVI to anyone who wanna do a difference and make an impact on the world
GVI is a very professional organization who takes care of their participants

I was an intern with GVI for 8 weeks on the Tenerife base in the Canary Islands. Overall, I had an incredible experience and I would recommend this program if you are interested in marine life and not a diver. I was supported by a wonderful and welcoming staff member during my time. The boat rides were a real highlight and I learnt really useful skills regarding data collection and input and also fin ID. It was great going out on the boats and recognising certain individuals from the nicks and scars on their fins! The marine biological researcher GVI partner with in Tenerife is incredible, she is full of so much knowledge and is a key element of the program. I am very grateful to have learnt from her and experienced such incredible marine biodiversity.

The base is still very new so I experienced a few teething problems and things could be improved but I am sure this will get better with time and improvements can be made. For example, I do feel like the actual project work could be bulked out more. Gaining more local partners associated with the work such as beach cleans, and expanding in terms of education and awareness would make it feel like volunteers and interns are having more impact and increase the work done on the project. There is also only a tiny difference between a volunteer and an intern - an intern does a few quizzes and presentations but everything else is the same. This is something to be looked into further as even I struggled with thinking of ways to differentiate the intern and volunteer workload/type!

I am really glad I chose this project and to intern with GVI. I have great memories and overall absolutely loved my experience! When the base gets more established, which will come with time, I think it will be a fab hub and a great place to learn and experience marine life and get involved with conservation!

Translation: Hello my name is Eugen!

I come from Germany and participated in the GVI nature conservation project. In detail it was the marine and coastal protection program in Pang Nga, Thailand. It was my first experience in the field of volunteering and I am very happy to have experienced it with the organization GVI. You have been given extensive instruction and I have participated in a variety of different activities.

I learned a lot about sustainability and how important it is to protect our planet.

We supported turtle breeding at the Thai Marine Base, recorded butterflies and birds in the wild, examined corals while snorkeling and planted seedlings of mangrove trees in the swamp.

I only participated for two weeks and therefore got a little insight into the work of GVI but can recommend the organization without any restrictions. The direct influence on the surrounding area, for example in the village of Baan Nam Krem where I worked, impressed me!