Marine Conservation & Dolphin
Research Internship
Jambiani, Zanzibar
May – Oct
4 Weeks+
18 years
$2,575
Join the marine research team in Zanzibar
This internship places you inside the marine research team at our Jambiani base, working in the Menai Bay Conservation Area. As an intern, you’ll become part of the team: taking responsibility for data collection, helping to keep the long-term dataset accurate, and contributing to the reporting that comes out of it. Our dolphin monitoring in the area has run since 2007, and your work feeds directly into it. It’s an opportunity to get field experience, boost your resume, and develop your skills.
You’ll spend several mornings a week on the water monitoring dolphins and recording how boats and tourists affect them, then spend time on land entering, checking, and analyzing what you’ve collected. Alongside the fieldwork, you’ll work with local boat operators and community groups, and help guide the volunteers who join the project. It suits students and early-career researchers who want hands-on experience of marine research and conservation in practice.
Project Highlights
Take On A Defined Research Role
Work to set monitoring protocols and take responsibility for your own data.
Spend Your Days Out On The Water
Monitor dolphin pods, boat traffic, and tourist interactions in Menai Bay.
Work With A Professional Marine Team
Learn from local marine scientists and contribute to ongoing research.
Build Experience For Your Career
Gain practical field skills and hands-on experience in marine research.
Most mornings begin on the water. You’ll head out by boat into the Menai Bay Conservation Area to help locate and observe dolphin pods. Working with professional and local marine scientists, you’ll record pod size, behavior, movement patterns, and interactions with tourist boats. This data is used to understand how dolphin populations respond to tourism pressure and informs guidelines for more ethical dolphin-watching practices. Over time, your contributions help build a clearer picture of population health and human impact. You’ll also learn how to identify different dolphin behaviors, understand stress indicators, and follow strict protocols designed to minimize disturbance.
U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Life Below Water | Responsible Consumption & Production
Beyond the dolphin work, you’ll join snorkeling surveys of coral reefs and seagrass beds, recording species presence, reef condition, and signs of damage or recovery, and visit the local fish market to record the species being caught, their size and weight, and market prices. You’ll learn to collect consistent, usable data in the field and to follow the same methods each time, which is what makes a long-term dataset valuable.
No prior snorkeling or research experience is required. Training is provided, and surveys are adapted to conditions and group ability.
U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Life Below Water | Responsible Consumption & Production
Interns take a larger share of the work that happens back on land. You’ll enter field data into our online database, check it for errors, review findings with the team, and help prepare the weekly and project reports. This is where field observations become usable information, and it’s a chance to see how a research project is run from collection through to reporting.
U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Life Below Water | Responsible Consumption & Production
Tourism is a major part of Zanzibar’s economy, and this project works closely with local boat operators to promote responsible practices. You’ll help run educational sessions and conversations about dolphin-friendly guidelines, including approach distances, boat speeds, and time spent with pods. You’ll also plan and deliver the weekly Conservation Club lesson at a local school, covering marine ecosystems, sustainability, and responsible tourism, and take part in community initiatives such as beach cleanups.
U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Life Below Water | Responsible Consumption & Production
As an intern, you’ll be part of the team that makes the project work week to week. You’ll help new volunteers learn the data sheets and survey methods, support the weekly planning meeting, and help prepare materials for the Conservation Club and community projects. It’s a chance to build practical experience in training, communication, and team coordination alongside your research skills.
What you’ll take home
This internship is designed for people who want practical, professional-level experience in marine research and conservation. It suits students and recent graduates in marine biology, marine conservation, environmental science, zoology, or a related field, as well as career changers moving into conservation. You don’t need prior experience with dolphin research. You’ll need curiosity, reliability, comfort working on boats and in the water, and a willingness to take responsibility for careful, consistent work.
Along The Way, You’ll Build Skills And Perspectives That
Stay With You Long After You Leave:
Example Weekly Schedule
Monday
Breakfast
Accomodation
Fees cover accommodation, meals, project costs, transfers, support, and in-country orientation.
The minimum age to join this project is 18 years old
The minimum stay for this project is 2 weeks
Participants must be able to swim, participation will be subject to a swim test on arrival
Flights & Arrivals
Fly in to Abeid Amani Karume (Zanzibar) International Airport (ZNZ) on your start date – always a Monday. We offer two convenient transfers – a morning transfer at 11am and an evening transfer at 5pm. Look for the African Impact sign, and our friendly team will be there to greet you with a warm welcome! Your pre-departure pack will contain important contact numbers of our team in Zanzibar should you need to get hold of them directly.
Our favorite weekend activities in Zanzibar
Explore the vibrant markets and restaurants around the island on weekends. From forest walks to kitesurfing and spice markets, make the most of your free weekend time while in Zanzibar!
Tour a Zanzibar spice farm and discover how local spices are grown and produced, learning their traditions and aromas while sampling fresh flavors straight from the source.
Explore a vibrant city where Arabic, Indian, and Zanzibari influences blend seamlessly, creating a rich cultural atmosphere reflected in its architecture, flavors, and daily life.
Project FAQs
Interns and volunteers work side by side, but the internship asks more of you and gives you more in return. Interns stay longer, take a defined role in the research team, take more responsibility for data collection, checking, and reporting, and help guide volunteers. You’ll work more closely with our marine staff and receive more structured supervision and feedback.
You don’t need experience with dolphin research. Most interns are studying or have recently studied a relevant subject, and you’ll receive a full induction and training in our survey methods from the marine team. What matters most is reliability, careful attention to detail, and enthusiasm for fieldwork.
You don’t need to be a certified diver. You do need to be able to swim, and participation is subject to a swim test on arrival. Reef surveys are done by snorkeling, no prior snorkeling experience is required, and training is provided.
We provide pre-departure training, on-site support, and guidance on safety, language, and cultural differences, so you’ll know what to expect. You’ll be supported by our Jambiani team from the moment you arrive.
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