"One of the best experiences of my life"
Stefan
I did the marine biology internship for 4 months and it was easily one of the best experiences of my life. Thanks to the great variety of included activities, I got to learn an incredible amount about both marine biology and ecology as well as the day-to-day life of working in a dive center.
The theoretical lessons and workshops in the classroom are very well complemented by the many dives included in the program, during which you not only practise underwater sampling and research methods, but also get to explore the beautiful biodiversity found off the coasts of Tenerife and see everything mentioned in the classroom with your own eyes. All this gives you an excellent insight into what working in the field of marine biology feels like, from building underwater matrices for data collection all the way to analysing the acquired data and using it to write your very own scientific manuscript.
In addition, the internship also offers very many ways for you to improve your scuba diving and take your skills to the next level. I personally started out never having dived before. During my 4 months I got the chance to constantly improve and evolve, and even to perform tasks that you would normally expect to do as a Divemaster.
I was constantly impressed with the professionalism and immense dedication of Alice and Beltran. They were always more than lovely and made great efforts the entire time to ensure that all of the participants were learning more and more and having as good of an experience as possible.
"One of the most valuable and fun experiences of my life"
Fionn Dowling
I did the marine biology internship for 2 months and it was definitely one of the most valuable and fun experiences of my life. The instructors, Alice and Beltrán, are very helpful and friendly and have so much knowledge to share.
If you are considering studying marine biology or would just like to expand your knowledge in the subject, then this course is perfect. All of the dive equipment in the centre is in great condition and maintained very well and the centre itself is extremely clean with everything you can possibly need while you’re there.
While I was on the internship, I had the chance to do 30 dives in a variety of locations and diving with a marine biologist gave me a unique opportunity to learn far more than I ever could’ve in the water. I can’t wait to visit again for more dives, 10/10 for everything, could not be better!
"My experience was exceptional"
Laida Las Heras
My experience was exceptional. I made a marine biology internship for 4 weeks and I wanted more time. Alice and Beltrán created a very welcoming and professional environment at the same time. They are available at any time to help us with whatever we need. Their passion and knowledge in marine biology shared every day was an enriching life. I recommend this underwater center 100% because it offers a unique opportunity to learn and enjoy the underwater world. In addition to the attention, the team is new and very well looked after, which is why it offers an extraordinary performance in all our dives.
"It was unforgettable"
Nathalie Legendre
Starting this experience from scratch, I had no prior experience with diving. I completed the Open Water course with Beltran, who was patient and always willing to answer all my questions. I felt safe with him, and in my opinion, that’s the most important thing when it comes to diving.
I also finished the marine biology internship with Alice and it was unforgettable. I needed to build my confidence, and Alice was very kind and understanding whenever I felt overwhelmed by the pace of work underwater. I also greatly appreciated the well-prepared materials and presentations during the marine biology classes. The lessons and Alice’s knowledge were very valuable for my future.
I had the opportunity to explore much of the underwater world in Tenerife. For example, you can see turtles in Abades or a lot of stingrays in El bufadero. Overall, the internship program was perfectly organized, providing an enriching education in diving and marine biology.
"I am very grateful to have gained this experience"
Shirin Kuebler
As I had never been diving before my internship, I arrived a little earlier to get my diving license in the days before. I was able to do this directly at the diving school, where I also did my internship afterwards.
From the very beginning, I noticed how much importance the owners of the diving school placed on safety – both for the divers themselves and for the marine life under water. I was very happy and grateful about this, as I had unfortunately already heard about various negative experiences at other diving schools.
The owner of the diving school, Alice, is herself a marine biologist. I was able to build on my previous zoological knowledge and deepen it, especially underwater, when we were supposed to actively identify the individual organisms. We also exchanged ideas about writing a scientific paper and about common statistical methods for data analysis in ecology. This also enabled me to supplement my existing basic knowledge.
The internship consisted of various other dives: we went diving twice at night to observe nocturnal organisms. We also collected garbage from the ocean on so-called “Dives against Debris”, which we then documented on the PADI Aware website and disposed of separately. I really enjoyed that, even though it is always sad to see the underwater world so polluted.
I quickly became friends with the other interns and we went on many trips together outside of the internship.
