Volunteer to help with conservation efforts of African penguins and other marine birds at a sanctuary in South Africa! This sanctuary in Port Elizabeth takes in sick and injured African penguins and other marine birds in need of rehabilitation. This organization is an internationally recognised leader in oiled wildlife response, rehabilitation and chick-rearing.
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum four-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Monday: Arrive at Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ). You will be picked up by the local team and taken to settle in to the accommodations. If there is time, volunteers will embark on a city tour of Port Elizabeth. Volunteers will receive an introduction before dinner.
Days 1-3, Tuesday-Thursday: Rewarding volunteer work. Volunteers will work at the sanctuary 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Volunteers on this project will be involved in an array of tasks, from direct care of the animals to assisting with daily tasks around the sanctuary itself. Volunteers may be involved in office work, such as administrative tasks; physical tasks such as cleaning and feeding the animals and even hospitality work, such as assisting with group tours and educating visitors.
Day 4, Friday: Volunteers will work in the morning, and have the afternoon free.
Days 5-6, Saturday-Sunday: This project runs 7 days a week and volunteers are expected to be available on weekends. Here, they will have 2 days off during the week instead of the weekend.
Remaining Weeks: It’s important to note that the recommended duration for this program is 6 weeks so you can get involved in all aspects of the program and rehabilitation center. The volunteer training program is very structured with the first 2-3 weeks primarily focused on training and working within the facility, and the weeks after that designed to slowly introduce volunteers to working more closely with the penguins. The longer you stay, the more hands on the work will become.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses
This project takes place in Port Elizabeth, which is on the Eastern Cape of South Africa on Algoa Bay. This port city is filled with historical landmarks, bustling beaches and excitement. There are hilltop parks to hike through, museum to wander in and plenty of water sports to be enjoyed while here. Dolphins, whales and other marine life can often be spotted just off the shore.
The Algoa Bay area is home to 20,000 of the remaining 25,000 breeding pairs of African penguins left in the world. Climate change and boat tourism are threatening the African penguins. The oil spills from boats and changing water temperatures and currents have put this species at risk, which is why this organization was created and built the sanctuary. The sanctuary needs the help of volunteers to care for the injured marine birds that have washed onto the shore of Algoa Bay in order to conserve the population.
Volunteers will work at the sanctuary 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. Volunteers on this project will be involved in an array of tasks, from direct care of the animals to assisting with daily tasks around the sanctuary itself. Volunteers may be involved in office work, such as administrative tasks; physical tasks such as cleaning and feeding the animals and even hospitality work, such as assisting with group tours and educating visitors.
Some of your tasks may include:
A typical week: Volunteers will work Monday – Thursday from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Volunteer work ends at noon on Fridays, and volunteers may take part in a group excursion. Excursions are usually free, but there is no obligation to take part. Volunteers have weekends free to spend as they wish.
There will be variety in the dinners, since all the volunteers have different preferences and will be expected to cook as well. We can accommodate as well vegan requirements or food allergies.
Weekends are free for volunteers to spend as they wish. Aside from the weekly Friday excursions, volunteers venture around the area as they please, at their own expense. A few suggested travel highlights can be found below:
Addo Elephant National Park
This park is home to thousands of free-roaming elephants, lions and black rhinos and offers games drives, horse trails, four-by-four trails and marine eco trails.
Tsitsikamma National Park
This park is a famous destination, part of the larger Garden Route National Park. There is a marine reserve, a bird sanctuary and plenty of trails to explore.
Bayworld Museum
This established museum contains an oceanarium, snake park and displays that includes a dinosaur section, promising to keep our animal enthusiasts entertained for a while during free time!
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
For the artsy volunteer, there is the art gallery named after Nelson Mandela, which should not be missed!
Click to see additional volunteering projects in South Africa
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