Located in South Africa, volunteer to aid conservation efforts of African penguins and other marine birds at an animal sanctuary! This asylum in Port Elizabeth rescues sick and injured African penguins and other marine birds that need medical attention and rehabilitation. A vast majority of the African penguins left in the world are housed in the Algoa Bay area and these creatures are susceptible to dangers such as climate change and boat tourism. The rapidly changing environment and oil spills from boats have put this species in danger. The sanctuary is in need of volunteers to care for the injured animals that have washed up on the shores of the Algoa Bay in order to preserve the remainder of the population. Volunteers on this project will be involved in a plethora of tasks from direct animal care to maintenance of the sanctuary itself. Other tasks may include: administrative work, guiding and teaching visitors and school children about the sanctuary’s conservation efforts, cleaning the bird hospital facilities, preparing food and feeding the animals, cleaning and care for the birds, preparing medication and assisting the staff when birds are released back into their habitat.
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Updated Jun 16, 2026
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The most memorable experience I had during my trip was being able top work hands on with the penguins! As much as I have loved them my entire life, I had no real idea how physically strong and resilient they are!!
Having the opportunity to work at program has been a pleasure and something to learn lots from, and I only found them because of you. The people are so nice, welcoming and the lodge is also fun to live in. Overall a great experience so far.
I really enjoyed my project with sea birds and especially penguins. I am glad I had the chance to take part in this experience because everyday it made me feel useful and necessary. I spent most of the time with penguins: feeding, preparing the meds. I helped them feeding the penguins, preparing the medications, cleaning. We spent a lot of time also in the kitchen and do the laundry, but everybody was helping each other, making the days more enjoyable.
The most memorable experiences were being able to play an active role in the daily responsibilities associated with the conservation of the native African penguin species in the region. The local team boasts a brilliant local volunteer team that are very warm, welcoming and able to make you feel at home very quickly. All the Marine Dynamics staff are all very open and you quickly end up becoming part of the wider community!
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