All in all, I would recommend this internship to anyone who is interested in marine biology, as it offers a great balance to the university environment of the course. I am very grateful to have gained additional experience in the field of marine biology through this opportunity.
I hope I can come back soon to complete my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver 🙂
"Truly an unforgettable experience"
Alma Madita Sommer
I spent a whole month at the project, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Not only did I gain a lot of practical diving skills and knowledge, but I also made some amazing friends along the way.
I learnt so much about the beautiful underwater world. Alice is truly an amazing marine biologist with so much knowledge to share. I learnt so many practical techniques for sampling and assessing marine life underwater. After the internship, I did my Advanced Open Water certification with Alice and Beltran. I had so much fun and felt comfortable on every dive.
The underwater world we explored was breathtaking and every dive offered something new and beautiful to see. I highly recommend this diving school to anyone, whether you’re a beginner or looking to improve your skills. It’s a perfect combination of learning, adventure, and fun! I can’t wait to come back!
"The internship has been amazing"
Bethany Severn - June 2024
The internship has been amazing. I have felt safe and supported throughout and learned so much. Alice is brilliant at what she does and it has been a pleasure to intern with her. I am considering coming back to the project in the future, maybe to work towards more advanced diving certifications.
"What I liked most about the internship was seeing the theory in practice."
Evy Nieuwstraten
For me, this internship was my first internship abroad. At the beginning, I was a little nervous. I didn’t really know what to expect and how I would like things. But as soon as I met Alice and Beltran, the founders of the project, that tension was gone right away. Both are very sweet and helpful people. I learned a lot about ocean life, doing research and diving during my internship. Alice is a marine biologist and knows all about the marine ecosystem and the organisms living in the oceans. Beltran taught me how to dive in a very pleasant and safe way.
What I liked most about the internship was seeing the theory in practice. Alice told us all kinds of things about organisms living underwater one day and the next day we went diving and could see those same organisms with our own eyes. I find this a very pleasant way to learn new things. I also found the diving to be especially memorable. I learned to dive in a special and educational way where you learn new things by trying them.
At the time I was doing the internship, there were two other girls also doing the same internship. I found it super fun to live with multiple interns, learn new things together, and explore the island together in our spare time.
I would definitely recommend this internship. It was an experience to never forget where I learned a lot of new things. Plus, this is also a good way to find out if marine biology really interests you. Even if you have yet to learn how to dive and really want to, I would certainly recommend this internship.
"I absolutely loved the internship, I loved the area and just every aspect of the program."
Kate Sandoval
One of the things I appreciated most was the variety of learning styles Alice incorporated in the teaching. There was a combination of Visual, Kinesthetic, writing and reading. I am someone who learns Kinesthetically and lots of the things we did with Alice such as diving for the purpose of pointing out subjects we learned, or collecting samples and observing through microscopes was super helpful for my progress throughout the internship. One other helpful aspect was the manuscripts, this really opened my eyes to the reality of Marine Biology, that it isn’t going to be all hands on, there is research involved and an order for that research.
I would recommend this internship for those already having decided the route of Marine Biology. Either having declared it their major or have a resolute decision of pursuing Marine Biology further. The way the program is structured, if the interns are already advanced then it might seem a repetitive for them. For example: Alice began with the principles of Marine Biology, taxonomy, naming, identification and from there the courses got more rigorous, which was very helpful for one student with us who had no previous knowledge of Marine biology. I was slightly more advanced and had gone through many of these classes beforehand but I still enjoyed the refresher as it had been a while. One other student with us was working towards her master thesis and therefore felt that these classes were redundant for her, though she enjoyed the dives. In one group we had a beginner, intermediate and advanced, so I know it must have been hard for Alice to try and cater to all of us who were at different levels.
The project crew were great teachers and really helped me as a beginner in diving get accustomed to this new environment. I was super comfortable with all their gear and even ended up buying some of my own later on. The dives had to be my favorite part of it all. Some tips for interns who are already divers: if you are certified with SSI or a different divers organization you must get recertified with PADI. This was something I didn’t know coming in.
Another general tip is to expect a classroom setting. I think my expectations of the program was going to be more like a job rather than a teacher student, but I was totally fine with that.
I absolutely loved the internship, I loved the area and just every aspect of the program. I know that every intern coming on to the program will not be disappointed.
