4 Week Research Program

We are currently offering positions for a select number of participants in 2023 on the following program dates:

4th June – 2nd July (Ending 9th July inc. safari)
2nd July – 30th July (Ending 6th August inc. safari)
6th August – 3rd September (Ending 10th September inc. safari)
3rd September – 1st October (Ending 8th October inc. safari)

Program Fee: £1995
Program Plus Safari Fee: £2995

PREREQUISITES

Applicants must be studying or have studied a relevant degree area. Please enquire at info@lovetheoceans.org if you’re unsure if your degree is relevant to marine conservation. Not qualified? Don’t worry, you can apply for our Conservation Adventure Program or our 2 week program.

Applicants must be +18 on the time of arrival. We’re busy developing an under 18s program at the moment. Watch this space!

Applicants must be at least PADI Open Water qualified. If you are not Open Water qualified, it is possible to come and do your Open Water the week before your program starts at an extra cost. Please email info@lovetheoceans.org for details.

It’s important to know where your money is going. For a full price breakdown please click here.

As a Love The Oceans Field Assistant you form an essential part of our team. During your program, you will be support the following activities:

Megafauna surveys
Fisheries research
Teaching and painting at the local schools
Coral reef surveys
Ocean Trash Research
Swimming Lessons

We highly recommend joining us for the week safari, making it a 5 week trip, since it is not too far away from Jangamo and is another incredible experience.

Our field assistants have Saturday mornings and Sundays to participate in optional extra activities such as surf lessons, boating trips or just relaxing on the beach. Saturday afternoons will be spent teaching the local school children how to swim.

After you have settled in, your program will start with an intense training week. We aim to ensure that everyone on the program has the same level of knowledge about LTO, the conservation work we do and your role and responsibilities as an LTO field assistant. In this week you’ll learn about your next month in Mozambique and we will get to know each other better, refresh diving skills and learn new skills as you come up to speed with the research requirements.

Conservation science is very complex so at Love The Oceans we aim to provide you with the basic knowledge and skills to allow you to go on to develop your own projects and continue with Conservation Science. You will participate in a series of educational lectures led by our marine biologists during your first week with us, based around our specific areas of research and community outreach. Want to use our data for your dissertation? No problem. Find out how here.

Toward the end of training week you will be placed into a team and will rotate around the following key activities:

FISHERIES

Supporting fisheries research will help us to assess how sustainable the fisheries are. From these assessments, we hope to determine minimum landing size for individual species, as well as changing certain fishing legislation.

Every day on fisheries you will support recording of the data into the logs along with the corresponding images (check shark and ray IDs with a field specialist if unsure), and ensure equipment is cleaned and stored.

TEACHING AND PAINTING

Educating the next generation of fishermen in schools about sustainable fishing and why the ocean is important helps the local community protect their biodiversity assets – assets because of ecotourism and fisheries.

As part of your field assistant role, you will help at Guinjata and Paindane School Monday-Friday. You will be teaching 10-13 year olds about the marine environment, as well as painting classrooms which are in much need of some TLC. You will not be partaking in construction work as we prefer to employ local builders and put money back into the local economy.

Surprisingly few local children are confident in the water. Part of our commitment to the local community is teaching the school children how to swim, helping to fuel their passion for the marine environment with a view to them one day being able to experience the underwater world for themselves.

We also teach sea safety in our lessons. This is very important as children drowning is not uncommon in this area due to a strong rip and lack of awareness. You can help teach the children (and some adults) how to swim on Saturday afternoons.

We ask for our volunteers to bring out 5kg of donations (books or stationery) for the children as well as any marine themed toys.

CORAL REEF SURVEYS

LTO supports coral reef data collection in order to lobby for a marine protected area which could enhance eco-tourism, bringing more money into the region and an alternate income to unsustainable fishing. We strongly believe we’re in a biodiversity hotspot and we need coral reef data to prove our area is worth protecting.

You will be diving and snorkelling to help with surveys. You will identify different fish and coral species you see on each dive, log them afterward. These dives require confident divers with good buoyancy. PADI Open Water is a prerequisite for our programs.

MEGAFAUNA SURVEYS

Humpback whales typically migrate through Mozambique between June and November. LTO supports data collection on these magnificent creatures, looking at surface behaviour and pod formation, never before studied in our area. We also collect photographic IDs of whale sharks and manta rays, which reside year-round through the bay.

As part of LTO’s team, you will be armed with a camera, binoculars and survey sheets in order to record sightings of humpback whales and any other megafauna that passes through. You will also help deploy hydrophones so we can support vocalisation data collection on humpback whales.

