Description

Expedition Summary
Track and survey bottlenose dolphins in Mediterranean waters to help scientists understand and combat the main threats to them and their ecosystem.

Expedition Details
Based in the charming Greek village of Vonitsa on the Amvrakikos Gulf, you'll have the opportunity to experience a quaint and traditional village life, far away from the hustle of bustle of Athens. On the east coast of Greece, you'll help researchers conduct daily surveys on the area's bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). From a small research vessel, you'll scan the water for signs of dolphin activity. Your team will search for dolphins and once found, you will follow them, and record information on their numbers, group composition, behavior, movement patterns and interactions with the areas fishing industry. The research team identifies individual dolphins by looking at distinguishing natural marks such as scars, bite marks, nicks, and notches in their dorsal fins. You will find yourself in the middle of a dolphin group, occasionally including calves or newborns. Dolphins often approach the research boat to bowride, even when the boat is moving slowly, so youll have a chance to see them up close and if you get lucky you might even hear their echolocation clicks and whistles.

Back at the field station, you'll help enter data and prepare digital images of these dorsal fins to compare them and match them with the project catalogue to identify which individuals where seen in the field. Your days will start early, but you will have some free time each afternoon for resting or otherwise enjoying the quiet coast.

Meals and Accommodations
You'll share a comfortable and large loft with a wooden floor, bunk beds, and a bright living area with the other volunteers on your team. A fully equipped apartment next door provides an open kitchen and living room, a balcony, two bathrooms (one for the volunteers and another one for the staff), an office, and rooms for the research personnel. Bathrooms are conventional, with showers, hot water, and flush toilets. Housekeeping, including cooking and cleaning up, are communal activities, though you may opt to enjoy Vonitsa's quaint and inexpensive restaurants when the mood strikes you. Juices, soft drinks, and ice are always available.

About the Research Area
The village of Vonitsa, where the field station is located, lies on the southern coast of the Amvrakikos Gulf, a virtually closed basin that is one of the most productive coastal areas in Greece, its largest and one of its most important wetlands. The Gulf is designated as a Ramsar site and as a Special Protection Area. It has rocky pebbled beaches and is surrounded by densely wooded mountain peaks, verdant plains, lakes and rivers, and traditional villages inhabited by hospitable people. The Amvrakikos Gulf is not a glamorous tourist destination, and so retains a genuinely traditional Greek environment.

The Byzantines built a large castle on the hill of Vonitsa, and subsequent Turks and Venetians, made their own mark upon the structure. Illuminated at night, the castle is a beautiful sight from below, and offers rewarding views of the Gulf from its heights. In this quiet, welcoming seafront village you can sit and enjoy good food or a cafe frappe (iced coffee) at the traditional cafes and tavernas. Large sea turtles can be spotted from the coast, or whilst out surveying, and even inside the port among the moored boats.

The economy in the area is simple and includes fishing, fish-farming and agriculture. Tourism is relatively undeveloped. Locals are very friendly and sometimes curious about foreigners. In Vonitsa everyone knows everyone else and new faces in town may draw some attention. Most people speak exclusively Greek but many can manage to communicate with a few words of English.

Highlights

Found in the waters of Ionian Greece, within sight of landmarks of ancient Hellenic history, this semi closed ecosystem holds one of the highest bottlenose dolphin densities ever reported for the Mediterranean. The nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf sustain a rich biodiversity where charismatic animals--including sea turtles and a variety of seabirds--can be easily encountered. Bottlenose dolphin in the Amvrakikos Gulf are threatened by human activities on land and the coast bringing about ecosystem changes and increasing habitat degradation. Scientists who monitor these dolphins have been able to identify most individuals and have estimated that 150 dolphins live in the area. Marine conservation biologist Joan Gonzalvo is working to identify the main threats facing these amazing marine mammals, and with your help they are able to provide data to support conservation-oriented management actions.

Travel Types

• Eco Tours
• Environmental Studies
• Nature Tours
• Photography
• Volunteering
• Tours

Qualifications

No experience is necessary - all you will need is enthusiasm and the desire to make a difference. For over 40 years Earthwatch Institute has pioneered the involvement of ordinary people in peer-reviewed scientific research worldwide. By joining an Earthwatch Expedition, you have a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the world's rarest animals and visit remote and beautiful locations, while directly supporting conservation science. We offer life enhancing experiences in nearly 50 countries each year, with projects for teens, adults, and families.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

2,495 USD

Cost Includes:

• Excursions
• Emergency evacuation services
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Our volunteers not only contribute essential funds that help to cover the cost of the research, but also, through their inspiration and effort, they provide the people power without which many of our vital projects simply couldnt take place. We are a non-profit organization but accommodation, meals, insurance, training and transport in the field are also included in your contribution cost. As a non-profit organization that supports scientific research, your contribution and airfare costs are usually tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people, including students, retirees, families, educators, and anyone seeking an exciting journey that enables them to give back to the environment. Our expeditions have a wide range of activity levels, from hiking intensive to easy expeditions with limited physical activity. There is an Earthwatch expedition out there for everyone!

Age Range

Teen (age 15 - 18) and adult (age 18-90) teams available.

This Program is open to

Worldwide, American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living

Participants Travel

Independently

Scholarships are Available

Very limited fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves

• Phone/Video Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Typically The Application Process Time is

Brief

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement

Our mission is to inspire connections between people and the environment by engaging them in worldwide scientific field research and education. These efforts will promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. We believe it is essential that people participate in solving the environmental challenges we face.

Year Founded

1971