Dolphin & Whale Research Volunteer Project, Portugal

The time spent in Portugal during my Dolphin and Whale Research Project internship was the best and most fruitful experience I’ve had so far. The team is absolutely wonderful. The only regret that I have is that I’ve stayed for only 2 weeks.

I attended the Dolphin research project, in Portugal for a week from the 14th of August. The supervisors and other interns that we stayed and worked with were really nice and the food was amazing. My favourite part of the week was seeing the different species of dolphins and occasionally a shark. One day we travelled 2 hours on Ketos (research vessel) to the canyon where we saw around 200 bottlenose dolphins, with quite a few boat surfing alongside us. By the end of the week: I loved being able to identify the different species we saw and identifying them by their fins and monitoring their activities and so on. The local town had very welcoming residents and was great for a night out. I would definitely recommend this project to anyone considering applying in the future!

It was a great experience, and I met some amazing people whilst I was away. I would totally recommend WorkingAbroad as it is a great way to get out of your comfort zone, just like I did and I’m sure you will love it!

I had a great experience joining the Dolphin and Whale Research Project in Albufeira, Portugal. I learned so much about marine field research, the different whale and dolphin species and their behaviours, anthropogenic threats, and local and global conservation efforts. The program staff were all extremely knowledgeable and their passion was contagious, it was really wonderful to be around like-minded individuals. Most importantly, being able to experience the pods of dolphins and whales in the wild so intimately was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was also really exciting to be able to live in Portugal, become immersed in the local culture, and have the time to explore beautiful beaches and the region on days off.

“I had an amazing time in Portugal. We did see a lot of dolphins up until I left, and orcas once, but no whales sadly.

I really enjoyed these two weeks, working so closely with dolphins has been a dream come true, they are beautiful animals. The team was amazing, all the researchers are very kind and helpful with so much knowledge on dolphins and whales, I learned a lot from them. I definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in marine life and research!

Thank you for this opportunity”

I had an absolutely incredible time for the week I was on this programme in August. The people were lovely and the atmosphere was so welcoming. The whole project was very well organised and everything was to a high standard, from all the food to the lectures in the afternoons. I learnt so much in just one week and was able to get really involved in the collection and entering of the data. I highly recommend this to any volunteer who wants to learn more about marine mammals whilst also having a good time!

We were everyday about 6 hours on field. I have learned so much of Andre and the other marine biologists. The house where we stayed is cute with wonderful plants and trees around. Andre is best cook ever and love his food. His dog scuba is the friendliest I have ever met.

What I admire about him is that clearly the work he does is a matter of heart and it shows in all he does. He is very kind and good with people. I did have a hard time leaving and did burst in tears cause I did not wanna leave. Such an environment is amazing. The very fact to be with so many people, who know so much more than me is a blessing. There is nothing to improve. I just kinda wish I had more time.

I had a great time on the program. The people were really nice and the atmosphere was a welcoming one. The work we have done was something that I would like to repeat, because I think it was a interesting and I learned a lot from it.

Volunteering with the Dolphin & Whale Research Project in Portugal was just amazing. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more and get closer to marine mammals – because you really get close you can just hear the whisper. During my time with the project, I saw different species – and even unexpectedly my favourite animal the Orca!

Every day was a new surprise and it was fun to work on Ketos with the team. You get involved in all the field work and that’s very interesting. Also the trips we did with the dolphin watching companies were a great experience. Furthermore I have to tell that team were amazing too. They have a lot of knowledge and I could ask them whatever I wanted. Furthermore they really taking care about the interns and did everything possible to make us happy.

It was a great experience with the Dolphin & Whale Research Project – just loved it… and I think I will come back in 2020 for a little bit longer! 🙂

I was mainly involved in recording and entering data about the sea conditions (temperature, depth, wind direction etc.) and taking photos of the dolphins in order to examine their behaviour changes when a drone approaches, as well as for photo identification.

The project had very caring and thoughtful staff, and it was flexible to plan your own schedule at the weekend. It was also great to expand my marine knowledge during the project.

The accommodation was of a high standard, with a large bed, and there was a wide range of food choices.

I was involved in a lot of activities at the project. On the RHIB, I helped to collect data about cetaceans, note down information, take photos that could later be used for photo ID and measuring the visibility of the water. I also went on commercial tourist boats to collect data. Back at the house, I attended lectures about taxonomy, laws, behaviour etc., helped transfer collected data onto a spreadsheet and sorted/used photos for identification.

I would say that the project organised everything really well. My trip was really easy to organise and everything I needed to know was in the information pack I received after subscription.

It was an experience of a lifetime, everyone was so friendly, making the learning environment really positive. It just felt like home away from home, where you could meet people with the same interests as you/who are like-minded. You learn so much that you wouldn’t be able to learn elsewhere

The standard of everything was really high, especially the food. The house was really nice with a lot of communal space where you could relax and get to know other volunteers, as well as your own private space in your bedroom. Loads of different dishes were made and volunteers help to prepare meals, clean up, wash up etc. All food allergies/diet requirements were also kindly accommodated to.

I would most definitely recommend this project to other volunteers.