You’ll be going out on the dive boat with the divers but will remain on the boat while the other field assistants dive, in order for you to survey the whales.

Ocean Trash

Unfortunately plastic pollution is a human-induced problem the world over. Mozambique is no different. We’re on the edge of the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch which spans approximately 5 million kilometres squared and is made up of a huge range of trash, from sludge, to plastics, to glass. One of the most efficient and easiest way to remove trash from the ocean is through beach cleans.

We’ve committed to doing at least 2 beach cleans a week and weighing and logging what we collect to work out if it is international or local trash and what we can do to reduce this pollution.

After we have collected the trash off the beaches, we process it – wash, cut & dry it – and then we pack it into what we call eco-bricks. Our eco-bricks are 2L drinks bottles thrown out by resorts here, which we pack tightly with beach clean trash. these eco-bricks are then used in construction at the local schools as part of our projects.

SWIMMING LESSONS

Surprisingly few local children are confident in the water. Part of our commitment to the local community is teaching local children swimming on Saturday afternoons.

We do this to improve water safety skills in the community, with the aim of igniting passion for the marine environment in the younger generations. Learning to swim opens up the door to a range of other activities for this generation. We hope for a future where the local community both want, and are able to, experience the underwater world for themselves.

On Saturday afternoons, under the supervision of an STA qualified instructor you’ll help teach swimming to local kids as part of your program.

SAFARI (OPTIONAL)

After 4 weeks in Jangamo Bay, you have the option to go on safari in South Africa and explore the stunning Balule Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger Ecosystem with our amazing ethical partners Campfire Academy. We LOVE it here. All accommodation, meals (B/L/D) and overland transport to the safari lodge and onto Johannesburg airport is included, but the drinks are on you!

This is one of the best spots for spotting the Big 5 our team have ever come across, with one of the most ethical operators in Southern Africa. You will be taken on game drives, bush walks, and participate in ecology, conservation management and sustainable tourism lectures and walks – all with a very experienced field guide. You’ll learn how to track animals and pick up trails. You’ll have a sleep-out under the stars in the bush. You’ll learn what it’s like to be a ranger from experienced professionals. You’ll also be helping out with the Hoedspruit Animal Outreach project.

There will be a scenic tour through the Drakensburg Mountains, by car or boat, to see the iconic God’s Window, the Three Sisters and the spectacular Bourke’s Luck Potholes. When it’s time to say good-bye, you will be transported to Johannesburg Airport to arrive Sunday evening.

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

There are optional weekend excursions you can participate in. They are not compulsory but have proved great fun in the past. These activities need to be paid for separately in cash in Mozambique.

Boat Trip – We sail the Inhambane estuary on a boat, with the chance to snorkel a few intertidal islands.
Surf Trip – A day trip to Tofo (the tourist hub) for a fun surf lesson and shop around their market.
Diving Courses – PADI scuba diving courses are available at Jay’s Pro Dive Centre, from open water to rescue. If you’d like to do your PADI Dive Master click here.
Ocean Safaris – Local dive centres offer various Ocean Safari tours where you can search for whale sharks and whales from the boat in an afternoon.

We stay on the stunning beach in Jangamo, on the side of the Indian Ocean. Our accommodation is rustic and rooms will hold a maximum of 4 people (genders will be separated). Running water, hot water and electricity is available at all times… with the exception of a few power cuts! Mosquito nets are provided.

Your program is fully catered, however you may want to bring money for internet, drinks and treats. Bring an network unlocked mobile phone with you in order to buy a local sim for internet as there is no wifi available. The local shop is a short walk away and holds a few western treasures.

For more information, enquire below, email info@lovetheoceans.org or check out our FAQs page.

After I’ve been on a program, what other opportunities are there for me with Love The Oceans?

After you join us on one of our programs, there are plenty of on-going opportunities to stay involved in the organisation and utilise our connections to get a leg up in your career.

You’ll have the opportunity to apply for our Internship scheme which involves coming out to Mozambique with your in-country expenses covered. Our internship is only open to past volunteers and you can do this while still at university.

Once you have graduated you can apply for a seasonal staff role with us. We look kindly on applications from past program participants because we have got to know you as a field assistant in Mozambique and you’ll know how things run. You will start off in a seasonal role and this could move into something more long-term in Mozambique or the UK.

You’ll also be part of our alumni network. That means you’ll have access to our connections, events, and other internships we know other NGOs are offering. You’ll be able to utilise our extensive network within the industry. If you’ve volunteered with us in the past and we think you’d fit a role, we’ll happily put you forward.

During your time on program you will also receive a performance review. This will form the basis for your job reference, which we will be happy to provide a future employer with on request, if you wish.