Description

Climb into the cage and observe Great White Sharks up close. The momentum continues as we witness the whales of Hermanas: Southern Right Whales, Brydes and Humpbacks are common sightings. Travel to the Indian Ocean for the Great Sardine Run. Then head to Siyafunda, a wildlife reserve and research station, where we partake in daily game drives teaching us all about tracking and how game reserves function. Stimulating lectures include: "An Overview of Predators in South Africa", "Introduction to Conservation", "Perception of Sharks", and more. Stuff you get to see firsthand.

Day 1-4
Arrive in Cape Town to meet the rest of the group. The thrills begin before you even have a chance to catch your breath. Table Mountain, which overlooks this stunning city, sits waiting to be hiked up by you. Good. Now you're ready to set off on your ultimate predator experience. In daily lectures, cover the history of South Africa as well as the biology, behavior, natural history, and ecology of South African Wildlife. Water-based predators are first on the agenda. Those that are scuba certified can get in the water with Seven Gill Sharks. This is the only known place in the world where these sharks come up to 30-feet to hang out in the kelp forests. We take a brief interlude to hunt for African penguins at the African Penguin Colony next to our dive site. Then move on to nearby Simon's Town and embark on a Great White Shark adventure. 22 days to go.

Day 5-7
In our daily lectures we learn about marine mammals, migrations, ranging behavior and social hunting behavior. Lectures provide context for what we're about to see in the real world. On these days, it's some of the world's largest predators: the whales of Hermanus. Look out for Southern Right Whales, Brydes Whales or even Humpbacks. Ready to enter the shark cage? Thought so. Climb and in and prepare to come face to face with one of the world's most feared hunters -- the Great White. Not long after we descend into shark-infested waters, we quickly discover that these creatures not mindless killers, but beautiful animals worth studying and observing.

Day 8-10
Dry land. We drive through a wine region, past Cape Agulhas or "The Cape of Storms", into an area infamously known for the number of ships that have wrecked on its shores, and then on to Port Elizabeth -- a world-class surfing destination. If the surfing championships are on, we stay to watch a bit of the action before journeying to Port St Johns. There, we visit a museum known to have the only Dodo egg in the world, as well as Coelacanth that was found after it was thought to be extinct.

Day 11-15
Port St Johns is where we call home for the next 5 days as we hunt for sardines in the Indian Ocean during the Great Sardine Run. We kill time by snorkeling with Dolphins, Humpback whales, Dusky Sharks and maybe even a few Black Tip Sharks! After full days of endless experiential adventure, we use what little energy we have left to explore the local area known as 'The Wild Coast'.

Day 16-19
Next up, Siyafunda, home to a wildlife reserve and research station. On our way there, we visit the Natal Sharks Board in Durban and learn about their shark education and conservation efforts. We may even get the chance to watch a dissection. We spend the night at the foot of the Drakensberg (Dragons Back) mountains, the highest mountain range in Southern Africa.

Day 20-26
Siyafunda! The focus shifts to land-based predators as we partake in daily game drives, as well as collect and analyze data for ongoing conservation research. Learn all about animal as well as how a game reserve functions and is managed day-to-day. Thinking back, we realize how much we've learned about conservation, threats to predators and how to help mitigate them, animal behavior and ecology, research methods used in the field, and most of all, Africa.

Highlights

* Cage dive with Great White Sharks
* Experience the largest migration on earth - The Sardine Run!
* Explore Kruger National Park
* See elephants and lions in their natural habitats
* Learn about sustainable Eco-tourism
* Cultural immersion in traditional Zulu villages
* Collect data on game drives Wilderness adventure including inflatable kayaking & hiking
* Earn 25 hours of community service & three college Natural Science credits through Lesley University

Travel Types

• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Hiking
• Native Culture Studies
• Safari
• Scuba
• Trekking
• Volunteering

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Minimum Education

High School

Subject Areas

• Animal Science
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Field-study
• Natural Sciences
• Zoology & Wildlife Sciences

Cost in US$:

Call for details

Experience Required

yes

• Minimum 18 years old
• High school Graduate
• High school or college Biology
• Minimum GPA: 2.50
• Completed at least one semester at college or graduated high school over a year ago

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living

Scholarships are Available

Applications for next summer are due May 1. Scholarship awards will be made May 15th.

Application Process Involves

• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

1-3 days

Year Founded

1993